NZ man feeds family chocolates laced with ecstasy WELLINGTON (Reuters) - A New Zealand school teacher, unable to resist the lure of a mystery package of chocolates in his mailbox, inadvertently fed his relatives the illicit party drug ecstasy, police said on Monday. The man found the parcel, which was addressed to someone else and had a British postmark, in his mailbox in the South Island city of Christchurch, constable Greg Sutherland told Reuters. The parcel contained 16 chocolates and a note saying "I thought you'd enjoy these. I know they're your favourites!" The man helped himself to three of the chocolates with no apparent ill-effects before giving one each to his sister and brother-in-law. "Soon after (they) felt the "weird" effects of the drug. They opened up more of the chocolates and found the small round tablets wrapped up in gladwrap (plastic food wrap) inside the chocolate," Sutherland said, adding that tests showed at least 10 of the chocolates contained ecstasy. The family were "extremely worried" by the experience but have subsequently received a clean bill of health from a doctor. "Obviously, the three people who ate the chocolates are not going to be charged with possession -- they'd never even heard of ecstasy," Sutherland added. Also known as MDMA, ecstasy is an amphetamine that has both stimulant and hallucinogenic effects in humans and is popular among adolescents and young adults who attend "rave" dance parties, clubs and rock concerts. Most ecstasy in New Zealand is sourced from Western Europe and is smuggled in through the mail system, health officials say. --
That would scare the HELL out of me, if I had never taken XTC before, and did not know what was happening to me. Whoever sent those chocolates should be strung up by their bolas. What if a child had eaten all ten?
<B>The man found the parcel, which was addressed to someone else </B> Is it illegal in New Zealand to open other people's mail? I believe here in the US it's a federal offense.
I guess not, since there's no mention of it. Looks like he got what he deserved. Feel sorry for the family, though. It was probably pretty scary. A fairly fun drug, though, as far as illegal narcotics go. Could have been worse. Could have been laced with acid.
Even if I opened the package, I wouldn't even think of eating the chocolates. The man needs to use his head next time.
How do you digest X rapped in plastic? Wouldn't you just pass it? Also, how do you eat chocolate with plastic and X in the middle of it...lol? Also, why do you eat food not sent to you? Also, why do you open other peoples' packages? Also, why did he not take it to the right address like a good sumaritan? Also, why is he eating that of which he cannot verify the source? Also, what is he...a dumbass? Also, those kids are lucky to have a chocolate totin Dad like that....bring on Halloween and the candy apples(w/ razor)! Also, what are you....NuTz? Also, your lucky to be alive and same with your kids! Also, how did you like it...bet you felt like you could dance the night away and wanted to touch everyone and drink orange juice....eh? Last, we don't know the effects in little children.....better check for holes in the brain! Surf
O.K., what do we have here? Opening other people's mail. Eating other people's mail. Not knowing where it came from. Then not noticing that you've just eaten a bunch of plastic wrap along with your chocolate. Duh......
I think we would be wrong to joke about X, and then not tell the truth about that drug. I don't want any young people here to read this thread and think it is ok to experiment with dangerous drugs. <b>Health ADVISORY American Psychiatric Association, 1400 K St. NW, Washington, DC 20005 "ECSTASY" From the Committee on Treatment Services for Addicted Patients, Council on Addiction Psychiatry What is "Ecstasy"? "Ecstasy" is the common name for methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). It is also known by other street names such as "E," "X" and "XTC." MDMA is sometimes referred to as a "club drug" because it is often sold and/or taken at dances or nightclubs. MDMA is a synthetic drug, related to amphetamine. It is illegal in the U.S. and has no accepted medical use. Most of the MDMA sold in the United States is manufactured in unsupervised, illicit laboratories abroad and smuggled into the country. Why is there concern about MDMA? Although first synthesized in Germany in 1914, MDMA was not widely used in the United States until the 1980s. Since the 1990s there has been an upswing in both use and availability. Part of the reason for the increase in use has been MDMA’s reputation as a "safe drug" among many adolescents and young adults. Although this reputation is unwarranted, many users and potential users are unaware of the dangers of MDMA use. What are the effects of MDMA? As the drug became more popular, physicians have learned more about it through research and clinical experience. Current research indicates that MDMA’s effects are primarily related to changes in serotonin, an important chemical (neurotransmitter) that facilitates communication between nerve cells in the brain. Other neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, are also affected. Animal experiments show that MDMA damages serotonin-containing cells and it is thought to do the same in humans. Human studies show depletion of serotonin in MDMA users. Although MDMA is taken to induce pleasurable changes in mood, it also produces changes in the ability to think and function, and at times causes physical symptoms such as restlessness, sweating, increased pulse and blood pressure, loss of appetite, shaking, "goose pimples" and difficulty with temperature regulation. The impairment in temperature regulation, especially if combined with vigorous exercise and decreased fluid intake, can lead to cardiac arrhythmia and even death. Use of the drug may be followed by aftereffects ("hangover") including sleepiness, headache, depression and decreased energy that can last for a number of days. In some people MDMA has caused convulsions, delirium, severe changes in blood pressure, blood clotting and body temperature, and organ failure resulting in death. In others, MDMA has triggered severe depression or anxiety states. Although these reactions are uncommon, it is not possible to make accurate predictions about who will be affected. Both animal studies and human experience show that MDMA produces significant reinforcement (the tendency toward repetition of drug-taking). Thus using MDMA may motivate repeated drug-taking, although daily use is not common because of the aftereffects described above. What are the dangers of MDMA? There are three categories of danger: 1. Contents of tablets sold as "Ecstasy": Because they are manufactured in illegal laboratories, the composition of tablets marketed as MDMA varies greatly. They may contain varying amounts of MDMA, or none at all. They may be contaminated with other substances and/or other drugs, some of which are extremely toxic. Deaths have occurred from use of such adulterated tablets. 2. Acute effects: As noted above, MDMA causes acute physical and psychological changes, while producing acute toxicity in some users. Hangovers may be problematic. The drug may also interact with other illicit drugs, prescription or over-the-counter medications taken by the individual. 3. Effects of chronic use: Continued use may lead to psychological dependence. It may also cause depletion of serotonin and damage to serotonin-producing cells, leading to depression, unstable mood and memory problems. More research is needed to determine the long-term effects of MDMA. In addition, because MDMA is an illegal drug, possession and use may result in arrest and criminal charges. In summary: MDMA’s reputation as a drug with few side effects and little danger is not justified. Research and clinical experience continue to demonstrate that use of MDMA involves significant health risk. References: McDowell DM. MDMA, Ketamine, GHB and the "Club Drug" Scene, Chapter 6 in: Galanter M and Kleber HD (eds), Textbook of Substance Abuse Treatment, 2nd edition, American Psychiatric Press, Washington DC, 1999 Grob CS and Poland RE. MDMA, Chapter 24 in: Lowenstein JH, Ruiz P, Millman RB, and Langrod JG (eds), Substance Abuse: A Comprehensive Textbook, 3rd edition, Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, MD, 1997 Carroll ME and Comer SD. Phencyclidine and the Hallucinogens, Section II, chapter 7 in: Miller NS (ed), Principles of Addiction Medicine, American Society of Addiction Medicine, Chevy Chase MD, 1994 Gouzoulis-Mayfranc E, Daumann J, Tuchtenhagen S et al. Impaired Cognitive Performance in Drug Free Users of Recreational Ecstasy (MDMA), Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry 68:719-725, 2000 Jansen KLR. Ecstasy (MDMA) Dependence, Drug and Alcohol Dependence 53:121-124, 1999 The American Psychiatric Association is the national medical specialty society whose 40,000 physician members specialize in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental illnesses and substance use disorders.
As with all drugs including alcohol (yes, alcohol is a drug), moderation is key. The occasional user will probably not endure long term side effects or brain damage from X. As with any drug the potential for abuse is great. Please be responsible and always do some research on your own. rH
I remember when X was a legal drug and people in clubs could take it without any fear of being arrested. Yep, it was completely legal back in the early 80s. DaDakota
Ahem... I hate to remove your green-colored glasses, but as with all seratonin drugs, MDMA has an incredibly long period of diminished effectiveness after being used, in the range of at least a week. Also, it is very non-toxic as these drugs go. LD50 is estimated at 160 times the ED50. The real concern is that some half-wit will sell you PMA (with an LD50 of probably 5-10x the ED50) or something more powerfull that will cause you to freak out, like LSD or DXM. Also, while there's a bit of evidence that it may cause memory loss, if the evidence were reversed, the anti-MDMA advocates would be crying out that the evidence isn't conclusive enough. MDMA is nice. Those of you who can get some, I'm jealous.
You are a damn fool. If you want to take chances with your body, go right ahead. You should not, however, encourage others to take drugs that the medical community has deemed to be unsafe. There are some young people reading this board, and you are acting VERY irresponsibly.
The history of drug provention has proven that lying is a really effective way to prevent drug abuse.
Nice try to divert attention from the real issue- your ignorance. You can't be sure that MDMA is not a dangerous drug, yet you endorse its use. I posted an article that was published by an organization with no ulterior motives. Tell me about your extensive research that has caused you to come to your conclusions. Oh wait, I forgot. You are talking out of your ass. Sorry, but people who encourage others to use dangerous drugs REALLY PISSES ME OFF. Happy New Year- go make a resolution to help your fellow man, not just get him stoned.
Let's talk about circular logic. From your article: Ecstacy is illegal because it's dangerous, yet one of the reasons for stating that it is dangerous is because it is illegal. Does this make sense? If I was 15 and read that I'd imediately dismiss the whole article. Very clearly, you did not take notice that my first post stated that there are some real dangers. Go back and read it again. As far as talking out of my ass, I suggest we compare college transcripts. If the total number of neuroscience classes you took is even half of mine, I'll gladly admit talking out of my ass. As far as evidence, here's some. from the journal "Psychopharmacology" I can go on.
