Frequent users of the drug ecstasy are beginning to show signs of permanent organ damage, memory loss and depression, a conference in Dublin has heard. The director of Trinity College School of Pharmacy, Dr Desmond Corrigan, said that while most attention was focused on deaths from heat-stroke it was not the only cause of death, and users should be aware of the long-term risk of liver and heart damage.
Recent research, using a new brain-scanning technique known as PET scanning, had shown direct evidence of damage to key nerve cells in the brains of ecstasy users.
"Its significance lies in the fact that the cells involved produce serotonin, a chemical linked to depression."
Speaking at an Eastern Health Board conference on "Meeting the Ecstasy Challenge", Dr Corrigan said it appeared that some damage was repairable and some was not.
Ecstasy came, he said, in various chemical forms, which were often mixed together. Rip-offs were also on the market, which complicated the process of risk evaluation.
"Harm reduction could and should address immediate risk but longer-term problems will still remain a worrying aspect."
The EHB education officer, Ms Sheilagh Reaper-Reynolds, said anecdotal evidence suggested that "regular, recreational ecstasy users [in Ireland] number in the tens of thousands."
This warranted the question why we had failed so effectively in tackling the problem.
Notwithstanding short- to medium-term effects including anxiety, psychosis and mood change, ecstasy's full legacy might only become apparent with evaluation of longer-term effects, said Mr Fran Bissett of the National Youth Federation.
He expressed concern about the lack of accurate data on its use. A sharp decline in ecstasy seizures in 1996 might reflect on Garda performance or represent a temporary blip in consumption trends, he said.
This contrasted with the view of full-time youth workers who feel young people over 15 are consuming more ecstasy, according to Mr Bill Blake of Dublin Youth Services. In addition, young people did not necessarily stop when made aware of the risks, or when an acquaintance died from taking the drug.
"Most using hash and `E' would say they obtain their drugs from friends and acquaintances rather than pushers. This suggests a greater and more constant pressure on the young person who wants to say no, arising from peer pressure, availability and general acceptance that certain drugs are OK to use," he said.
