By IANS,
Sydney : The party drug Ecstasy has a higher fatality risk when taken in warmer environs of crowded clubs and rave parties, according to the latest research.
Emily Jaehne of the University of Adelaide, who conducted the study, said: “Our bodies usually maintain a constant temperature of 37 degrees Celsius, but in some cases Ecstasy can elevate this by up to five degrees, causing severe brain damage … or death.”
Jaehne spent the last three years investigating how Ecstasy can increase body temperature, and to understand how drug users respond when this happens.
Ecstasy is one of the most popular illicit drugs globally with nearly a fourth of the youth aged between 20-29 years admitting to using it.
“Ecstasy is more widely used than heroin or cocaine … It is crucial, therefore, that we make people more aware of the dangers associated with this drug,” Jaehne said.
“When Ecstasy users are taking the drug in nightclubs they tend to blame the surroundings for their elevated body temperature and just ignore the warning signs. That can be fatal.”