Updated February 14, 2014.

Question: Who Is Abusing MDMA?

Answer:

MDMA first gained popularity among adolescents and young adults in the nightclub scene or weekend-long dance parties known as raves. However, recently the profile of the typical MDMA user has been changing. Community-level data from NIDA's Community Epidemiology Workgroup (CEWG), reported in June 2003, indicate that use of MDMA has spread beyond the rave and nightclub scene to a variety of urban, suburban and rural areas throughout the country, including greater use on college campuses.

For example, reports from Chicago suggest that Ecstasy, or drugs sold as Ecstasy, are widely available among high school and college students.

Use of this drug has also increased among different ethnic groups. For example, reports from Texas indicate use spreading beyond predominantly White youth to a broader range of ethnic groups. In Chicago, where a single MDMA pill can be purchased for about $12 to $15, the drug continues to be predominantly used by White youth, but there are increasing reports of its use by African American adults in their twenties and thirties. Also indicators in New York suggest that both the distribution and use of club drugs are becoming more common in non-White communities.

MDMA has also become a more popular drug among urban gay males. Reports have shown that some gay and bisexual men take MDMA and other club-drugs in myriad venues. This is concerning given that the use of club drugs has been linked to high-risk sexual behaviors that may lead to HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases.

Many gay males in big cities report using MDMA as part of a multiple-drug experience that includes marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, ketamine, and other legal and illegal substances.

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