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MONTGOMERY – Department of Mental Health & Mental Retardation Commissioner Kathy Sawyer this week announced her desire to warn Alabama parents about the dangers of so-called "club drugs." Drugs that fall in this category include the synthetic substance MDMA, commonly known as "Ecstasy," which is available in both liquid and pill forms.

"I want Alabama parents to know that these drugs are extremely dangerous and readily available," Sawyer said. An Associated Press report this week revealed that federal customs agents in Los Angeles intercepted over 2.1 million Ecstasy tablets intended for sale and distribution in the United States. "Federal officials seized nearly 1,100 pounds of Ecstasy last week," Sawyer said. "The good news is that it is the largest such seizure to date. The bad news is that there is definitely more where that came from."

MDMA or Ecstasy is a synthetic drug that is primarily manufactured in Europe and smuggled into the U.S. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, MDMA is a synthetic, psychoactive drug possessing stimulant and hallucinogenic properties. It is most often distributed at late-night parties called "raves," nightclubs, and rock concerts. As the "rave" and club scene expands to metropolitan and suburban areas across the country, MDMA use and distribution are increasing as well.

MDMA is taken orally and its effects last approximately four to six hours. Users claim to experience profoundly positive feelings, empathy for others, elimination of anxiety, and extreme relaxation. MDMA is also said to suppress the need to eat, drink, or sleep, enabling users to endure two- to three-day parties.

While it is not as addictive as heroin or cocaine, MDMA use can result in addiction. Use can also result in other adverse effects including nausea, hallucinations, chills, sweating, increases in body temperature, tremors, involuntary teeth clenching, muscle cramping, and blurred vision. MDMA users also report after-effects of anxiety, paranoia, and depression. An MDMA overdose is characterized by high blood pressure, faintness, panic attacks, and, in more severe cases, loss of consciousness, seizures, and a drastic rise in body temperature. MDMA overdoses can be fatal, as they may result in heart failure or extreme heat stroke.

"Parents should be aware of the serious and potentially fatal side effects of Ecstasy use," Sawyer said. "In fact, in 1998 the National Institute of Mental Health conducted a study of MDMA users who were abstaining from use. They examined the effects of Ecstasy abuse and the findings are serious business."

The study revealed that the abstinent users suffered damage to the neurons in the brain that transmit serotonin, an important biochemical involved in a variety of critical functions such as learning, sleeping, and the integration of emotion. "The results of the study indicate the possible risk of developing permanent brain damage that may manifest itself in depression, anxiety, memory loss, and other neuropsychotic disorders," Sawyer said.

The psychological effects of MDMA can also include confusion, depression, sleep problems, anxiety, and paranoia during, and sometimes weeks after, taking the drug. Physical effects can include muscle tension, involuntary teeth-clenching and teeth grinding, nausea, blurred vision, faintness, and chills or sweating. Increases in heart rate and blood pressure are a particular risk for people with circulatory or heart disease.

MDMA-related fatalities at "raves" have been reported. The stimulant effects of the drug, combined with the hot, crowded conditions usually found at nightclubs and "raves" can lead to dehydration, hyperthermia (elevated body temperature), and heart or kidney failure.

For more information about MDMA or Ecstasy, contact the National Institute of Drug Abuse. You can visit their web site at http://www.drugabuse.gov or call the toll-free automated information line at (888) 644-6432 for fact sheets and recorded information.