When dealing with Molly, Tufts must educate on harm reduction

The recent events at Wesleyan University, in which a dozen people apparently overdosed on the drug Molly -- a form of the more widely know Ecstasy or MDMA -- has reignited debate here at Tufts and at other NESCAC schools on how to handle drug use on campus. With four Wesleyan students arrested (they are now set to be tried in court), two students in critical condition and a national news story, it is no wonder that posters on Molly and MDMA have began popping up on our campus and Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) has tweeted about the issue. There is clearly a dire need for a deeper understanding of drug usage among students. In addition to educating on the dangers of drug use, however, Tufts University Department of Public and Environmental Safety should also recognize that, regardless of how many posters are put up, students who want to engage in drug use will still do so. Accordingly, educational posters should also feature harm reduction guides for drugs such as MDMA and Molly.

Molly, containing MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), offers its users feelings of euphoria and other hallucinatory effects. Molly often contains a combination of unknown chemicals that imitate the effects of “pure Ecstasy,” but are far more life threatening. These sensations are induced by hundreds of hazardous substances that are difficult to track down. Therefore, Molly users do not have to overdose to be hospitalized. One single dose of “Holy” Molly can lead to severe dehydration, a spike in temperature up to 107 degrees, kidney failure and seizures. In 2013, several colleges, including the University of New Hampshire, Plymouth State University, University of Virginia and Texas State University at San Marcos, reported student deaths due to Molly consumption. There is no such thing as absolute drug safety, but there are ways to mitigate possible deaths and injuries. Currently, safety tips come only from word-of-mouth or information given by student groups; they are not offered in any official capacity in a highly accessible and widely advertised manner.

If a student is interested in trying Molly, that student may be deterred from doing so by looking at the risks on posters that have been placed in dorms on campus. But there are also those who -- knowing the risks -- will choose to engage in drug use anyway. Tufts University Police Department's website has, perhaps unintentionally, only one harm prevention guideline on Molly and the dangers of mixing it with other drugs, but nothing on things such as proper dosage, the dangers of dehydration or the things with which it may be mixed.

Some argue that providing safe dosage information and tips on how to remain unharmed while on Molly acts as an invitation to use the drug, and sends a message that Molly use is totally acceptable. They claim that a student on the fence about trying Molly may decide to use it if given harm prevention guidelines from an official campus organization. Yet that person would be using Molly in a manner that is, while still not totally safe, safer than if they were to have no idea about proper dosage or warning signs. When weighing the potentially life-saving benefits for students who will engage in drug use regardless, it is better to have two students who use Molly in a safer manner than one sober student and one dead student.

College officials across the country need to use as many strategies as possible to prevent future incidents like the ones at Wesleyan. TUPD and Tufts do not need stop touting the dangers of drug use, providing facts on how drugs can negatively impact a person's life and explaining the legal ramifications of being arrested for drug use; in some circles these are considered valid tactics in deterrence that can save lives. However, those who decide to use drugs such as Molly anyway should be using it in an informed way. Having TUPD and Tufts educate students about safe drug use in addition to promoting anti-drug messages is not an endorsement, but a life saver.