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Dangerous, Manageable or Hardcore?- by Monica Barratt
The unfortunate death of a 20-year-old Sydeny woman in 2007 provided a catalyst for an analysis of how online drug-using communities defined PMA and ecstasy. PMA or para-methoxyamphetamine is structurally similar to the phenylethylamines (MDxx) and mescaline. It is a hallucinogenic stimulant with a low threshold for overdose, making it definitively more dangerous than pure MDMA. Most, but not all, use of PMA is inadvertent, as the users believe they are consuming an MD derivative when they buy pills sold as ‘ecstasy’, but the pill actually contains PMA.
Annabel Catt’s death in 2007 followed her ingestion of ‘ecstasy caps’ which were later found to contain PMA. Her friends did call an ambulance but Annabel died later in hospital due to overheating and respiratory failure. Read more
Looking Out for your Mates – Top 10 Tips when communicating drug or alcohol worries
Recent media speculation around ecstasy deaths in the UK have caused unease amongst its users. Here at GDs we have created tips on how to look out for your mates.
The 2010/2011 MixMag survey identified that half of you have mates whose use of drugs and / or alcohol worries you. Those worries might have to do with what they are like when they are using, the impact upon their relationships with others, their preoccupation with use or the effect on their physical or mental health. What was really good to see was that you often spoke to your mates about your worries and although we cannot be certain what the worries were or exactly what you said to your mates, often your intervention seems to have helped them, while only rarely impacting negatively on your friendship. Mates are in good position to identify, support and motivate change in their friends because mates look out of each other. Read more