Is Ecstacy being Taken for Granted?

Lowering Ecstasy from a class 'A' drug to a class 'B' drug. Is this parliamentary proposal morally and ethically justified and how will it affect the Christian community?

The facts

Ecstasy or MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is a stimulant that combines the properties of "speed" with mind-altering. Considered the most commonly used designer drug, Ecstasy is a close derivative of methamphetamine and can be described as a hallucinogenic stimulant. Known on the street as Adam, X-TC, Clarity, Essence, Stacy, Lover's Speed, Eve, etc., Ecstasy is most often found in tablet, capsule, or powder form and is usually consumed orally, although it can also be injected. Ecstasy is sometimes packaged in capsules or generic tablets to imitate prescription drugs with the average dose costing £6.99 for a tab, £48.75 for 10 tabs.

Following BBC reports published on the 19th May 2002 a Labour backbencher admitted that senior MPs were calling for Ecstasy to be downgraded. The Commons Home Affairs Committee in its report "The Government Drugs Policy: Is it working?" has since called for class 'A' drug ecstasy to be downgraded to class 'B'-the same category as cannabis and amphetamines. Why? I hear you ask. Is this sensible? If there is going to be an alternative to 30 years of so-called tough penalties, it is imperative that parliament look toward intelligent solutions. The fact that ecstasy kills up to 50 people a year suggests the idea is questionable. Lowering its level would only result in it becoming "more available…but it doesn't deal with the underlying problems of making sure it's clean," a statement expressed by Mo Mowlam (above) on BBC's Breakfast with Frost. Would the reclassification of ecstasy not result in many more young people in psychiatric wards and ruined for life? The results below may be helpful:

Drug related deaths: by selected drug type, 1994 to 1996

Social Trends 29 Dataset

The results above illustrate that although Ecstasy is not the main drug related to deaths over past years, it still kills!

The UK has approximately 250,000-troubled drug users, most of whom are heroin addicts. These drug users commit a third of all property crime spending an average of £13,000 a year to fuel their addiction/s. Mr Mullin (a former Labour Minister) insists that there is no suggestion implying that ecstasy is not dangerous and that class B drugs still carry firm penalties for suppliers and users. However, he failed to mention that prison sentences for supply would be a mere 14 years (at the most!) than facing the current possible life prison term. Mullin states, "all drug taking is bad for you and should be discouraged but we need to get real and focus on the 200,000 to 250,000 or so problematic drug users... who mainly use heroin," (words from the BBC's Radio 4 Today programme).

The fact of the matter is that Ecstasy "can kill" (Shadow Home Secretary Oliver Letwin who opposes the reclassification). He supports Home Secretary David Blunkett's statement in December 2001. David Blunkett was noted to have said that, "I am not prepared to countenance any reclassification or legalisation, as ecstasy is a killer." So why after this statement and the government's denial of going soft on drugs is this committee proposing declassification? The new proposals have provoked anger from Lorna Spinks' parents. Lorna Spinks (right) died at the age of 19 after taking two ecstasy pills before visiting a nightclub in May last year.

An Ecstasy high can last from six to 24 hours, with the average "trip" lasting only about three to four hours. At moderate doses, Ecstasy is reported to cause euphoria, feelings of well being, enhanced mental or emotional clarity, anxiety, or paranoia. Heavier doses can cause hallucinations, sensations of lightness and floating, depression, paranoid thinking, and violent, irrational behaviour. Physical reactions can include the following symptoms: loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, increased heart rate and blood pressure, muscle tension, faintness, chills, sweating, tremors, reduced appetite, insomnia, convulsions, and a loss of control over voluntary body movements. Deaths have and will continue to occur from the use of Ecstasy, declassification will not help matters.

The Christian response

That all said, what should you do as a Christian to deal with the ever-present threat of these substances? First of all, don't use them yourself and encourage your close friends to avoid them as well (this is an act of boldness, and will require you to stand up for Christ a great deal!). So, does this mean that every Friday and Saturday night, you should be home reading your Bible and watching "The Ten Commandments"? Not necessarily, but maybe, depending on your ability to resist the temptations of peer pressure, your willingness and ability to be bold and stand up for Christ in a situation like this, and finally, continuing to show respect for your parents' wishes. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with reading your Bible on Friday nights, after all, that gives glory to God. All I am saying is if you find yourself called to be in those situations make sure you are living for Him there.

Christ is in your heart and you are surrounded and loved by the Holy Spirit. When you go to that party and choose to be the only one (or one of a few) not drinking or doing drugs, you are sending a message that you are different...IN A GOOD WAY! People will notice and when they ask what it's all about, you can start telling them what makes you who you are...Jesus Christ.

The problems still occur nevertheless as Christians never know when their example is being followed. There is a tragic true story about a lad who killed someone while under the influence of alcohol. In a cell he told his minister that he took his first drink at a wedding reception because he saw the minister take one first.

Jesus said that his disciples were to be lights to the world, salt to the earth and leaven in society. He also heavily criticized those who lead children astray. "It would be better," he said, "for that person to have a large millstone tied around his neck and be drowned in the deep sea" (Matthew 18:6).

Elliott Stubbs

Websites offering advice with ecstasy and other drugs

(Premier is not responsible for the content of external websites)

www.adfam.org.uk 
www.christianonestop.com/2healthandnutritiondrug4christian.htm 
www.christian.org.uk 
www.dpas.gov.uk 
www.teenchallenge.com 
www.youthwork.co.uk/resources/theorybooks.html

Telephone helplines

Lifeline: 08456 52 52 52

National Drugs Help line: 0800 776600

Offering free, confidential information and advice 24 hours a day.

Drink line: 0845 601 4357

Offering a similar service for alcohol.

Self help groups

Evangelical Coalition on Drugs (ECOD) 020 7207 2135

providing support, advice, information exchange in the field of drug and alcohol misuse.

Narcotics Anonymous 020 7251 4007

Co-ordinating local support groups for problem drug users around the country.

Families Anonymous 020 7498 4680

Running similar groups for the families of drug users.

The Arbour 020 7498 2423

Residential rehabilitation for drug/alcohol addictions and other life-controlling problems through Christian discipleship programmes.

Teen Challenge London 020 853 3338

One of the most successful drug and alcohol programmes in the world, with a success rate of more than 70% for those who finish the programme.

References

- Brierley P. Longley D. Wraight H. (1999). UK Christian Handbook. Millennium Edition 2000/2001
· Henry J. (1992). Ecstasy and the dance of death. British Medical Journal, 305, 6-7.
- Home Office (1996). Statistics of drug addicts notified to the Home Office, UK, 1995.
Croydon: Government Statistical Service.
www.abcog.org 
http://news.bbc.co.uk
http://mir.drugtext.org/ecstasy
www.ecstasy.org/books/e4x/e4x.ap.05.html
www.getcured.com/ecstasy.htm#whatis 
www.idmu.co.uk/prices00.htm 
www.homeoffice.gov.uk 
www.parliament.uk/commons/selcom/hmafhome.htm 
www.solihull-online.com/helplines.htm 
www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase 
www.teenchallenge.org.uk 
www.ukchristianhandbook.org.uk/index.htm