Survey finds ecstasy use increasing

A recent survey on ecstasy (MDMA), known in Taiwan as the "happy pill" or "shake-head pill," found that young people had easy access to the drug through pubs, discos and illegal pharmacies.

Researchers appealed yesterday to officials to focus their attention on this widespread problem.

Targeting 1,500 people over the age of 12 in Taiwan, a survey was conducted last week on the drug's usage by the Eastern Multimedia Marketing Survey Center(東森民調中心) and the Crime Correction Foundation (CCF, 犯罪矯正發展基金會).

The results, made public yesterday, found that people between the ages of 20 and 29 formed the majority of ecstasy users while those between the ages of 12 and 19 formed the second biggest group.

The survey also found that nearly 15 percent of respondents knew where and how to obtain the drug. Besides pubs and pharmacies, users said they also had access to ecstasy over the Internet and through friends and schoolmates.

"Young people get pleasure out of using these pills, but they have no idea of its adverse effects," said Li Jih-heng (李志恆), director general of the National Bureau of Controled Drugs.

Lin Ja-liang (林杰樑), a toxicology specialist at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, said "this drug is called the `happy pill,' but its dangers are all too real."

"Its chemical structure makes it part of the amphetamine family of drugs," Lin said. "It can cause sudden heart failure and acute kidney failure. But young people just aren't aware of these risks."

Within an hour of taking the drug, users experience mild hallucinations and seemingly unending reserves of energy. Users say this allows them to dance all night without feeling exhausted.

Researchers said the ecstasy problem was far from isolated, and called for the government and private groups to work together on eradicating it.

Frank Huang (黃富源), executive general of the CCF and also a criminologist at the Central Police University, said the key difference between juvenile delinquency and adult crime was that youngsters tend to do their lawbreaking as a group.

"Ten years ago, it was motorcycle racing on the streets that was rife among youngsters; now it is the widespread usage of this pill. It's just another example of the `herd mentality,'" Huang said.

Researchers said that using ecstasy is not necessarily an indicator that an individual will embark upon a life of crime, but emphasized the drug's potentially harmful effects on individuals, families and society.