The Impurities of Ecstasy

Excerpt from the book “Drugs in Australia: Ecstasy” by Michael Shannon.

Go back to the previous part in this series: How Ecstasy Affects the Body

Like other powder-based drugs such as heroin, cocaine and amphetamines, ecstasy tablets may contain other substances that have nothing to do with the drug. The tablets may contain dog-worming pills, talcum powder or other harmful substances. These are often added to fill out the volume of the tablet, making it appear normal while it contains only a small amount of pure ecstasy (MDMA). Sometimes other drugs are added into the tablet, including amphetamines, cocaine, heroin or a drug called ketamine, which is an anaesthetic. These add-ins can give the ecstasy user some very unexpected and highly dangerous side effects.

Read the next part in this series: Ecstasy: The Penalties