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... out running a test on it. Ecstasy testing kits are portable and discreet testing kits which are quick, easy to use, relatively simple, and inexpensive products which allow people to test unknown pills to help determine their contents. Because the quality of street ecstasy is notoriously poor, having the ability to at least narrow down the possible contents can help reduce the risks associated with the use of street ecstasy.
They are important because they can test if a pill contains Ecstasy/MDMA, or if it contains potentially harmful substances (like some of the drugs mentioned above) that are used to lace the pill. Ecstasy testing kits cost around thirty dollars and consist of enough solution for 150 tests (which comes in a child-safe bottle), comes with a scraper, a color reaction chart and lots of information. In order for users to test their pills, they have to scrape off a small piece of the pill and add it to a drop of the solution (Marquis Reagent). The bottle is designed to be held upside down for 5 seconds to get the amount of solution needed for the pill to be accurately tested and to reduce the waste of any of the liquid. A chemical reaction will happen between the liquid reagent and some of the more common chemicals found in ecstasy pills. This reaction may cause the liquid to turn a variety of colors depending on what is in the powder.
This color change generally happens within a period of 10 - 15 seconds after combining the powder and liquid. If the pill contains an Amphetamine, Speed, or Methamphetamine the liquid will turn yellow / bright orange, if it contains MDMA, MDEA, MBSB or MDA, DXM, or Opiates the liquid will turn dark purple / black , if it contains 2 C-B, DOM, or DOB the liquid will turn green/ bright yellow, and if there is no color change, the pill does not contain any noticeable quantities of MDMA/Ecstasy, MDE, MDA, 2 C-B, DOM, DOB, DXM, Methamphetamine, or Amphetamine. There are also chemicals which do not cause a reaction with the testing kits, therefore, just because the pill tests positive for an Ecstasy/MDMA-like substance does not mean that the pill is pure and or safe. The only way to be 100 percent sure that you are safe from harm is to not use drugs at all or to seek professional help, guidance, and counseling for your drug abuse problem. People who consume more than one drug at a time are called poly-drug users and consuming more than one drug at the same time is known as mixing. Mixing drugs appeal to some users because one drug might soften the side effects of another or the misconception that theyll get the high / effect from both of the drugs at the same time, making the experience more radical and enjoyable.
However, mixing drugs together increases the dangers of drug taking and can result in unpredictable effects and even death because of your bodies reaction to the mixing of the different drugs. For example, taking Ecstasy and Amphetamine is dangerous because they both increase the heart beat which places strain on the heart (the likelihood of dehydration and overheating is also increased). Using Ecstasy and LSD can turn a bad trip into a disastrous trip and the comedown from the high difficult and dangerous. Ecstasy, as well as, Alcohol has a tendency to dehydrate the body, so if the two drugs are mixed while dancing at a club or in a hot unventilated area, the dangers of dehydration and death are greater. Mixing an illicit drug like Ecstasy with a medicine can alter the effects of both the licit and illicit drugs causing dangerous and potentially harmful and sever results. Tolerance is defined as changes in the body that decrease response to a drug even though the dose remains the same.
Although tolerance levels increase when people use Ecstasy regularly, meaning that they would need to use a higher dosage of the drug in order to achieve their high, there is no known risk of addiction and no withdrawal symptoms. According to researches conducted at Johns Hopkins Medical Institution, heavy Ecstasy users may be risking brain damage that remains after the effects of the drug have worn off. One study, that was conducted with rats and nonhuman primates, showed that a single does of MDMA (only slightly larger than the size of Ecstasy pills) significantly damaged brain cells called neurons that produce serotonin. Serotonin is a major neurotransmitter in the brain that influences a persons mood. appetite, sleep, and other important functions of the body.
Experts are concerned that long term use of Ecstasy may increase the risk of severe depression and other mental illnesses later on in life. However, the question still remains whether the neuronal changes seen in animals from MDMA exposure occur in human beings who use the drug regularly. Although it is illegal to use / abuse illicit and licit drugs in the United States, it still does not change the number of people who do use / abuse drugs. I personally believe that the use of a drug increases when the drug is banned because I believe that people (especially teenagers) use drugs to show their disrespect for authority. People have used and will continue to use / abuse illicit and licit drugs, despite our governments efforts to try and restrict drug abuse and use.
However education and knowledge equips at risk teens and potential drug users with the information needed to make an educated decision, to use or not use, based on their knowledge of the drug and the effects it has on the body. Ecstasy is a Class A drug, meaning that it is illegal to possess, give away, or sell it. Passing / sharing drugs among and with your friends is considered supplying and allowing your house or property to be used for drug misuse is also illegal which is punishable by seven years of imprisonment (for users), life imprisonment (for the distribution, selling, and or supplying), a costly fine, or all of the above. Like I mentioned above, I believe that education plays a large part in the war against drugs. If people are not properly educated about the different drugs in our society, the chances that they might experiment with drugs are greater. I also believe that the majority of money recovered in drug bust should go to educating Americas youth on the different drugs that exist in our society.
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Research essay sample on Potentially Harmful Drug Abuse
