Ecstasy is a man-made psychoactive drug that induces a combination of the effects of amphetamines and hallucinogens, such as LSD, in the user.

Ecstasy usually comes in the form of different coloured tablets and capsules, which are swallowed, but it can also be crushed and snorted, or smoked. The hundreds of different names given to ecstasy often come from the small image that is stamped on top of each tablet, or from the shape of the tablet itself.

The chemical name for ecstasy is methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), but many tablets do not contain any MDMA, merely drugs that replicates similar effects. Because of its unusual properties, ecstasy has become an extremely popular drug on the dance scene in the UK, and has been used in nightclubs, parties and raves from the mid-1980s.

• E gives people an energy buzz that makes them feel alert and alive. Clubbers love it because it means they can dance for hours without feeling tired.
  

• Ecstasy can take anything between 20 and 60 minutes to kick in.
  

• E makes people feel in tune with their surroundings. Sounds and colours feel more intense. A certain track of music can suddenly take on a spiritual significance.
  

• E makes emotions feel more intense. Users often feel great love for the people they're with and the strangers around them. E taken on its own is not a drug that makes people violent.
  

• Lots of people feel chatty on E. (These chats don't always make sense to people who aren't on E).
  

• E dilates the pupils, produces a tingling feeling, tightens the jaw muscles, raises the body temperature and makes the heart beat faster.
  

There is a flip side:

• People who aren't on E aren't always best pleased at being hugged by someone who's really sweaty. Or having their girlfriend/boyfriend chatted up by a random stranger.
  

• Short-term effects can include anxiety, panic attacks, confused episodes, first-time epileptic fits and paranoia. Current evidence suggests that long term use can cause depression, personality change and memory loss.
  

• No one knows what an E's got in it until they've swallowed it. There may be negative side effects from other ingredients in the tablet.
  

• E can makes users feel a bit down afterwards. Ecstasy Blues is the term given to the bad mood many clubbers feel on Mondays and Tuesdays after a big weekend.

• There have been over 70 Ecstasy - related deaths in the UK. Some are linked to the way ecstasy controls the body's temperature control mechanism. E can cause the body's temperature to rise to dangerously high levels. Add to that a sweaty dancefloor and dehydration and there's the potential for 'double heat-stroke'. Some deaths have been linked to other drugs like PMA which have been sold as ecstasy.
  

• Using E has also been linked to liver, kidney and heart problems. Anyone using too much can get paranoid and depressed as well.
  

• Ecstasy affects the body's temperature control. Dancing for long periods in a hot atmosphere increases the chances of overheating and dehydration. Make sure you take regular breaks from the dance floor to cool down, especially if it's rammed. Watch out for your mates. People can get so out of their faces they don't realise they're in danger of overheating or getting dehydrated. Reduce the risks by sipping no more than a pint of water or non-alcoholic fluid every hour.
  

• Be careful - drinking too much can be dangerous or even fatal. The drug can cause the body to release a hormone which prevents the production of urine. This means that if you drink a few pints of liquid too quickly, it interferes with your body's salt balance which can be as deadly as not drinking enough water.
  

• Some long-term users report getting colds, flu and sore throats more often. But then staying awake for 24 hours is always going to give your immune system a battering.
  

• There is speculation that the exhaustion and dehydration associated with E can activate urine infections like cystitis in women.
  

• E's can contain toxic other chemicals like MPTP, a drug known to cause irreversible Parkinson's disease. It's highly unlikely that many E's have MPTP in them. But the point is that taking E is a gamble.
  

• Anyone with a heart condition, blood pressure problems, epilepsy or asthma can have a very dangerous reaction to the drug.