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Brian Vastag

JAMA. 2001;286:777.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Bethesda—As the popularity of the drug ecstasy (MDMA) continues to climb—11% of high school seniors have tried it, according to a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) survey—behavioral researchers are recommending control strategies that may seem antithetical to ever-expanding law enforcement efforts. Instead of focusing on eradication and punishment, these social scientists take another tack: they encourage harm reduction that acknowledges the realities of ecstasy.

At a recent NIDA conference, a half-dozen speakers advocated this immediate action approach. Providing plenty of water at rave parties to prevent dehydration (a common adverse effect), offering purity testing to help users avoid ubiquitous adulterants, and developing peer-led programs will go a long way toward reducing dangers, they said.

Ecstasy pills sold in the United States generally contain 100 mg or less of MDMA. According to the social scientists, typical users take no more than one pill at a time during . . . [Full Text of this Article]

RELATED LETTER

What Should the Public Be Told About the Risks of Ecstasy?
Alan I. Leshner, Richard Glen Boire, and Brian Vastag
JAMA. 2002;287(5):585.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT  

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

What Should the Public Be Told About the Risks of Ecstasy?
Leshner et al.
JAMA 2002;287:585-585.
FULL TEXT