“Who is Molly, and where the hell did she come from?” has recently been on the top of parent’s lists of questions when confronting their teen in a hospital.
Surly a phrase on the minds of two teens parents as they arrived at a New York hospital earlier this year, to discover that their children could be added to Molly’s list of victims, capping off a long list, with hefty additions this summer.
But what is Molly? Where did it come from? Why is it so dangerous?
Molly’s chemical composition however, is nowhere near new, and is simply just the new name of this veteran party drug. “Molly” is the name used to refer to the pure crystalline powder form of 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine or MDMA, what used to be taken in the pill form as Ecstasy. The drug first hit the scene back in the 1970’s after being tested as an aid to psychotherapy treatment. During recent resurgence with the new younger generation, dealers began calling the drug Molly to create intrigue, however they could be pushing something on a teen without knowing what’s in it themself. Many of these capsules are cut with other dangerous drugs of chemicals.
According to the Washington Times, the drug alone can be extremely dangerous. The Washington times wrote in an article aimed toward teen readers that, “the massive perspiration brought on by dance and partying leads to dehydration. This can lead to immediate, serious or deadly health issues.”
According to the DEA, an average of 6,000 emergency room visits are a result of MDMA/Molly every year, a figure which has been on the rise since 2001, since MDMA was introduced as Molly to the underground drug market.
“Molly goes to another level as far as potency is concerned,” said Howard Samuels, a drug treatment counselor in Boston. “That makes it extremely dangerous to the body, because MDMA creates heat, and the more the body over heats especially in rave or large concert environments, it can cause death. The body just fries.”
Samuels continued “It’s appealing because it makes people experience the music in a different way, but a more dangerous and deadly way. When taking the drug your body becomes dehydrated, and when you’re at a concert or a music festival water can be costly from vendors so you’re less likely to get enough.”
With the constant stream of Molly subliminal messaging in current top 40 music, it can be hard to escape the bombardment of molly advertisements by popular performers. Littered thought their songs, Jay Z, Kanye West, Miley Cyrus, Madonna, and Juicy J have been the most recent to reference the drug in their music. Cyrus, at her now infamous performance at the MTV Video Music Awards, had the reference beeped out on live television, showing even the FCC doesn’t appreciate the drug.
When summer came to an end, the season of music festivals came to a close, however molly did not hibernate, she just moved in doors and continues to bring teens higher, and then watch them go tumbling down.
