Molly Becoming a Part of New York’s Fast Lifestyle, Substance Abuse Experts Say

In the city that never sleeps, Molly is popular with people who work hard and party hard, according to New York substance abuse experts. They say a growing number of people are ending up in emergency rooms after taking the drug.

“In today’s era, everyone is popping pills,” a fashion company owner told the Los Angeles Times. “Everyone wants to come to New York and succeed, but there’s so much pressure, so much competition. … With Molly, you’re happy, you’re free, there’s no worries, no negative talk.”

The drug, a more pure form of Ecstasy, comes in a powder. It has been available for decades, but has become more popular recently. It has been linked to the deaths of several young people attending electronic dance music festivals.

Molly’s health risks can include involuntary teeth clenching, a loss of inhibitions, transfixion on sights and sounds, nausea, blurred vision and chills and/or sweating. More serious risks of the drug, also called MDMA, can include increased heart rate and blood pressure and seizures.

In New York, emergency room visits of people who say they have taken MDMA doubled between 2008 and 2011. The newspaper notes this is a much high rate of increase compared with other U.S. cities.

“We are definitely seeing an increase in the number of people who say they’ve taken Molly,” said Dr. Theodore Bania, director of research and toxicology at the emergency departments of St. Luke’s and Roosevelt hospitals in New York.

Jean Mone, a therapist and substance abuse counselor in New York, says more of her clients have been using Molly. Some in their early 20s say they take the drug to help them stay up all night and blow off steam after a long, difficult day at work. They may take an Adderall to help get them up in the morning and go to work, she adds.