Ecstasy has been used in ever-increasing amounts by college students and other young adults in recent years.
Latest trend reports have shown that students in the United States in 8th, 10th, and 12th grades are using this drug in large amounts.
In 2000, nearly 5 percent of 10th and 12th graders had used this drug. Even as young as 8th grade, the drug is being seen. Nearly 2 percent of the nations 8th graders have reported using this drug.
Studies have also shown that the use of ecstasy has risen highly among college students and young adults. Most of the students who reported using ecstasy in high school in 2000 reported that they continued to use the drug into their college years.
Ecstasy is manufactured in laboratories, which are mostly located in the Netherlands and Belgium. It is brought into the US mainly through body carriers, via air or sea cargo, luggage, and express mail. Ecstasy is also brought into our country from Canada.
All of these places allow for a greater use of ecstasy to become prevalent in our country because they are all places that are accessible to the United States. Because this drug comes in a pill form, it is usually very easy to carry across boarders or into other states or countries. When this happens, the use of ecstasy is going to be much higher because it is easy to hide the drug.
As far as ecstasy arrests and seizures go, Florida leads the nation currently. This is mostly because of where it is located. Southern Florida becomes a point of operations for many of the drug traffickers from other locations. The locations in Florida make this state one of the highest usage states, however, it is not the only state where ecstasy is used. It is very easy to get the drug across the state borders, so many drug traffickers take the drug into other states, where it is distributed.
A large percentage of the people using ecstasy are youths. There have been many studies that have been done regarding the use of ecstasy. When it comes to usage, it is reported that almost 3 percent of eighth graders, 4 percent of tenth graders, and 5.4 percent of twelfth graders reported that they had used ecstasy. However, these numbers seemed to show a decline from the year before. It is a drug whose use is wavering in different parts of the country. This is often because students are being educated as to the dangers of using ecstasy. Because it is made differently each time, and because it is not regulated, it is a drug that might kill a person with just one use. Once people are made aware of this, the usage trends tend to dip down a little.
It is most common for youths and other people to use ecstasy when they are in situations in which use is related to other drugs and also to alcohol. When youths are at a party and are drinking and doing other drugs, they are much more likely to use ecstasy. Often, ecstasy use is related to other things that are done when the user is at a party. When ecstasy has been used at a single setting, the encounters of unprotected sex are much higher, and other drug and alcohol use is also higher. It is a drug that can lead to, and result from, different kinds of drug or alcohol use. Because it is in pill form, it does not appear as threatening as other drugs, and therefore kids are going to be much more likely to use it.