"Rollin' on E": a qualitative analysis of ecstasy use among inner city adolescents and young adults.

Ecstasy use has moved beyond rave and club scenes into working-class and low-income urban neighborhoods. Interviews with 23 poly-drug users in Hartford, CT, who had used ecstasy, revealed that most reported positive experiences while on the drug. Negative experiences were usually linked to mixing ecstasy with other drugs. Heavy users (40 or more lifetime uses) experienced negative aftereffects that led them to cut back or stop. Some participants reported using ecstasy during sex and using condoms irregularly. The findings highlight the need for more research on MDMA use in inner-city settings, focusing on ethnic and cultural context, self-controlled use, poly-drug mixing, and sexual risk behaviors.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Ecstasy use has spread beyond the rave and club scenes into other arenas of party culture, and from middle-class America to working-class and low-income neighborhoods of large cities. In order to explore ecstasy use among inner city adolescents and young adults, we conducted in-depth interviews with 23 poly-drug users who had used ecstasy, in Hartford, CT. Most users reported positive experiences while on the drug. Negative experiences were most often related to poly-drug mixing. However, heavy users (40+ times ever used) experienced negative aftereffects, which led them to decide to decrease or halt their use. Some participants discussed using ecstasy during sex, and irregular use of condoms. These findings point to the need for more in-depth research on MDMA use within inner city settings, with a particular focus on ethnic and cultural context, self-controlled drug use, poly-drug mixing, and sex risk behaviors.