Ecstasy

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             Although it's true to say that E is a comparably safe drug, in 1999, Ecstasy was mentioned on 26 UK death certificates in 1999 (although on most of these other drugs were listed too). .
             Ecstasy use in the UK has remained constant over past 5 years, estimated at around 300,000 people per week. Depending on fiqures and assumpions made, the death rate for first time users ranges from 1 in 10,000 (the same as road accidents) to just 1 in 2,000 (source: Times, 6.Dec.01) .
             MDMA appears to disturb the body's ability to regulate its temperature and this can lead to serious problems with overheating and 'heat shock'. There is no conclusive evidence to the long-term effects of ecstasy, although some experts suspect that there may be a link between brain damage and long term ecstasy use.
             E works by stimulating the pineal gland, causing it to circulate more seratonin than the user may be used to. To reach equilibrium I guess, the pineal gland produces less seratonin than usual, causing one to be less happy and sociable than they are on average.
             Increasing evidence from scientific studies suggests that long-term users of the drug Ecstasy may have permanent changes in the way their brains work. Evidence points to the loss of cells which produce a vital mood chemical called seratonin, although there is no evidence as yet that the loss of these cells has an adverse effect on brain health. .
             A recent autopsy on a 26-year-old Canadian long-term heavy user of Ecstasy (who died of an overdose of a different drug) revealed that his brain was found to have between 50% and 80% less serotonin than the brain of other patients. .
             Researchers from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, admit that it's difficult to draw conclusions from this single case, but they say the finding is significant. .
             Seratonin (also spelt serotonin) is a neurotransmitter chemical, released by nerve cells in the brain, which controls mood, pain perception, sleep, appetite and emotion.