What is ecstasy?

• A 'psychedelic amphetamine' that produces strong feelings of comfort, empathy, and connection to others
• Also known as MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine)
• Mostly comes in tablet form but also available in capsules or as powder
• Mostly used orally but can also be snorted
• Popular with clubbers and partygoers but has also been widely used by therapists as an adjunct to psychotherapy

Ecstasy pills are notoriously unreliable in content and may commonly contain caffeine, ephedrine, amphetamines, MDA, MDE, DXM and not necessarily MDMA or any psychoactive. This problem has led to the development of simple MDMA testing kits that may help give the user a general sense of the content of a pill.

Law

• Illegal in Australia and in most other countries

Effects

Onset

• 30-60 minutes (although sometimes as long as 2 hours) depending on how much and how recently one has eaten

Duration

•  3-4 hours when taken orally.

For many people there is an additional period of time (2-6 hrs) where it is difficult to go to sleep and there is definitely a noticeable difference from everyday reality.

Find out more

More info

Contact: ACON Alcohol and Other Drugs Program

Tel: (02) 9206 2081
Free Call: 1800 063 060
Hearing Impaired: (02) 9283 2088

Email: aod@acon.org.au