In the last year, about 4.4 percent of high school seniors reported using Ecstasy. Male students and those living in cities had a higher risk of use, as well as teens who used alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana or other illegal drugs, according to the report.
The findings are based on data from the Monitoring the Future nationwide annual study, which includes about 15,000 high school seniors. Researchers pointed out that the number of high school seniors using ecstasy is probably higher because many teens are unaware that Molly is ecstasy in powdered form and the study did not specifically ask about Molly.“Ecstasy use also tends to precede use of other club drugs so preventing Ecstasy use (e.g., among those who attend nightclubs and parties) may also prevent initiation and use of drugs such as ketamine (‘Special K’) and GHB,” lead researcher Joseph J. Palamar, PhD, MPH, said in a news release.
“Hundreds of new designer drugs have emerged in recent years, some of which were created to mimic the effects of Ecstasy,” Dr. Palamar said. “Many individuals may be ingesting what they think is Ecstasy, but it may in fact be an even more dangerous new substance. Likewise, today Ecstasy commonly comes in powder form instead of pill form, which may even further increase the chances of receiving the drug cut with additional designer substances.”
The report is published in Substance Use & Misuse.
