The Drug Named Molly & its Effects on Teens

Imagine this: your whole body is warm and relaxed, you feel safer than you’ve ever felt, make conversation easier than you ever have, colors are brighter, music sounds better, dancing is a uniting, pleasurable experience, water is the best thing you have ever drank and hugs and touch feel amazing - filling your heart with sincere feelings of happiness. You are surrounded by a few close friends and many strangers who quickly become your friends also.

In your mind, all you can think is…

…this is the best time I have ever had.

The best feeling I have ever felt.

This is what it is like to be “rolling” on the drug named molly. “Rolling,” a term used to describe the euphoric feelings one experiences from taking molly, represents feelings of bliss, peace, love and everything good. It’s no wonder both teenagers and adults alike are attracted to this drug. 

Molly, a slang term for MDMA high in purity in crystal or powder form, was previously used and marketed in the 1970s to help psychiatric patients talk more openly during their therapy sessions. Molly started to gain popularity outside the medical world under the name ecstasy in the 1980s and more in the early 2000s, both times said to have been related to surging music genres.

The drug has received a lot of negative attention by the media this past year, and for good reason. Most recently, molly made headlines during the Electric Zoo music festival weekend in New York, announced as the cause of death of two men in their early 20s. One man died from acute intoxication after taking pure MDMA and the other man died from a mix of MDMA and a similar stimulant, methylone. Both molly and methylone are stimulant-psychedelics that inundate the brain with dopamine and serotonin, neurotransmitters that allow people to experience a euphoric state. And while the feelings experienced while on molly may sound great, the dark side of the molly drug is clear and can be even greater.

The effects this drug can have on teenagers, uneducated about the risks involved, are huge and worth noting. Since teenagers are easily influenced by their friends and peers, it is important for parents, adult friends, and mentors to have healthy conversations with these young adults about the drug Molly, the risks involved, and how the drug affects the body (short and long term). Through education and understanding, teens have a better chance to make the right decision. Here is what you need to know.

Facts about Molly

Molly can lead to hospitalization and/or death for three main reasons, including hyperthermia and dehydration, fatal mixes of molly with other drugs, and overdose.

• Hyperthermia: Much young music festival or electronic dance music (EDM) concert-goers take the drug and then dance for hours and hours without checking in with themselves, unaware of how hot they feel. This paired with MDMA, which causes the body to rapidly increase in temperature, can lead to hyperthermia. Hyperthermia occurs when a person’s body temperature rises to dangerous levels, causing the organs to shut down. Without immediate medical attention, hyperthermia can lead to disability or death.
• Fatal Mixes of Molly or “cut molly”: Many times, molly is not pure MDMA and is cut or laced with other drugs, from cocaine to heroin. With no way of really knowing what is in the drug without testing it, people subject themselves to other drugs, anything from that are just as, or more dangerous than MDMA by itself.
• Overdose: It is reported that one of the men that died during Electric Zoo in New York admitted to taking six doses of Molly that day. Proof that too much of a good thing is in fact a bad thing.

For those that make it through the night, many people experience a deep level of depression as the molly drug starts to wear off and serotonin levels drop. This drop-in serotonin can also cause feelings of loss, fear, anxiety, and insomnia, as well as a terrible hangover (most likely attributed to dehydration) that can last for days – a hangover so bad it is often referred to as “suicide Tuesdays.”

With the increase in the availability of the drug due to an increase in demand, the risk for teenagers is incredible. But with proper education and continued open conversation with our teens, the risks can be minimized. Because we all know teens – can’t stop, won’t stop.

Do you have tips on how to approach your teenager about the topic? Share with us in the comments below.