Ecstasy study was erroneous

The furore about ecstasy has always been out of all proportion to the degree of harm it causes. While taking a strong drug regularly over a period of time isn't likely to do you much good, sudden deaths from ecstasy have always been very low and often (as in the case of Leah Betts) due to the excessive intake of water, not the drug itself.

Now, another study from the USA that suggested a link between ecstasy and Parkinsonism seems to have been a huge blunder. Basically, the lab animals that were part of the study seem to have been given metamphetamine - 'speed' - rather than 'E'. The affects on dopamine levels of metamphetamine are strong and well-known.

The Observer | Special reports | Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'