There is virtually no one who is involved in drug abuse research, or who studies the properties of recreationally used drugs, that is not by now familiar with 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) (figure 1). Over the past 4 years this substance, usually referred to in the popular press as 'Ecstasy,' has received widespread media attention. This chapter will relate recent findings with respect to the potential dangers attendant on the use of MDMA and explore its pharmacological properties.
