3% of 14-17 year olds say they have used hard drugs like MDMA, cocaine or GHB. A figure that has been steadily increasing in recent years. Investigation.
“During the summer vacation, I used almost everything, sometimes several times a week: MDMA, cocaine, ketamine, LSD…” At 18, Kévin * made his comeback in Assas. To follow the courses of the prestigious university, the young Parisian decided to ease off his taking of narcotics. Once a month would be ideal. “I started at 16, with a group of friends. We started with MDMA, just to test. But it’s such an incredible experience that we all took it back,” he tells us. he.
Like him, 3% of 14-17 year olds say they have already consumed party drugs such as MDMA (synonymous with ecstasy), cocaine or GHB, according to a report. extensive investigation carried out with 1,000 young French people * by the Foundation for Political Innovation, the Addictions Actions Fund and the Gabriel-Péri Foundation. The proportion climbs to 5% among 18-24 year olds. In this age group, 3% consume it at least once a week. “The increase in the consumption of festive drugs, which is doubling compared to the usual results, is of particular concern”, rightly believes the president of the Addictions Equity Fund, Michel Reynaud.
Significant differences between rural and urban areas
As for cannabis, there are significant differences between rural and urban areas. 2% of young people living in the countryside have already tested these toxins, whereas they are 4% in cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants and 10% in the Parisian agglomeration.
“I am indeed more and more young adults and adolescents struggling with this type of drug “, confirms Jean-Victor Blanc, psychiatrist specializing in the care given to generations Y and Z (Saint Antoine hospital, Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris ). “However, this survey mixes up all the party drugs, even though they are not consumed by the same populations.” GHB is more prized by gay circles. Cocaine, much more expensive and consumed in traditional circuits, remains marginal.
“The more you consume, the more horrible the descents”
MDMA, more commonly known as “MD”, has migrated from rave parties to high school and even college playgrounds. Very cheap, easy to access, it has the same disinhibitory effects as alcohol, coupled with intense physical stimulation, capable of erasing the effects of fatigue until the early hours of the morning. A stamp is worth around 10 euros. “You can quite simply find it at Gare de Lyon”, testifies Kévin. “The problem with this drug is that you have to consume more and more quickly to feel the effects. And the more you consume, the more the descents are horrible. You can also have very violent vomiting”, warns -he. The days after the party, the young man can stay seated on his bed for hours, staring at the wall. “It hurts everywhere. Morally, we are at the bottom of the hole. In the long term, I also feel that it impacts my brain, my memory, my way of thinking,” he describes.
Even at very low doses, this drug negatively affects the activity of neurotransmitters, which allow nerve cells in the brain to communicate with each other. Those that contain serotonin can also be damaged irreversibly. In addition, the release of norepinephrine is believed to be the cause of the increase in blood pressure and heart rate.
“The greatest danger lies in poly-consumption”
Restlessness, dehydration, irritability, loss of appetite, insomnia, reduced pleasure and interest in sex, chills, muscle cramps, involuntary tightness of the jaw, blurred vision, grinding of teeth, kidney failure, increased body temperature and profuse sweating Side effects are also part of the effects, which can occur up to a week after taking it. In the most severe cases, the “raids” can lead to suicide attempts, and overdose to death.
“Ecstasy overdose remains really marginal in relation to the number of consumers. The greatest danger lies in multiple consumption, that is to say the fact of also consuming alcohol and cannabis in the same evening. This is also the type of profile most common among these young people “, indicates the doctor Jean-Victor Blanc.” As soon as the desire to take festive drugs becomes systematic, at each evening, it is necessary to consult. A teenager who has violent depressive attacks must also alert the parents, “insists the professional.
If Kévin avoids consuming alcohol when he takes hard drugs, he is, on the other hand, a heavy user of cannabis, which he smokes on a daily basis, almost like cigarettes. For him, the most important thing is that young people know what to expect. “The French state acts as if these drugs did not exist. I am not saying that it has become like cannabis, but young people of 14 years under prod (expression to designate the taking of hard drugs, Editor’s note), j ‘ve already seen them. As they do not know the effects, they do not know how to manage and end up in impossible states, in tears, with no one to help them. For me, it is they who must be protected as a priority “, concludes the young man, with pragmatism.
If you are directly or indirectly affected by drug use, do not hesitate to call Drogues info service on 0 800 23 13 13, or to go to a specialized care center, such as Young Consumers Consultations.
* The first name has been changed.
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