Ecstasy (MDMA): effects and patterns of use reported by users in São Paulo.
Stella Pereira De Almeida, Maria Teresa Araujo Silva
Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria March 2003 DOI: 10.1590/s1516-44462003000100004 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 52 |
| Population | Frequent and recent ecstasy users of both genders in São Paulo, Brazil |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Key findings | Ecstasy use in São Paulo follows a recreational pattern similar to previous studies: most users take the drug weekly, in social settings like raves and clubs, and often combine it with other drugs. Users report predominantly positive effects. |
Abstract
As there are no studies about the use of ecstasy in Brazil, our aim was to identify the effects and patterns of use of this substance among users in the city of São Paulo. Subjects were recruited through the snowball technique. Fifty-two subjects of both genders who had been using ecstasy frequently and recently were interviewed. The instrument was a self-reported and anonymous questionnaire. The sample's mean age was 24 years, mostly composed by single, college graduated middle-class subjects. Among the interviewed users, 61.6% used ecstasy at least once per week and 50% of them took one pill per episode of use and 46% more than one. Drug taking was usually performed in company of several people (63%) in contexts related to night leisure, such as rave parties (78.8%), dancing clubs (69.2%) and parties (53.8%). Ecstasy pills were mainly purchased from friends or acquaintances in order to favor a dancing mood in those places. Most subjects used ecstasy associated to other psychoactive drugs (93.3%), mainly Cannabis, followed by tobacco and LSD. The effects attributed to ecstasy were mainly positive. The use of ecstasy in São Paulo has had a recreational pattern quite similar to those described in previous studies. The assessment of the use of ecstasy as positive also agrees with the findings of the literature.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on MDMA, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recreational MDMA use in Sydney: a profile of ‘Ecstasy’ users and their experiences with the drug Recreational Ecstasy users recruited via snowball peer network | 1992 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 100 |
| Reducedin vivobinding to the serotonin transporter in the cerebral cortex of MDMA (‘ecstasy’) users Male regular ecstasy users and well-matched controls | 1999 | Cross-sectional association study | n = 20 |
| Patterns of simultaneous polysubstance use in drug using university students Drug-using university students | 2006 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 149 |
| Patterns of recreational drug use at dance events in Edinburgh, Scotland Drug users at dance events in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, aged 16-47, 80% between 18 and... | 2001 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 122 |
| Acute, sub‐acute and long‐term subjective consequences of ‘ecstasy’ (MDMA) consumption in 430 regular users Regular MDMA users | 2003 | Cross-sectional study | n = 466 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- A review of the acute subjective effects of MDMA/ecstasy Addiction March 24, 2006
- Neuroimaging in Human MDMA (Ecstasy) Users Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences October 1, 2008
- MDMA for the treatment of mood disorder: all talk no substance? Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology June 1, 2015
- Age of Sexual Initiation, Psychiatric Symptoms, and Sexual Risk Behavior among Ecstasy and LSD Users in Porto Alegre, Brazil: A Preliminary Analysis. Journal of Drug Issues March 1, 2011
- MDMA (ecstasy) use is associated with reduced BOLD signal change during semantic recognition in abstinent human polydrug users: a preliminary fMRI study. Journal of Psychopharmacology March 20, 2009
and 2 more in the library
Cites 7
- Recreational MDMA use in Sydney: a profile of ‘Ecstasy’ users and their experiences with the drug British Journal of Addiction August 1, 1992
- Mood and cognitive effects of ± 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ‘ecstasy’): week‐end ‘high’ followed by mid‐week low Addiction July 1, 1997
- Ecstasy (MDMA) dependence Drug and Alcohol Dependence January 7, 1999
- Is the Use of Ecstasy and Hallucinogens Increasing? European Addiction Research 1998
- "Êxtase": revisão farmacológica Revista de Saúde Pública October 1, 1998
and 2 more in the library