Characteristics and social representation of ecstasy in Europe - Irefrea

The contrary to the stereotype is exactly what is true. In fact ecstasy consumers areusing other types of drugs very frequently -included alcohol and tobacco – sometimescombined with use of the ecstasy pills sometimes not. Furthermore this use of other drugsis significantly higher than the use made by the control group of the research. They arepersons that tend to get drunk quite frequently and certainly with a higher frequency thanthe control group.In fact, the ecstasy consumption is part of a widest constellation than prevents to seethe ecstasy as an isolated drug. The ecstasy consumer does not differ from other partydrugs consumers, since it is considered a poly-consumer, but they do differ from strictdrug users. From this point of view we make some proposals to be discussed:–It looks like the best orientation to follow in primary prevention -when still it doesnot exist a use of drugs or alcohol or they are of experimental type- will be to considerthe prevention of this drug not a separated issue of the prevention of the rest of drugs.Even more the ideal situation will be to place this actions included into a comprehensivestrategy dealing with health promotion issues, other problematic behaviours of youngpeople, etc. All this is especially important when we are targeting general populationbecause it is difficult to predict the effects of the programs addressed to consumerswhen delivered in non consuming populations. Of course, all these questions are morerelevant as younger is the population.–It would be more coherent to give an special attention to the key drugs, those drugsthat are at the beginning in the causative chain (alcohol, tobacco,...). Until now the useof ecstasy is not one of these key drugs, and even the use of cannabis precede the useof ecstasy.–What is very clear according to the data of this research is the problematic aroundthe alcohol misuse. This should be one of the problems that should be addressedwithout delay. Specific programs and policies for alcohol or tobacco have demonstratedits efficacy and it is not a problem to deal with this drugs specifically because they aredrugs accepted culturally.–What seems extremely interesting is to act on the cultural conditions that facilitatesand justify the use of this type of drugs. The house music, in all the countries coveredby the study, is very related to the use of these sort of drugs. Drug use has always beena phenomenon very closely linked to the cultural context, but designer drugs areparticularly dependent on fashions and on the social representation that arise fromthem. They are substances which have created a grand complicity and interaction withthe juvenile culture. According to all that, it will make a lot of sense to address actionsto influence the social representation and the connections between house music and thisdrug. To have special programs addressed to key persons in all this techno culture (diskjockeys,disco owners,...) can be quite useful as a preventive tool. We must remind thatthere is a certain use of this drugs not connected to this culture, but techno –Specificactions with a harm minimisation orientation can be very useful when addressed toconsumers, but even in these cases this should be done taking into account thecomplexity to transmit these sort of messages (Sherlock, 1997).218