UK Government Advisor Says E Is 'Relatively Safe'

Leading British scientist Professor David Nutt believes ecstasy is 'unquestionably non addictive, and appears to be "relatively safe in the short term," the Guardian reported this week, in an article examining the declining use of the drug in the UK.

"In fact, though the authorities prefer not to make the comparison, roughly 20 deaths a year ranks ecstasy alongside electric blankets in a list of Britain's biggest killers," the Guardian added.

However, the article coincided with a Mixmag feature predicting 80 ecstasy related fatalities in the UK this year, which they linked to people taking increasing quantities of pills, poly-drug use and different pills being sold as Es.

"Tablets containing compounds like PMA are especially worrying," UK expert Dr Fabrizio Schifano warned.

"MDMA (ecstasy) is toxic, but not greatly so. With PMA it's possible to overdose on just three or four pills."
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