What Kind of Drug Is It?

MDMA, best known as ecstasy, is a drug usually taken in pill form, often in social settings such as parties, clubs, or raves. (A rave is a wild overnight dance party that typically involves huge crowds of people, loud techno music, and illegal drug use.) By 2004, however, ecstasy use had spread beyond the party scene. According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy of the Executive Office of the President: "[R]esearch indicates that the use of MDMA is moving to settings other than nightclubs, such as private homes, high schools, college dorms, and shopping malls."

The illegal substance produces a variety of effects on behavior and basic metabolism (bodily function). Some of these effects are temporarily pleasant. The user may feel happy, more in tune with others, and more energetic. Other effects are not so welcome. These include...