Download Drug Cocktails: Ecstasy and Alcohol Just How Dangerous is it?

Drug Cocktails: Ecstasy and Alcohol
Just How Dangerous is it?
Written by: Alastair, 2012
Ecstasy and alcohol, two drugs that are common throughout the world, especially at clubs, bars,
festivals, and raves. Ecstasy, a popular name for MDMA, is considered to be the most popular
illegal club drug while alcohol is also one of the most popular legal drugs in use today. Over the
past 20 years, ecstasy abuse has significantly risen while combining alcohol with it is becoming
the ‘thing to do'. Oftentimes, people will take one of the small colorful pills of ecstasy on a night
out; the venue they are at will likely serve alcohol that is too tempting to resist. Unfortunately,
very little thought is put into the idea of this drug cocktail and the harmful effects that could
happen as a result of mixing alcohol and ecstasy.
Alcohol
Although many people assume alcohol to be a stimulant, it is in fact a depressant. When a person
drinks alcohol, it gets distributed throughout portions of the body that contain water; such as the
brain. The brain is what controls our cognitive thinking and behavior; thus once alcohol is
introduced to the body, the person may become dehydrated and suffer from a loss of inhibition
followed by a decrease in alertness, impaired judgment, lack of concentration, and decrease in
coordination. Alcohol also affects the body's ability to control its temperature, making overheating a real possibility.
Ecstasy on the other hand is a stimulant which causes the brain to release chemicals, such as
serotonin and dopamine which are associated with pleasure and excitement. Along with the high
comes clenching of the jaw, thirst, paranoia, and depression amongst others. Oftentimes, ecstasy
is taken in a club environment where it is already hot and overcrowded. People often forget to
drink plenty of water or instead will drink alcohol as an attempt to quench their thirst; through
this, the person becomes extremely dehydrated. Additionally, serotonin also helps to regulate the
body's temperature. This chemical is being affected by the ecstasy; therefore, the body struggles
to regulate its own temperature, and furthermore can become overheated without warning.
The Drug Cocktail
Through mixing alcohol and ecstasy, not only is the user at risk for mixing a sedative and a
stimulant which can cause irregular heartbeats, but also dehydration and overheating is a major
factor. Because both of these drugs can cause the bodies temperature to rise without warning, a
severe heatstroke can occur. This can potentially cause life threatening problems including
unstoppable bleeding, liver and kidney failure, coma, and...
The majority of ecstasy related deaths that have occurred in the recent past were because the user
was also consuming alcohol. Both of these drugs can cloud a person's ability to ‘function’; this
can cause numerous problems including car crashes and other dangerous situations.
Warning Signs
Due to the fact that alcohol and ecstasy are such a popular combination to mix, it is crucial for
people to be able to recognize the warning signs of overheating and dehydration:
• feeling very hot, unwell and confused
• inability to talk properly
• headache
• nausea and vomiting
• inability to urinate or urine becoming thick and dark
• not sweating even when dancing
• heart rate and pulse not slowing down even during resting
• fainting, collapsing or convulsing.
If you notice any or all of these signs, intake water, sit down, and get help immediately.
The Bottom Line
All in all, alcohol and ecstasy is a drug cocktail that offers up a double dose of potential
dehydration, overheating, coordination loss, and impaired alertness. These drugs, are harmful on
their own, but are especially dangerous when mixed.