Editorial The - University of South Africa

injecting themselves. Thus there is a low
inhibition threshold for experimentation.
Also, in a culture where young people
especially are expected give hundred
per cent performance hundred per cent
of the time, Ecstasy is often used to cope
with the pressure. This can lead to psychological
dependence and as tolerance
leading to ever-increasing
consumption. However, if the primary
motivations given by respondent for taking
Ecstasy are revisited, that is, `to feel
good'; for `fun and excitement'; `to experiment',
and `to feel closer to others,
one can understand why Saunders
(1997) blames society for this phenomenon.
In a paper entitled `Recreational
use of Ecstasy: the drug user's perspective'
presented to the British Psychological
Society's annual conference in
Edinburgh he poses the question: `Why
does our society impose restraints on
such apparently healthy behaviour to
the extent that a drug is required to overcome
them?' (Saunders,1997:3).
Given the extent of Ecstasy consumption
and the apparent lack of knowledge
regarding the harmful effects of the
drug, further studies of this nature ought
to be encouraged. This is especially relevant
in the South African context as
very little research has been conducted
in this field. Research of this kind facilitates
the improvement of health education
for users and drug therapists alike
which, in turn, could lead to better primary
prevention programmes through
increased awareness amongst the general
population including parents and
teachers. Finally, at the very least, this
study contributes to the debate on the
harmful effects of Ecstasy which introduces
additional issues and/or questions
for further exploration and
research.
REFERENCES
Boot, B. P., McGregor, I. and Hall, W. 2000. MDMA (Ecstasy) neurotoxicity: assessing and
communicating the risks. Lancet, 355, 1 818±1 821.
Jansen, K. L. R. 1997. Mental health problems associated with the use of Ecstasy (MDMA),
and their treatment. In J. Holland, ed., Ecstasy: the complete guide: A comprehensive
look at the risks and benefits of MDMA, (132±157). Vermont: Park Street Press.
Saunders, N. 1993. E for Ecstasy. London: Neal's Yard.
Saunders, N. 1997. Recreational use of ecstasy: the drug user's perspective. Paper
presented to the British Psychological Society's annual conference at Edinburgh.
Unisa. 2001. Tutorial Letter 105 for PSY471±S.
Vastag, B. Ecstasy experts want realistic messages. Journal of the American Medical
Association, vol. 286, no. 7. Retrieved August 12, 2001 from the World Wide Web:
http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v286n7/ffull/jmn0815-1.html
Wareing, M., Fisk, J. E. and Murphy P. N. 2000. Working memory deficits in current and
previous users of MDMA (`Ecstasy'). British Journal of Psychology, 91, 181±8.
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