New Drug Molly Sparks Panic After Suspected Deaths

A new drug, “Molly” on the streets and in pop culture, is causing a panic after two possible related deaths in New York City this weekend.

As the drug Molly crosses from youth culture into the mainstream, many parents are wondering if the substance poses a risk to their teens — after several reported deaths linked to Molly.

So what is the drug Molly? Is it something new and scary?

In actuality, Molly is just a new name for an old and perennially popular drug known as MDMA, ecstasy, X, E, or even “Misty.” (Parents do catch on after a while.)

MDMA has always been seen as relatively “safe” when compared to “hard” drugs like heroin or cocaine, but the drug Molly is also purer than the X and E dropped by ravers in the 90s.

After two deaths at the Electronic Zoo dance party on Randall’s Island in New York City were linked to Molly and led to the festival’s early cancellation, there was a tipping point of Molly panic. Fueling the concern was a comment made recently by Madonna, who asked a packed crowd knowingly who’d been partying with Molly. (She denies referencing the drug.)

Dr. Jayson Calton spoke to Fox News about the drug Molly, saying that as is often the case, street purity and a lack of regulation increase risk.

Calton says impure or adulterated drugs like Molly can quickly go wrong, adding:

“The issue is mostly what it is cut with, and the fact that most people who use it abuse it. Also, it causes the body temperature to skyrocket to 105-106 and makes individuals more prone to heat stroke… While the drug makes you love life, it can also make you lose life.”

While the drug Molly is neither new nor historically associated with many overdoses, the network reports that one of the two Electric Zoo deaths this weekend may have been linked to the substance. Victim Olivia Rotondo reportedly told EMS workers just before a fatal seizure that she’d taken “six hits” of Molly.