Concern grows for students using Molly

Four Wesleyan University students have been arrested in connection with a dozen hospitalizations among people who took a party drug known as Molly.

Police say the students were arrested Tuesday on drug charges. The students have been suspended from the university, which is based in Middletown, Connecticut.

Molly is a synthetic form of the synthetic drug, ecstasy.

“These are basically made in somebody’s garage where they’re putting a bunch of chemicals together, they’re giving it to you, you’re taking it and you don’t know what side effects you’re going to get from it,” said Dr. John Torres, KRDO’s medical expert. “People who take Molly don’t really know what they’re getting and they’re getting into a lot of trouble because of it.”

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in high doses, Molly or MDMA can interfere with the body’s ability to regulate temperature. On rare but unpredictable occasions, that can lead to a sharp increase in body temperature (hyperthermia), which can result in liver, kidney, or cardiovascular system failure or even death.

Heather Horton, director of the Wellness Resource Center at Colorado College, told KRDO NewsChannel 13 that only a small proportion of CC students reported using MDMA.

“We haven’t really seen it as either a conduct problem or students coming forward with medical issues or anything like that,” Horton said.

Still, students on campus told KRDO NewsChannel 13 that they see the designer drug frequently.

“It’s really popular on this campus,” said Meara Hemler, a freshman at CC. “A lot of people do it to go out to dance.”

“I’ve heard about it. I’ve seen it at shows,” said Olivia Steveson, also a freshman. “I mean college-aged and just like music culture, it’s backed by drugs a lot of the time.”