According to the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), an estimated 12.4 million Americans aged 12 or older tried ecstasy at least once in their lifetimes, representing 5% of the U.S. population in that age group. The estimated number of past year ecstasy users in 2007 was approximately 2.1 million (0.9% of the population aged 12 or older) and the number of past month ecstasy users was 503,000 (0.2%).⁹

Among 12–17 year olds surveyed as part of the 2007 NSDUH, 0.3% reported past month ecstasy use. Additional NSDUH results indicate that 0.7% of 18–25 year olds and 0.1% of those aged 26 or older reported past month use of ecstasy.¹⁰

Results of the 2007 Monitoring the Future survey indicate that 2.3% of eighth graders, 5.2% of tenth graders, and 6.5% of twelfth graders reported lifetime use of MDMA. In 2006, these percentages were 2.5%, 4.5%, and 6.5%, respectively.¹¹

Percent of Students Reporting MDMA Use, 2006–2007

	8th Grade		10th Grade		12th Grade
	2006	2007	2006	2007	2006	2007
Past month	0.7%	0.6%	1.2%	1.2%	1.3%	1.6%
Past year	1.4	1.5	2.8	3.5	4.1	4.5
Lifetime	2.5	2.3	4.5	5.2	6.5	6.5

Approximately 30.4% of eighth graders, 45.3% of tenth graders, and 58.1% of twelfth graders surveyed in 2007 reported that trying MDMA once or twice was a "great risk."¹²

Percent of Students Reporting Risk of Using MDMA, 2007

Say "great risk" to:	8th Grade	10th Grade	12th Grade
Try MDMA once/twice	30.4	45.3	58.1
Use MDMA occasionally	48.6	68.2	n/a

Approximately 1.0% of eighth graders and 1.3% of tenth graders surveyed in 2007 reported lifetime use of Rohypnol (twelfth grade data are not available for Rohypnol).¹³

Percent of Students Reporting Rohypnol Use, 2006–2007

	8th Grade		10th Grade		12th Grade
	2006	2007	2006	2007	2006	2007
Past month	0.4%	0.3%	0.2%	0.2%	n/a	n/a
Past year	0.5	0.7	0.5	0.7	1.1	1.0
Lifetime	1.0	1.0	0.8	1.3	n/a	n/a

Additional Monitoring the Future results for 2007 indicate that 0.7% of eighth graders, 0.6% of tenth graders, and 0.9% of twelfth graders reported past year use of GHB. Data showing past month and lifetime use of GHB and ketamine were not captured in the study.¹⁴

Percent of Students Reporting Past Year GHB/Ketamine Use,
2006–2007

	8th Grade		10th Grade		12th Grade
	2006	2007	2006	2007	2006	2007
GHB	0.8%	0.7%	0.7%	0.6%	1.1%	0.9%
Ketamine	0.9	1.0	1.0	0.8	1.4	1.3

The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance (YRBS) study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) surveys high school students on several risk factors including drug and alcohol use. Results of the 2007 survey indicate that 5.8% of high school students reported using ecstasy at some point in their lifetimes. During 2005, 6.3% of high school students reported lifetime use of ecstasy. ¹⁵

Percent of Students Reporting Lifetime MDMA Use, 2003–2007

	2003	2005	2007
9th grade	10.9%	5.8%	4.6%
10th grade	9.0	6.0	5.3
11th grade	11.4	6.5	5.6
12th grade	12.8	6.7	7.6
Total	11.1	6.3	5.8

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Health Effects

In high doses, MDMA can interfere with the body's ability to regulate temperature, sometimes leading to a sharp increase in body temperature (hyperthermia), resulting in liver, kidney, and cardiovascular system failure, and death. MDMA users also risk increases in heart rate and blood pressure, and symptoms such as muscle tension, involuntary teeth clenching, nausea, blurred vision, faintness, and chills or sweating. Psychological effects of MDMA use can include confusion, depression, sleep problems, drug craving, and severe anxiety. Additionally, these problems can occur during as well as sometimes days or weeks after using the drug.¹⁶

Rohypnol, GHB, and ketamine are all central nervous system depressants. Lower doses of Rohypnol can cause muscle relaxation and can produce general sedative and hypnotic effects. In higher doses, Rohypnol causes a loss of muscle control, loss of consciousness, and partial amnesia. When combined with alcohol, the toxic effects of Rohypnol can be aggravated.¹⁷

The sedative effects of GHB may result in sleep, coma, or death. Other effects of GHB use can include seizures, along with nausea and breathing difficulties when combined with alcohol. GHB has increasingly become involved in poisonings, overdoses, date rapes, and fatalities.¹⁸

The use of ketamine produces effects similar to PCP and LSD, causing distorted perceptions of sight and sound and making the user feel disconnected and out of control.¹⁹ The overt hallucinatory effects of ketamine are relatively short-acting, lasting approximately one hour or less. However, the user's senses, judgement, and coordination may be affected for up to 24 hours after the initial use of the drug.²⁰ Use of this drug can also bring about respiratory depression, heart rate abnormalities, and a withdrawal syndrome.²¹

Of an estimated 108 million emergency department (ED) visits in the U.S. during 2005, the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) estimates that 1,449,154 were drug-related. DAWN data indicate that MDMA was involved in 10,752 ED visits; GHB was involved in 1,861 visits; rohypnol was involved in 596 visits; and ketamine was involved in 275 visits.²²

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Arrests & Sentencing

During 2006, Federal authorities made 690 arrests related to MDMA. This is down from: 764 in 2005; 937 in 2004; 1,023 in 2003; and 1,506 in 2002. There were also 2 Federal arrests for GHB in the U.S. during 2006, which is down from 19 in 2005 and 20 in 2004.²³

In response to the Ecstasy Anti-Proliferation Act of 2000, the U.S. Sentencing Commission increased the guideline sentence for trafficking MDMA. The new amendment, enacted on November 1, 2001, increases the sentence for trafficking 800 MDMA pills by 300%, from 15 months to 5 years. It also increases the penalty for trafficking 8,000 pills by nearly 200%, from 41 months to 10 years.²⁴

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Production & Trafficking

MDMA production by Asian drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) in Canada has increased significantly since 2004, fueling MDMA distribution by Canada-based Asian DTOs in U.S. drug markets. According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), while the number of MDMA lab seizures have remained relatively stable since 2004, the capacity of the labs has increased greatly.²⁵

Domestic production of MDMA is limited and is expected to remain at low levels in the near future. Since 2000, only 85 domestic MDMA laboratories have been seized. National seizure data show that 53% of the MDMA labs seized in the U.S. since 2000 were small operations not capable of producing more than 2 ounces per production cycle.²⁶

GHB trafficking has declined to a low level since its apparent peak during 2000. National seizure data reveal that domestic production of GHB is limited, with only 86 laboratories seized in the U.S. since 2000.²⁷

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Legislation ²⁸

MDMA, GHB, Rohypnol, and ketamine have all been scheduled under the Controlled Substance Act (CSA), Title II of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970. The Schedules of the club drugs are as follows:

MDMA—Schedule I as of 1998
GHB—Schedule I as of 2000
Rohypnol—Schedule IV as of 1984
Ketamine—Schedule III as of 1999

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Street Terms ²⁹

GHB	Ketamine	MDMA	Rohypnol
Goop	Cat valium	Disco biscuit	Forget me drug
Grievous bodily harm	K	Hug drug	Mexican valium
Max	Jet	Go	Roaches
Soap	Super acid	XTC	Roofies

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Club Drugs Facts & Figures

Overview

Extent of Use

Health Effects

Arrests & Sentencing

Production & Trafficking

Legislation ²⁸

Street Terms ²⁹

Other Links

Sources

Club Drugs Facts & Figures

Overview

Extent of Use

Health Effects

Arrests & Sentencing

Production & Trafficking

Legislation28

Street Terms29

Other Links

Sources

Legislation ²⁸

Street Terms ²⁹