If you hear your kids talking about Molly, chances are it's
not a new girl in school. Molly is the name for a drug that's been making waves
in the underground rave scene for years. Recently it followed electronic dance
music into the mainstream, and now high school and college kids are carried
away by the drug, touted
as pure MDMA.
The Truth About Molly
Molly--short for "molecule"--is a synthetic form of
MDMA, the chemical component of ecstasy. MDMA is a psychedelic and
a stimulant, causing distortions of time and senses and energy surges.
Molly does produce a similar high, but it is cheaper and is becoming more and
more widespread.
Other side effects of Molly are not so pleasant. They can
include increased blood pressure and heart rate, severe
dehydration, hyperthermia (a condition in which the body temperature gets
dangerously high, causing severe damage to internal organs), and intense teeth
clenching. Not only that, mental effects are strong--Molly can produce
psychosis, aggressiveness, severe agitation, and severe depression as
the user comes down off of it.
Molly is often laced with other substances like caffeine.
This increases its potential for overdose. Signs of overdose include:
• Agitation and aggression, reported in a number of overdose
cases. This may include physical characteristics like stirring or shaking, or
they may be as simple as restlessness or excitement.
• Dilated pupils, remaining large even in bright lights.
• Seizures are extremely common in overdoses of MDMA. These
can occur rapidly and are usually manifested by changes in consciousness,
emotion, vision, skin sensation, muscle tension and twitching.
What Molly Does to the Brain
Molly is smoked, eaten or parachuted (folded in a tissue
and swallowed), and about twenty minutes later the euphoria begins. A rush
of neurotransmitters including serotonin and dopamine causes the user to feel
elated, empathetic and energized. The senses are sharpened, which is why it is
so commonly used at concerts, to enhance auditory experience.
A few hours later, the high is over. The brain, however, does
not forget. Slightly reliant on molly for some of its functions, it no longer
produces the same amount of neurotransmitters. This is the time when users are
often flooded with depression. Long-term users experience forgetfulness
and other mental effects, which can cause decreased academic performance.
Users often turn to other illicit drugs like cocaine and
heroin to get a similar high to that they experience on Molly. In this way, Molly
is a gateway drug.
Users of Molly tend to be between the ages of sixteen and
twenty-four. While a vast number of them are involved in the club scene, not
every case is tied together. It is not difficult to get one's hands on the
drug. Addicts need only send a text or a message via Facebook or share with a
friend or classmate. It is priced at about $20 per pill or $100 per gram.
Because of this Molly has attracted many new
young users. But, with more information known about this drug,
usage can be decreased or stopped all together.
This can come from a variety of things such as more drug
prevention and education, rehab services for
those addicted and stricter enforcement on the products sold that can make this
drug.
The
main point is the consumers have to put a stop to Molly and other synthetic
drug use. Talk to you kids, make sure schools are doing the same. Know the
signs of abuse and get your loved one help if they need it.
Call our live
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