Traditional Medicine vs Modern Medicine

The deaths of two young adults and the hospitalization of four others this weekend following a massive electronic music festival in New York City — which was subsequently shut down by city officials — has reignited fears over the club drug MDMA, nicknamed “Molly,” which is the suspected cause of the deaths. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, Molly can be taken orally in powder, tablet or capsule form. In the 1980s and 1990s it burst upon the club scene as a party drug. “The early signs of intoxication going over toward overdose of MDMA, of Molly, is going to be high heart rate, high respiratory rate and high blood pressure,” she said. “How many people in this crowd have seen Molly?” she asked. Kanye West has rapped about it and rapper Rick Ross reportedly even lost an endorsement after he referenced the drug in lyrics. Most recently, the producers of the MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 25 bleeped a part of Miley Cyrus’ single, “We Can’t Stop,” when she sang the line, “Dancing with Molly.” Along with the two suspected Molly-related deaths this weekend in New York City, two additional deaths this summer have been linked to the drug. It was reportedly the college student’s first concert. And in June, a man died and dozens more were treated for overdosing on the drug at a music festival in Washington state. Also in Boston on Saturday three people were treated for drug overdoses at a techno-rock music festival, but it was unclear if the substances involved included MDMA, according to the Boston Herald.