The Middletown, Connecticut Police Department have arrested four college students from Wesleyan University in connection with the “Molly” drug overdoses of a dozen students over the weekend.
The four students arrested on Tuesday were Eric Lonergan, 21; Zachary Kramer, 21; Andrew Olsen, 20; and Rama Agha Al Kakib, 20. They will face several charges including possession of a controlled substance, possession of a hallucinogen, and possession of drug paraphernalia, reports CNN . Eric Lonergan will face more charges then the others, because he is also facing 16 counts of illegally obtaining or supplying drugs.
The four were put in jail with bonds ranging from $75,000 to $150,000, and are expected to appear in court sometime next week.
Out of the dozen students taken to the hospital on Sunday, 11 of them had overdosed on the popular party drug “Molly,” and one of them was taken for alcohol related complications.
As of Tuesday, four of the students taken to the hospital were still not released, and two students are listed in critical condition at Hartford Hospital.
Wesleyan University President Michael Roth tells CBS that he sent out an all campus email on Monday urging students to come forward with any information about where the “Molly” drugs came from.
“If you are aware of people distributing these substances, please let someone know before more people are hurt. You can make a confidential report, these drugs can be altered in ways that make them all the more toxic. Take a stand to protect your fellow students.”
“Molly” is the pure powder form of MDMA, which is the main component in a psychoactive drug called ecstasy. This powder is usually taken in capsules, and the effects can last three to six hours. The danger that comes with this new designer drug is that the powder can be mixed with several other things, and it is undetectable to someone who decides to use it. Generally, the substances mixed with “Molly” have extremely adverse effects when combined with alcohol or marijuana. The risk of taking “Molly” and not knowing what else it is mixed with can be fatal.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Molly” is generally referred to as a party drug , and has similarities to both the stimulant amphetamine and the hallucinogen mescaline. When you take “Molly” the effects the user feels will generally be emotional warmth, increased energy, euphoria, empathy towards others, and distortion in time and sensory perceptions.
This is not the first time “Molly” has made headlines. The Inquisitr previously reported that a 19 year-old girl was killed after taking the drug at an electronic dance concert in Washington, D.C.
The future of everyone involved with this tragedy remains to be seen, but the arrests of the four college students will hopefully shed light on the problem of drug and alcohol abuse on the Wesleyan campus. One night of partying is not worth the risk of jail, serious bodily harm, or even death.
[Photo courtesy of Wikipedia]
