Characteristics and social representation of ecstasy in Europe - Irefrea

could rise to 96% (Modena), so that one is led to think that this coincidence betweenuse of ecstasy and use of cannabis could be interpreted in terms of association betweenthese two substances. Other drugs of frequent use during the preceding month are -inthis order- cocaine, amphetamines and LSD. It is worrying that 21,2% of the C samplein Modena and 12,5% of the Nice sample report to having taken heroin in the precedingmonth, but we must take into account that these percentages are affected by a largenumber of missings in both towns –the percentage correspond only to the people whoanswered this question. The question of the use of heroin among ecstasy users isextremely important because there is a general idea that people consuming one drug orthe other are very different. In a certain way that is true if we refer to the typical heroinaddict, but may be we are faced with new ways of heroin consume. In a quite recentstudy (Sherlock, 1997) among people related to the dance scene in England,approximately 14% of the 4.000 respondents have tried crack cocaine and heroine.In every case, the use of other drugs during the preceding month is higher in the Cgroup than in the NC group. Alcohol shows the smallest differences, whereas with therest of the drugs, it must be said that the differences are extremely notable, in spite ofthe fact that on occasions, there is a remarkable use of some drug among the individualsin the control group.The simultaneous consumption of ecstasy with alcohol and cannabis is extremelyhigh although it is frequently combined with amphetamines, cocaine, LSD, etc.Therefore, the myth that ecstasy user is not taking any other drug should be exploded.In fact, the opposite is more likely.A particular worry, is the misuse of alcohol among young Europeans. Between 40%and 50% of the NC group had been drunk within the preceding month and thispercentage went to 70 to 90% when we refer to the ecstasy users in the differentsamples. This is an aspect of drug misuse of which there is insufficient awareness.THREE MODELS OF ECSTASY USEOn the basis of the examples and other characteristics of the use described in thissurvey, we can certainly speak of three models of ecstasy use:The emergent model corresponding to those countries where the initiation phase ofthis substance has ended, represented in our case by the Portuguese, and where thecharacteristics of use are close to the stereotypes in use of this substance, since it hascertainly not yet had occasion to spread to wider population groups. The most typicalcharacteristics of this model are; there are not many people in the higher abusefrequencies, they take few tablets at a time; in spite of being great users of alcohol, theytend not to take it and ecstasy together and, their evaluation of ecstasy use is a positiveone, very closely identified with the rave cult.The poly-consumer model, represented in our case mainly by Spain and Italy whereecstasy use has practically the same recreational patterns as any other legal or illegaldrug used in that context..185