Ecstasy on trial, live

[Gob]

Almost two million people watched a controversial show last night where people were given pure ecstasy and studied on live television.

Channel Four's Drugs Live was declared by presenter Jon Snow as one of its 'boldest projects ever' - to carry out a medical study to study the effects MDMA has on a healthy brain.

'Incredibly, no one knows how it works in the brain, nor how harmful it is,' he said.




During the trial some 25 participants were given ‘pill A or B’ containing a placebo or Ecstasy, and then given a 90-minute functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan of the brain.

Five of those appeared in the studio having taken 85mg of ecstasy or a placebo while in hospital, where experts looked at their brain patterns and also how it impacted on their mood and feelings of trust.

Tom was studied live last night, having taken a pill a few hours before, and said he also felt excited and thrilled and said his own eyes looked like dinner plates.

Another patient, Hayley, explained how she had felt 'euphoric' while Lionel Shriver, author of We Need To Talk About Kevin, said she was left wanting more.

Only soldier Phil had a bad experience, where he felt frightened, paranoid and was forced to recuperate in bed the next day after taking it.

Controversially the study is being led by Professor David Nutt, the UK’s former chief drugs adviser, who was sacked after claiming that alcohol and tobacco were more harmful than LSD, Ecstasy and cannabis.

He has also suggested that horse-riding is more dangerous than taking Ecstasy.

Julia Manning - Chief executive of Think-Tank 2020Health - has said the show, which will have its second episode on tonight, is dangerous.

'I worry about the effect it will have on young people who might feel inclined to experiment with drugs.

'The trouble with Professor Nutt’s programme is that the viewer is presented with a small fragment of research which cannot give us any answers about medical applications, while implying there could be a valid use for ecstasy.

'And because some of those featured are public faces who needed to have previously used ecstasy to take part (to avoid any embarrassing side-effects on the show, such as death presumably) this lends a dangerous air of acceptability to the drug.'

Merseyside professor Phillip Murphy added: 'There may be some clinical gain from the managed use of MDMA by qualified clinicians in a controlled environment for the treatment of some psychological disorders.

'But it is vital that the impression is not given that ecstasy is a safe drug to use recreationally.'

It came as presenter Jon Snow admitted he once drove down a motorway while high on LSD.

The Channel 4 News veteran revealed the incident on his blog, ahead of presenting the controversial television show.

The 64-year-old explained that he had eaten a ‘delicious strawberry flan’ spiked with acid at a party in Oxford when he was about 22 years old.

He said: ‘I had two slices. It wasn’t long before I felt the need to go home. Five of us had driven in a Mini, from London. We got back into the car and set off down the M40.

‘Almost immediately I seemed to be being assaulted by the white lines, flashing into my head.

‘Then as I approached the first bridge over the road I became convinced that the car was too big to pass through it. I pulled over to the hard shoulder.’

Talking about the show Mr Snow said he has ‘never tried’ the drug, described the programme as ‘eye opening stuff’ and said he was ‘honoured to be a part of it’.

He added: ‘Unfortunately I am not part of the trial.’