Drug abuse alert – New form of ‘ecstasy’ is causing concern

The drug known as "Molly" is billed as the purest form of ecstasy. In most cases, though, it is anything but.

Experts in the field claim the drug, oftentimes, is laced with chemicals and psychogenic substances, and this new wave of ecstasy is making more of a footprint than anyone expected.

The dangerous ingredients involved reportedly sent several Connecticut college students to the hospital on Sunday.

Dr. Michael Avaltroni, dean of the School of Pharmacy at Fairleigh Dickinson University, said ecstasy alone is dangerous enough, but when it's laced with other uncontrolled substances, as is the case with Molly, the danger spikes to another level.

"Now you really have the potential for disaster," he said.

According to Avaltroni, college campuses have seen an uptick in cases related to Molly, and the drug's popularity is slowly creeping into the high school scene as well.

"Unfortunately, it seems like the needle is constantly being moved to try to push to greater and greater highs," he said.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse, in its latest survey, cited a 1-in-25 usage rate for MDMA - the primary drug in Molly - among people aged 18 to 25.

Steve Liga, executive director of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence of Middlesex County, said while the drug is meant to make people "feel good" and act as a hallucinogen, the downsides of Molly - both physical and social - can't be ignored.

"It's affecting their circulatory system…and it affects the body's ability to regulate temperature," Liga said. "Also, it makes you trust everybody. In very social settings, it just leads to so much unprotected sex and relationships and different behaviors that people feel bad about the next day."

Liga suggested college campuses are "re-tooling" their literature and resources on ecstasy as this new, hipper style gains popularity.

Researchers have yet to determine whether MDMA is addictive, but given the random mix of ingredients that could be thrown into any batch of Molly, it has a greater chance of getting people hooked.