MDMA (3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine), also known as Ecstasy, is a synthetic, psychoactive drug that is chemically similar to the stimulant methamphetamine and the hallucinogen mescaline. MDMA produces an energizing effect as well as feelings of euphoria, emotional warmth, and distortions in time perception and tactical experiences. MDMA is taken orally as a capsule or tablet. The profile of the typical MDMA user (White adolescent and young adult) has changed and the drug now affects a broader range of ethnic groups. In 2006, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) estimated 528,000 people or 0.2 percent of the population in the United States age 12 or older used MDMA in the month prior to being surveyed. This fact sheet provides an informational overview of the drug’s use and abuse, effects on the brain and on the general health of the body, treatment options, and national statistics on the widespread abuse of MDMA. Notes and references