Guardian Dub 2C-I The 'Most Likely New Ecstasy'

British recreational drug users are increasingly embracing new designer drugs such as 2C-I, The Guardian declared this week, branding the synthetic psychedelic drug the 'most likely candidate for the coveted title "the next ecstasy".

"While most research chemicals are too psychedelically powerful to make it as club drugs, one, 2C-I, is rapidly gaining popularity as a dance drug," they continued.

"Thanks to some similarities in effect to MDMA, the main ingredient of ecstasy."

Their report came several months after Mixmag branded 2C-I 'a national mash-up waiting to happen', and almost a year after the European Union's EMCDDA Scientific Committee published a Risk Assessment report on the drug (which included the observation that a dose lasts for 10 hours, way more than the 2-4 hours associated with E).

The EU report also warned against media hype declaring, "As with all illicit drug use, lack of scientific and objective information contributes to the increasing of risks.

Firstly, inaccurate media coverage and overestimates of use may promote diffusion by encouraging young people to try it. Secondly, official dissemination of inaccurate information may be counterproductive, if it is not perceived as credible."

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