Emerging Drugs
Get more information on K2/Spice, Salvia and Bath Salts. NIDA will update this page with the latest research findings on these and other emerging drugs as they develop.
Commonly Abused Drugs
Brief Description
MDMA is a synthetic drug that has stimulant and psychoactive properties. It is taken orally as a capsule or tablet.
Street Names
XTC, X, Adam, hug, beans, love drug
Effects
Short-term effects include feelings of mental stimulation, emotional warmth, enhanced sensory perception, and increased physical energy. Adverse health effects can include nausea, chills, sweating, teeth clenching, muscle cramping, and blurred vision. MDMA can interfere with the body's ability to regulate temperature; on rare occasions, this can be lethal.
Statistics and Trends
In 2009, 2.8 million Americans age 12 and older had abused MDMA at least once in the year prior to being surveyed.Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration Web Site). The NIDA-funded 2010 Monitoring the Future Study showed that 2.4% of 8th graders, 4.7% of 10th graders, and 4.5% of 12th graders had abused MDMA at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Source: Monitoring the Future (University of Michigan Web Site).
Related Publications
Related NIDA Notes Articles
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Girls More Likely Than Boys to Use Ecstasy (November 2011)
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Teenage Marijuana Use Is on the Rise (March 2011)
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Drug Abuse at Highest Level in Nearly a Decade (December 2010)
Related News Releases
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NIDA creates easy-to-read website on drug abuse (February 2012)
Related Resources
- NIDA for Teens: MDMA (Ecstasy)
- Message from NIDA's Director on Ecstasy Research.
- Research on MDMA - 2002 statement before the House Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources, Committee on Government Reform (Archives)
- Ecstasy Abuse and Control - 2001 statement before the Senate Subcommittee on Governmental Affairs (Archives)
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Scientific meeting report: Results of a July 2001 NIDA/NIH conference on Ecstasy
- Ecstasy: What We Know and Don't Know About MDMA, A Scientific Review - Executive summary and full report (Archives)
- MDMA/Ecstasy Research: Advances, Challenges, Future Directions - A Scientific Conference - Videocast, posters, participant list, etc. (Archives)
Other Resources
- MEDLINEplus Health Information on Drug Abuse - National Library of Medicine, NIH
- www.abovetheinfluence.com - Office of National Drug Control Policy
- healthfinder.gov - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Past information on many drugs of abuse is available on our Archives site.
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Featured Publication
Drugs, Brains, and Behavior - The Science of Addiction
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