New research has found that the number of ecstasy users who are young adults with college degrees has increased in proportion.



Published by the Drug and Alcohol Dependence journal, the study analyzed data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

What the researcher found was that although the number of ecstasy users remained relatively consistent, with about 2.2 per cent to 2.6 percent of Americans having used ecstasy within the past year, the demographics of users has shifted. The number of users who are young adults with a higher education more than doubled from 2007 to 2014.

The author of the new study, Joseph J. Palamar of New York University Langone Medical Center, remarked on why he chose to conduct the research:

“I’ve been researching ecstasy use since my own party days… Ecstasy has been the most popular ‘club drug’ for decades, yet many national surveys show use has declined, despite the popularity of ‘Molly’. This is one of many recent papers in which I examine trends in ecstasy use to help inform prevention and harm reduction.”

The number of ecstasy users between the ages of 12 and 17 decreased by 42.9 per cent from 2007 and 2014, while the the overall number of ecstasy users remained relatively consistent.

Palamar discussed with PsyPost how his findings relate to harm reduction techniques:

“Demographics of ecstasy users appear to be changing, and this should be considered when tailoring prevention and harm reduction messages to those who are most likely to use. Most ecstasy users are college-educated and such individuals may not be receptive to typical scare tactics in anti-drug prevention messages.”

This year, multiple reports on the use of ecstasy have revealed thought provoking results. A US study found that only 60 per cent of "Molly" pills contained MDMA while ecstasy-related deaths are at a record high. For more on harm-reduction, read more here

Read the full study on the shifting demographic of ecstasy users here

Harrison is Mixmag's East Coast Editor. Follow him on Twitter here

