Ecstasy reclassification

Once again the UK government is making news about its decision to review the classification of ecstasy. There has been some discussion about the possibility that this would mean that the drug could be downgraded from class A, although most people in the know doubt whether that would happen in the current climate.

At the very least, the discussion raises the issue of the relative harms of the drug and that is always going to make the news.

Ecstasy remains the third most popular illicit drug in Britain, with 5% of young adults aged 16 to 24 saying they have used it in the last year. In Australia, just over 11 percent of 20-29 year olds reported using it in the last twelve months according to the latest National Household Survey.

The decision by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to review the legal status of ecstasy, follows a report by the Commons Science and Technology Committee two years ago recommending urgent action. The case for downgrading moved into gear after a landmark Police Foundation inquiry in 2000, which argued for it to be moved to class B.

The inquiry found the best estimates of the toxicity of ecstasy suggested it was several thousand times less dangerous than heroin and was probably involved in fewer than 10 deaths a year.

The ACMD is not expected to produce a final recommendation until 2009 but the past record of its leading members suggests it is likely to recommend that it should be downgraded from class A to B. However, such a move is likely to be blocked by ministers, raising a prospect of a rerun of their decision on cannabis.

The British Home Secretary recently announced that the cabinet intends to override an ACMD recommendation on cannabis and move the drug back to class B from class C.

In the UK, possession of ecstasy, as a class A drug, carries a maximum seven-year jail term, while dealing can result in a life sentence.

Regardless of the classification it is important to remember that there are still harms associated with the use of ecstasy, as there are with any drug. Even though there are few deaths, there are a range of other problems that may occur.

Remember: If you do not want any negative consequences, do not use the drug and no matter how many times you have used a substance – never be blase!