The recreational drug MDMA — known as ecstasy or molly — has undergone a resurgence in use on the Island, according to sources.

Despite its old associations with nightclubs and concerts, the drug, which runs the risk of containing any number of other drugs or fillers, may have caught on as a cheap high.

“Traditionally, people in Bermuda took weed and smoked cocaine, but MDMA is becoming popular because it’s cheaper,” one source told The Royal Gazette. Tablets purporting to contain the drug were selling for $15 to $20 each, the source said, although its price varies according to the usual laws of supply and demand — the size of shipments coming in, and how many people were seeking it at a particular time.

Sandy Butterfield, the director of the addiction service Focus Counselling, confirmed that MDMA had risen in use. “I’m seeing clients now that are testing positive for MDMA — I’ve been seeing this change in the past two or three years,” she said.

The drug was one ordinarily linked more with “one culture than another”, she said: “Younger people, maybe those that have a bit more money.”

Another source said the trade in MDMA, which has taken place largely under the police radar, had proven lucrative for dealers able to import the drug. However, part of their profit came from the fact that the product being sold was highly adulterated.

“Drugs are dangerous — you never know what you’re getting, and you can’t see what’s going on inside your body when you take whatever,” Ms Butterfield said. “It’s becoming more predominant. I guess children are seeing what they want to see and not the danger.”

A third person who spoke with this newspaper said the drug “comes in rock form”.

Some are ground up and placed in capsules; in other cases, users swallow pieces wrapped in cigarette papers, or wash it back with alcohol.

“It’s been big the last couple of years,” the source added.

The health effects of MDMA, especially its long-term abuse, have been disputed, but the synthetic drug has amphetaminelike effects that can be harmful for anyone with heart or circulatory problems.

“You can overdose on it — there’s the potential for high blood pressure, anxiousness, panic attacks or seizure,” Ms Butterfield said.

Combining the drug with other drugs, particularly alcohol, is unwise and potentially dangerous, according to the United States National Institute on Drug Abuse.