The Shocking Truth about Ecstasy Statistics

In the 1980s it became popular for party-goers to take Ecstasy, especially at gatherings known as 'raves' where loud music would blast out until the early hours of the morning, usually in a disused warehouse or farm building. By the mid 1980s it was commonly used on the club scene and people began to take it without much thought of the consequences. It is now used on a much broader scale and it's not uncommon to find school aged children popping these pills.

Ecstasy statistics - how usage has increased dramatically

In 2007, it was reported that over 12 million people in the USA alone had used ecstasy at least once during their lives. By 2009 the number of users had increased by a whopping 37% and these figures have continued to rise. There are currently over 14 million individuals who have taken ecstasy for most of their adult lives.

Approximately 7% of high school seniors have tried this drug once and over the years, there has been a rapid increase among 10th grade students. Investigation into these ecstasy statistics conclude that younger people are ignorant of the damage that ecstasy can cause and therefore take it because they consider it harmless and risk free. In 2011, drug statistics reported that at least 55% of teenagers admitted to trying ecstasy because of peer pressure which is usually the case with tobacco and alcohol.

Emergency Room Figures

Early ecstasy statistics show that there have been 10,220 individuals admitted to an emergency department as a result of taking ecstasy. By 2008, this figure had risen to 17,865 which is representative of a 74.8% increase. In fact, ecstasy is the seventh most common drug to present problems in emergency departments all over the world.

It is known that many people who visited hospital because of the ill effects of taking ecstasy had also taken other drugs or combined the drug with large amounts of alcohol. Doctors and drug experts alike have publicly said that when ecstasy is mixed with other substance it can cause very serious side effects which in some cases can prove fatal.

Ecstasy statistics show that around 30% of users will take another drug alongside ecstasy. Approximately 15% will take 2 other drugs, 14% will combine ecstasy with 3 other drugs and 17.5% will actually take 4 other different drugs at the same time as ecstasy. The most common type of drugs to combine with ecstasy is alcohol, cocaine and marijuana. This can be a lethal combination which can lead to seizures which may also result in death.

Why Ecstasy is not safe

Ecstasy is not safe for human consumption and if pills are not pure and have been mixed with other substances, the consequences can be far worse. They are manufactured to look like generic pills so it can be fairly easy to make imitations which are sometimes highly toxic.

There can be many psychological implications to being an ecstasy user. This is because ecstasy is a synthetic, psychoactive drug which has hallucinogenic and amphetamine-like properties. Individuals take ecstasy for the feeling of euphoria and well being but they are far more likely to experience depression, acute anxiety, paranoia, confusion, insomnia and strong cravings.

The physical effects to the brain are very well documented and regular users risk permanent brain damage, a breakdown of muscle mass as well as heart and kidney failure. The part of the brain which controls memory can be weakened forever after taking ecstasy which could lead to further health problems in the future. Because ecstasy is known as a neurotoxin, it can cause a dramatic increase in the temperature of the body which can in some cases be fatal.

Using this drug for just a few days can cause years of lasting damage. In some cases, people may develop a rash after swallowing an ecstasy pill and this can signify that their body has suffered serious side effects such as liver damage. Ecstasy is known to bring about acute exhaustion and dehydration which is another reason why so many users wind up in the emergency room of their local hospital.

Taking an ecstasy pill may induce a high which can last from 3 hours to 24 hours and pills generally cost between $10 and $40, so it's certainly not an inexpensive recreational habit. Ecstasy will also show up for up to 4 days after a person has taken it in urine samples. It is simply not worth taking this drug because it does, and will cause long term damage to health and can be fatal. If a person is taking ecstasy to block out the reality of life then perhaps they would be better to talk to a trained counselor who can point them in the right direction for a cleaner, healthier lifestyle.