If your teen is frequenting raves, music festivals, night clubs, or any other related events, you should be aware of the potential for the abuse of MDMA or the drug more commonly known as Ecstasy or Molly. The abuse of these illicit drugs runs rampant at these events and has the potential to cause physical and mental harm as well as having a high potential for addiction. MDMA has, in recent years, become a popular drug, due to its positive effects that are experienced soon after taking a dose, such as emotional warmth, increased empathy, sense of well being, lower levels of anxiety, and an enhanced sensory perception. MDMA is a modified version of meth and has similar effects to it, as it is a powerful stimulant, dangerous for rising body temperatures that can lead to overheating or hyperthermia, where organ breakdown occurs, with the potential to kill the user. MDMA causes heightened sensory perception so certain senses are exaggerated, and the user may wish to touch things that feel good as well as having increased energy.

As a parent, signs you should be watching for to see if your child is abusing Ecstasy is to look out for small colored pills, which often have imprints with characters or brand logos. Physical signs of MDMA use would include abnormal sleep patterns and a lack of awareness of pain. Use of MDMA is also often associated with having multiple sexual partners and feeling like they are in love with who they are with. Symptoms of ecstasy abuse can include brain damage, paranoia, depression, confusion, aggression, and addiction. If your child is abusing ecstasy, they may experience nausea, chills, sweating, blurred vision, dilated pupils, muscle cramps, tight clenched jaw, overheating, and even collapse. If you see any of these signs in your kids, be sure to get help for them immediately before addiction begins to spiral out of control.

The best way to keep your kids off ecstasy and other drugs is to talk to your kids about the dangers of drugs and how harmful they can be as well as how disappointed you would be in them if they used these drugs. Parents themselves must also set a good example of sobriety to show that drug abuse is not acceptable, as hypocrisy can undermine the parents desire to keep their child off drugs. According to the National Center on Drug Addiction and Substance Abuse, a person who avoids drinking alcohol or using drugs until they turn 21, are almost certain to never have a problem with any kind of substance abuse. Its important to teach your kids of the dangers of drugs, beginning with drugs that are primarily abused by youths, such as alcohol, marijuana, and prescription drugs, and then onto club drugs and their adverse effects. Try using family drug testing kits, such as multi panel drug tests, instant drug tests, instant oral drug tests, oral cube drug tests, stat swab, iScreen oral drug tests, and more, to see if your kids are using MDMA or any other illegal drugs. Preventative measure are important to take when protecting your family from drug abuse is on the line. Keep your family safe from drugs with drug testing and education about the physical and mental dangers of drug abuse.