Edd Westmacott / Alamy Stock Photo
THIRTY years ago, ecstasy was becoming the drug of choice at raves – and whenever young people use drugs to have a good time, concerns are rarely far behind. “An increasingly fashionable ‘mind-bending’ drug that induces euphoria and raises self-awareness in users may also damage brain cells irreparably,” New Scientist reported on 21 January 1989.
The claim came from Stephen Peroutka of Stanford University in California, who warned users to abandon the drug altogether. “If they continue… they risk damage to their nervous system that may take decades to manifest itself,” we …