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PEOPLE who use ecstasy work their way there by experimenting with an average of 11 classes of drugs. Many users had been on binges lasting numerous sleepless days and nights, research showed. And one in four overdosed on an illicit drug in the previous six months; most likely on a substance other than ecstasy and most commonly GHB. A ground-breaking study into young Victorians' ecstasy use revealed strong links between the drug and other harmful substances. As well as ecstasy, users are most likely to have recently used alcohol, methamphetamine powder, cannabis and crystal methamphetamine. The study found almost half the ecstasy users reported better communication and sociability under its influence. But the majority recognised they were taking risks with their health. Concerns included memory loss, depression and doubts about the purity of the pills. The Victorian findings of the Party Drug Initiative (PDI), a national study examining trends in ecstasy and related drug use, showed almost half the Melbourne respondents binged on drugs in the previous six months. The use of other drugs was common among the 100 ecstasy users surveyed. Respondents were typically in their mid-20s, lived at home or in rental accommodation and most had post-secondary qualifications. The most common first-time ecstasy use by respondents was when they were 18. The users reported having taken between four and 19 different drug types, with a median of 11. The median length of the non-stop binges was 84 hours, with the longest lasting 10 sleepless days. Ecstasy users often took other stimulants when the drug wore off to enable them to keep functioning and avoid a depressive let-down. The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre report provided a comprehensive breakdown of attitudes and habits of ecstasy users. It reports on the Tuesday Blues, where users suffer mood downturns after weekend partying. The report showed an ambulance was most likely to be called out between 4am and 5am on a Sunday -- with the incidence of negative or serious drug reactions requiring ambulance attendance rising steadily after midnight. Hundreds of people received ambulance treatment for ecstasy-related incidents between March 2001 and December 2003. One of the side-effects of ecstasy is it can hyper-energise users until the early hours of the day, explaining why complications such as overheating can occur just before dawn. The NDARC surveyed users who had taken the drug at least once a month in the previous six months. They had to be 16 or older. Fitzroy's Turning Point Alcohol & Drug Centre research fellow Jennifer Johnston said ecstasy use was widespread, but its harms were often overstated. The majority of people using the drug did not report serious side-effects. Ms Johnston said research showed youths were becoming suspicious of strong marijuana, which left users anti-social. This could partly explain why so many switched to ecstasy. Most users are likely to be working and/or studying but are unlikely to have been in prison. Herald Sun (19-7-2005) John Ferguson |
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