There are two different "ecstasys" being discussed here. "Real" Ecstasy (MDMA) and "liquid ecstasy" (GHB). Two different beasts, with a small subset of
some similar physiological effects at
low doses, from two very different families.
If I am not mistaken, some of the confusion seems to stem from the original article's reference to Ecstasy in its title(?). Elaboration within its first paragraph further confuses the picture: "A recent discovery reveals that toys called "Aqua Dots" are coated with a chemical
similar to liquid ectasy. When children eat the Aqua Dots (which they're not supposed to do, but they're children, after all), they go into an
ectasy-induced coma."
GHB is finally referred to in the second paragraph, but by this time the obfuscation has already been done: "The chemical culprit of all this is 1,4-butanediol, which breaks down into
gamma hydroxy butyrate, also known as the 'date rape drug.'"
To be clear, "real" Ecstasy is not GHB.The chemical name of Ecstacy is (3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine), which is commonly shortened to MDMA.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MDMAThe chemical of concern in the article, 1,4-Butanediol, is metabolized into gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and other metabolites by the body using some of the same enzymes your body uses to break down alcohol. It's more complex than that, of course, since GHB is not alcohol.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1,4-Butanediol Given its history in as an aid in sexual predation, no one in their right mind would knowingly take this drug thinking it was "real" Ecstasy. Ironically, some apparently still do, since one of its street names is "liquid ecstasy."
As a club scene or "rave" drug
Since the 1970s club scene, club-goers have used a range of drugs to enhance their experience on the dance floor such as amyl nitrite "poppers" and cocaine; in the 1990s, newer "club drugs" became popular, such as ketamine and Ecstasy (MDMA). Like these other "club drugs," GHB is taken because users feel that it enhances the experience of being in a club or at a party; GHB is sometimes referred to as liquid ecstasy
due to its tendency to produce euphoria and sociability and its use in the dance party scene.
The effects of GHB, however, are quite different from those of MDMA. At low doses, GHB can cause a state of euphoria, increased libido, increased sociability, and intoxication. GHB is commonly used at rave parties.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma-hydroxybutyric_acid[/list]