Evidence for significant polydrug use among ecstasy-using college students

Abstract

Ecstasy (MDMA) has been added to the spectrum of illicit drugs used by college students. In this study, the authors estimated the prevalence of ecstasy use within a large college student sample and investigated the polydrug-use history of those ecstasy users. They administered an anonymous questionnaire to college students (N = 1,206) in classrooms at a large university in the mid-Atlantic United States. The overall student response rate was 91%. Nine percent of the sample reported lifetime ecstasy use. Because 98% of ecstasy users had used marijuana, the authors compared polydrug use between ecstasy users and individuals who had used marijuana but not ecstasy. Ecstasy users, as compared with these marijuana users, were significantly more likely to have used inhalants (38% vs. 10%), LSD (38% vs. 5%), cocaine (46% vs 2%), and heroin (17% vs 1%) in the past year. Significant polydrug use among college student ecstasy users has important implications for their substance abuse treatment.

FIGURE 1

Percentage of lifetime ecstasy use among students in college, 12th grade, and 10th grade. Adapted from data from Johnston, O’Malley, and Bachman, “Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975–2002, Volumes 1 and 2,” 2003. Available online at http://monitoringthefuture.org/pubs.html.monographs