Axehole

Italian scientists have found that the effects of ecstasy are more pronounced in presence of music.

At least, if you’re a rat.

The scientists gave rats ecstasy and exposed them to music at club noise levels. Measurement of electrical activity in the rats’ brains showed that noise prolonged the effects of ecstasy by up to five days.

Ecstasy was first synthesised in 1910, and was patented two years later by the German company Merck Pharmaceuticals as an appetite suppressant.

Dr Michelangelo Iannone, who led the research said,” The effects of the drug could be made more potent by relatively common environmental factors and stressed the potential danger for man of substances that have been so popularly accepted as relatively safe owing to their short term effects.”

According to Martin Barnes, chief executive of the drugs information charity DrugScope “Ecstasy is very much associated with the clubbing and dance scene and users report a heightened sense of awareness and a greater appreciation of music and their surroundings. After taking ecstasy users may feel tired and low and this may last several days leading to a ‘mid-week hangover’. Short-term memory can be impaired and there is emerging evidence that prolonged use can lead to periods of depression. This research suggests that exposure to loud music may worsen the comedown but it is unclear how this may contribute to longer term effects.”