It is difficult to determine the exact scope of this problem because Ecstasy is often used in combination with other substances, and does not appear in some traditional data sources, such as treatment admission rates.

Ecstasy does, however, appear to be a drug that has increased in popularity and become more widespread, particularly among people under the age of 25.

In 2002, over 10 million persons aged 12 or older reported using Ecstasy at least once in their lifetime according to the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, up from 6.4 million in 2000.

The number of current users in 2002 was estimated to be 676,000.

The initiation of Ecstasy use in the U.S. has been rising steadily since 1992, with 1.8 million new users in 2001.

The Drug Abuse Warning Network, maintained by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, reported that mentions of Ecstasy in drug abuse related cases in hospital emergency departments increased 94% from 1999 to 2001 (from 2,850 to 5,542); 86% of these cases also involved other substances, such as alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and heroin.

More than three-quarters (77%) of the patients who came to emergency departments mentioning Ecstasy as a factor in their admission in 2001 were age 25 and under, suggesting that Ecstasy is used predominantly by adolescents and young adults.

There is, however, some encouraging news from NIDA's Monitoring the Future Study (MTF), an annual survey used to track drug abuse trends among adolescents in middle and high schools across the country.

Over the last 2 years Ecstasy use decreased by almost 50% in 8th, 10th, and 12th graders combined.

In fact, rates of Ecstasy use decreased significantly from 2002 to 2003 in all three grades surveyed.

For 12th graders past year use declined from 7.4 percent to 4.5 percent.

These decreases may be due in part to negative attitudes about Ecstasy use and increased awareness about the harmful consequences associated with this drug.

Disapproval of Ecstasy use increased significantly from 2002 to 2003 for 8th and 10th graders but remained stable for 12th graders, and perceived risk associated with use increased in selected categories in each grade.

For example, 56 percent of 12th graders said they were aware of the harm associated with the drug, an increase of 18 percentage points over three years ago.

The percent of 12th graders who felt they could easily obtain the drug remained stable at 59% and 58% in 2002 and 2003, respectively, whereas the perceived availability among 10th graders decreased from 41% in 2002 to 36.3% in 2003.

While the rates of Ecstasy use may be declining in high school students, the drug is still easy to get, and its use remains prevalent.

The MTF data also show that Ecstasy use extends across many demographic subgroups.

Among 12th graders, for example, 6.4 percent of Whites, 5.3 percent of Hispanic students, and 1.4 percent of African Americans reported using Ecstasy in the year prior to the survey.