Characteristics of Ecstasy Users in São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

The present study was aimed at identifying patterns of Ecstasy (methylenedioxymethamphetamine-MDMA) use in the city of São Paulo. Ecstasy users were recruited through the snowball technique. Using the same technique, a non-user control group was recruited among individuals that had never tried the drug but shared with users a similar life style. Users (N = 52) and non-users (N = 52) were interviewed in order to obtain data on socio-demographic characteristics and use of psychoactive drugs. In addition, levels of anxiety, depression and impulsiveness were assessed through Spielberger's IDATE Trace Inventory, Beck's Depression Inventory and Barrat Impulsiveness Scale. Both users and non-users revealed similar socio-demographic characteristics: most subjects were middle class young heterosexual single men and women who had a college degree. Multiple drug use was more frequent among users than among non-users. Other features that were significantly more accentuated among users than among non-users were the presence of tattoos and piercings, the frequency of attending raves and the preference for electronic music. Beck Inventory results pointed to significantly lower depression scores among users. No differences were observed between groups regarding anxiety and impulsiveness scores. Although the use of Ecstasy in São Paulo is restricted to a young middle or high social class, their vanguard lifestyle tends to influence youngsters of other social extractions, so that the use of the drug may soon become widespread and thus a legitimate public health concern.

Association of ecstasy seizure rates with district Human Development Index in the municipality of São Paulo, Brazil, from 2000 to 2007

“…These results confirmed our hypothesis that the consumption of ecstasy is more frequent in districts with high socioeconomic levels and are in line with others studies that had also found that ecstasy users come from upper classes (Almeida, Silva, 2003;Almeida, Silva, 2005;Battisti et al, 2006;Almeida, Bizeto, Silva, 2007;Almeida, Garcia-Mijares, Silva, 2009).…”

“…Another study, in the city of São Paulo, enrolling 52 ecstasy users of both genders showed that the drug was usually consumed in the company of several people (63%) in contexts related to night leisure, such as rave parties (78.8%), dancing clubs (69.2%) and parties (53.8%) (Almeida, Silva, 2003). In addition, a significant difference comparing ecstasy users with nonusers in relation to the frequency of rave attendance was reported: 65.3% of users go to raves more than once a month in contrast to only 16.7% of non-users (Almeida, Silva, 2005). A concerning fact from a recent study drew the attention to the possibility that participants were dependent on club drugs and found that severe dependence was more likely among those who reported recent use of ecstasy (Ding et al, 2013).…”

“…MDMA and its analogues as MDA (3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine) To gather information on ecstasy users in Brazil and specifically in the city of São Paulo surveys such as self-report questionnaires (Almeida, Silva, 2003;Almeida, Silva, 2005), interviews with users (Battisti et al, 2006) and also online questionnaires on a website set up specifically for this purpose (Almeida, Bizeto, Silva, 2007;Almeida, Garcia-Mijares, Silva, 2009) were carried out. As the source of information came from volunteers who chose to participate of their own free will and the online sample could have also been limited to individuals who had access to the internet, these studies may not be a representative of Brazilian ecstasy users.…”

Cetoacidosis diabética asociada al consumo agudo de metilona en un paciente masculino de 21 años

“…Éste es un patrón similar al encontrado en otros países. [30][31][32] Algunos investigadores han señalado que el uso de drogas puede estar involucrado como marcador del mal control de la diabetes, en particular en la población de adolescentes, quienes a menudo ignoran las complicaciones de su uso aumentando el riesgo de muerte súbita entre los mismos. 33 Este peligro debería ser enfatizado en todas las intervenciones médicas con adolescentes.…”

Sobre o uso de ecstasy: uma pesquisa com vistas à formulação de intervenção preventiva

“…Corrobora esse resultado pesquisa que indica alteração no sistema 5-HT em usuários abstinentes há 12 meses, ainda que não possa ser descartada a hipótese de mudanças serotonérgicas em função de condições pré-mórbidas (Gerra et al, 2000). Ou seja, há indícios da associação entre uso de ecstasy e depressão, ainda que para alguns pesquisadores esta relação não seja clara (de Almeida & Silva, 2005;Sumnall & Cole, 2005).…”