MDMA (3, 4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine), commonly referred to as Ecstasy, is a psychoactive drug possessing stimulant and hallucinogenic properties. MDMA possesses chemical variations of the stimulant amphetamine or methamphetamine and a hallucinogen, most often mescaline.

Ecstasy is most often distributed at late-night parties called "raves," nightclubs, and rock concerts. As the rave and club scene expands to metropolitan and suburban areas across the country, ecstasy use and distribution are increasing as well. Ecstasy is often used in combination with other substances. Once a person begins using Ecstasy or begins frequenting events where Ecstasy is widely used, a vast array of drugs become accessible as well.

MDMA was first synthesized in 1912 by a German company possibly to be used as an appetite suppressant. Chemically, it is an analogue of MDA, a drug that was popular in the 1960s. In the late 1970s, MDMA was used to facilitate psychotherapy by a small group of therapists in the United States. Illicit use of ecstasy did not become popular until the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Ecstasy is described as an empathogen as it releases mood-altering chemicals, such as serotonin and L-dopa, in the brain, and generates feelings of love and friendliness - people feel "loved up" and "blissed out". Because it's also a hallucinogen, the world becomes surreal, highly colored and distorted. But ecstasy makes people nice, not nasty. Also referred to as “the love drug”, ecstasy often makes the user feel good, happy and relaxed - at least at first. Contrary to rumors, ecstasy is not an aphrodisiac and can actually inhibit sexual performance.

Many problems users encounter with ecstasy are similar to those found with the use of amphetamines and cocaine. They include increases in heart rate and blood pressure, nausea, blurred vision, faintness, chills, sweating, and such psychological problems as confusion, depression, sleep problems, craving, severe anxiety, paranoia, and psychotic episodes. Ecstasy's chemical cousin, MDA, destroys cells that produce serotonin in the brain. These cells play a direct roll in regulating aggression, mood, sexual activity, sleep, and sensitivity to pain.

Signs of ecstasy use include but are not limited to:

• Hyper-Alertness
• Sweating
• Dry mouth (thirsty)
• Increased heart rate
• Fatigue
• Jaw-clenching
• Hypothermia (cold when they shouldn't be)
• Agitation
• Increased emotional responses (more empathetic than individual would normally be)