The use of ecstasy has spread beyond urban centers and rave clubs into suburban, middle-class, and working-class neighborhoods across America. This study was conducted as part of a larger study on poly-drug use among inner city African-American and Puerto Rican adolescents and young adults. The focus of this study was on the initiation and setting of ecstasy use among poly-drug users in Hartford, CT, as well as their perceptions of the drug, their experiences on ecstasy, patterns of use, the experiences of heavy users, perceptions of risks, and drug-mixing behaviors and attitudes. Participants were 23 poly-drug users who were recruited from the parent study as well as through snowball sampling and from dance clubs. Qualitative analyses of the in-depth interviews revealed that most participants described their ecstasy experiences positively, often citing the sensation-enhancing and social aspects of the drug. Negative experiences of the drug generally involved the use of ecstasy in combination with one or more other drugs. Patterns of use varied from infrequent to heavy and most participants did not express concern about the health risks of ecstasy. Overall, the use of ecstasy among this inner sample was rooted in the inner city party culture and street drug culture. More in-depth research is needed on the use of ecstasy within inner-city settings, particularly concerning how cultural norms and values within different populations may influence drug use expectations. References