A Senior Medical Superintendent, Dr. Abdul Aziz Swaray has warned that the drug named Ecstasy, can cause high blood pressure, a rapid heart rate and seizures.
He was speaking exclusively to AYV in response to the dangerous increase in the consumption of the illegal drug among young girls in Sierra Leone.
Whiles most young men in Sierra Leone today are focused on consuming foreign herbal drinks like Coco Samba, Oga Are Beg E Don Do, Jamucoco, among others as sex appetizers, young ladies are now highly and dangerously consuming Ecstasy for similar purpose.
Many young ladies who consume Ecstasy claim that it helps boost their sexual appetite and maintain long sexual duration.
People have called on the Government of Sierra Leone to design a strong policy against the importation and sale of illegal drugs. The police, if designed, many people believe it will help save the future leaders.
Dr. Swaray warned that taking Ecstasy while exercising – for example, dancing for a long time in a hot room – has caused dehydration and dangerously high body temperature and even death.
He said Ecstasy users may have higher rates of anxiety and depression than non-users and that the stimulant drugs speed up the messages between the brain and the body, which can make a person feel more awake, alert, confident or energetic.
Ecstasy, an illegal drug of abuse, is sometimes called a “party drug” or a “rave drug”. It is a stimulant related to amphetamine, sometimes taken during all-night dances or weekend-long parties. Users say it gives them energy, improves their mood, and helps them to relax.
Dr. Abdul Aziz Swaray warned that Ecstasy affects several brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, adding that the purpose of a neurotransmitter is to pass signals from one nerve cell to the next. He said such nerve signals are essential for survival.
“If a drug or chemical causes too much of a neurotransmitter to be released, the “sending” nerve can run out of the neurotransmitter. Also, the “receiving” nerve, or receptor, is over-stimulated. A cascade of events can occur; the effects depend on the specific neurotransmitter.
“Neurotransmitters affected by Ecstasy are serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. Most of the effects are on serotonin. Serotonin is important for controlling mood, one’s sense of well-being, sleep, appetite, memory, and learning”.
Troubling new research about Ecstasy indicates that it might cause long-lasting serotonin toxicity. A small study of young women compared groups who did and did not use Ecstasy.
Brain imaging studies of the young women who used Ecstasy showed harmful changes in serotonin receptors. This confirmed previous animal studies, in which animals given the drug developed toxic effects in the brain that lasted at least for several years.
Other possible problems relate to the Ecstasy preparations themselves. Ecstasy is a widely-available illegal drug. Because it is illegal, there are no standards for its preparation.
Pills sold as Ecstasy may contain MDMA, the advertised ingredient – or they may not. A furtive chemist could put any number of contaminants into a dose of ecstasy or ‘Ecstasy’. And whether the pills contain Ecstasy or contaminants, there is a risk of interactions with other drugs the user may be taking.
