Vinnie

I experimented with Ecstasy three times when I was living in Florida. I was involved with other drugs at the time but Ecstasy was the one that brought out the worst in me and my friends. All drugs made me careless and I did things I wouldn't normally do. Ecstasy made me just want to go to a party and get into some trouble. I wanted to be with a large group of people and I didn't care who it was with. Those friends led me to get arrested and I almost lost my family because of it. I watched some of my friends overdose on Ecstasy because of the multiple substances that are contained within this drug.

I feel that Ecstasy needs the same amount of attention as Heroin and Cocaine get. I feel there should be penalties for using and especially selling the drug. I feel that security at clubs should be escalated because that is the main spot where the drug is used and sold. If people saw that the penalty was worse and more busts were being made I feel that the Ecstasies quantity would lessen drastically. I feel Ecstasy is overlooked and needs to be dealt with, with more force.

Michelle

My name is Michelle C. I am 17 years old and have been in recovery for over a year and a half. I tried many drugs when I was active but the one that I liked the most was ecstasy.

Ecstasy was introduced to me from a former boyfriend. He told me that it was amazing and that I would really feel better. Ecstasy made me feel as though I did not have a problem in the world. Everything was wonderful and I had no inhibitions while I was under the influence.

What my boyfriend did not tell me was that I would want to take Ecstasy all the time. After a while, I felt as though I would not be able to live without it. I began to steal things from my parents and cut classes so that I could get high. The good feelings I was getting from Ecstasy were making me act out in ways that were damaging to myself and the people that cared about me. Feeling wonderful meant that I had to lie, cheat, and steal.

Since I have been in recovery, I have made many changes in my life. I have worked on my self-esteem, self-respect, and have developed positive ways of coping with my day to day problems. Although I am sober, I still miss using Ecstasy. I miss the peaceful feelings and the illusion that everything is okay. I need to remember that I am capable of dealing with problems as they come up and that I do not need to live my life in the cloud of Ecstasy.