The overdose deaths of two young people at a New York music festival over Labor Day weekend brought renewed attention to the recreational party drug known as Molly, the powerful, crystalline form of Methylenedioxymethampethamine (MDMA).
The drug, which in pill form is known as Ecstasy, has seen a recent surge in related health problems, in part due to its easy availability at concerts and mention in pop lyrics by such artists as Kanye West, Rick Ross and Miley Cyrus,
says Robert Glatter, M.D., in a post to the Forbes Magazine website.
Some young users think Molly is a less harmful form of MDMA than ecstasy, but “the truth is that ingesting this supposedly pure form is just as dangerous as taking Ecstasy,” Glatter says.
“Since Molly is a street drug, there is no way to know what the makeup of the drug truly is, and ultimately whether it is adulterated,” he points out.
MDMA triggers increased energy, warmth, euphoria and feelings of closeness and empathy, Glatter says. However, the drug may also cause side effects such as dehydration and feelings of anxiety, or, more seriously, sharp elevations in blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmia, seizures and extreme elevation in body temperature.
Molly was implicated in the deaths of two people and hospitalization of 4 others during the Electric Zoo dance festival on Randal’s Island,
reports the New York
Daily News. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg canceled the festival’s third day on Sunday due to the toll.