Cheerleading More Dangerous Than Ecstasy
A recent study conducted by MAPS.org shows that there are more ER visits per year for cheerleading accidents than there are for Ecstasy use. To quote the study:
I focused on Emergency Room (ER) visit data, the most common indicator of cost to public health. For example, according to the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN), in 1994–nine years after MDMA was criminalized, but the first for which data is available from SAMHSA– there were 253 ER visits as a result of Ecstasy use in the US. Meanwhile, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC), in 1994 there were 15,792 ER visits as a result of participation in organized cheerleading. By that measure, in 1994 cheerleading was 62 times more of a threat to our nation’s public health than Ecstasy use. Keep in mind that most users don’t know whether their Ecstasy is pure MDMA, so these statistics reflect the risks of using unregulated black-market Ecstasy, which often contains other substances and sometimes does not even contain MDMA.
To look at those numbers another way, in 2001, one out of every 152 organized cheerleading participants sought ER treatment, while only one of out of every 585 past-year Ecstasy users sought ER treatment.
There is also a graph comparing the two for each year from 1995 to 2004:
So I guess we all know what this means. It is time to start a prohibition on cheerleading. After all, the reason certain drugs are illegal is because the are ‘unsafe’ and this study clearly shows that cheerleading is far more dangerous to public health than MDMA. It seems that if the government is at all worried about the safety of its citizens then they should outlaw cheerleading. While they’re at it (since governments never seem to know when to stop), they might as well outlaw smoking and trans fat since these are also dangerous to public health.
Of course these are ludicrous claims. The government does not have the right to regulate what people can do with their bodies. They should not be allowed regulate cheerleading and they should not be allowed to regulate drug use. I just hope this study puts drug use into perspetive for those who think the government should have the right to regulate it. Just think about how you would feel if the government banned trans fats or cheerleading and you can see why the ‘war on drugs’ is the debacle that it is. People will get their fix (whether it be trans fat, cheerleading, or drugs) even if they have to go behind Big Brothers back to get it.
March 7th, 2007 at 5:37 am
I would like to see what the fatality figures are - how many died from cheerleading and how many died from ecstacy, would also like to see the cost of treatment, duration of stay and ability of ‘injured person’ to return to work/school the following day after treatment.
March 7th, 2007 at 9:47 am
While this may be true the psychological effects and brain damage that is caused by ecstacy is usually not looked at. I have done ecsstacy twice in my life over a year ago and I am still haunted by its effects.
March 7th, 2007 at 11:17 am
People will get there fix when the gOVERMENT does not supply what the individuals need. Like a reason to live. If we all had a important place in this society, we might not need what they are selling to us, a way out. The gov is selling ALL the drugs. From cocaine to coffee. From nicotine to alchohol. From a way of life thats killing the earth to a way of life that forgets your fellow man. John lennon had a way, he was shot. Kennedy had a plan, he was shot. Ever wonder what a middle age crisis really is? Your Subconscious screaming that what you are doing is wrong!! The earth is dying and no-one in this society cares.
“Your eyes deceive you, don’t trust them” Obi-wan to Luke. Star Wars
March 7th, 2007 at 11:27 am
Not all drugs are bad…
Some are great!!!!
March 7th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
your an idiot. you didn’t look at how much each of the visits costs, how much total money was spent in the visits, and how much of an affect it had on the parties involved. i could almost gaurantee you that even though chearleading had more hospital visits, they were not that serious, where as people who goto the hospital for ecstasy are probably going to die
March 7th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
Yeah the difference is Ecstasy will give you brain damage in the long term. Cheerleading, while maybe giving you short term injuries, is very unlikely to result in brain damage.
March 7th, 2007 at 2:53 pm
This is awesome! I think weed should definitely be legalized. And also, I bet if you compared alcohol related ER visits, deaths and crimes to the same with weed, you will find alcohol way ‘higher’.
March 7th, 2007 at 10:11 pm
leonese
Im glad to see you had to resort to the good old Ad Hominem. You might as well come right out and say you have no valid arguement. I would also like to know how you came to your final conclusion. Do you have any facts to back up your claims? Any studies? Are you a doctor? Do you have any personal experience?
Either way, the fact of the matter is (and the whole point behind the article) that the government should not be regulating drug use. Just as they should not be regulating cheerleading.
March 7th, 2007 at 10:22 pm
MDMA is a very safe drug. One of the only studies that has showed it to cause brain damage, is now invalid as the researchers used Methamphetamine instead of MDMA, due to a labeling mix up.
Todays society has alot to gain from the effects of MDMA, and if anything it should be legalized so that its production can be regulated. There are infact no recorded deaths from an MDMA overdose, there are however deaths from dehydration and over hydration while using MDMA, and deaths from adulterants in ecstacy pills.
March 8th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
This gripping, and totally factual article left out one important statistic that the writer should feel pretty inclined to include. That is of course if objectivity ranks anywhere on his list of priorities. Approx. how many cheerleaders are there in America and how often do they participate in cheerleading activities VS. how many ecstasy users are there in America and how often do they “roll”? Did this just seem irrelevant or did you honestly not even consider the thought? This is the most slanted writing I’ve ever read, seemingly as radical and corrupt as the very same Big Brother you’re preaching against. Before I even know the exact numbers (as they might help support the writer’s argument), I feel pretty safe in saying…Checkmate.
March 8th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
@your mothers boyfriend
If you read the original article (http://www.maps.org/news-letters/v16n3-html/cheerleading_ecstasy.html) cited at the begining of this one it says “In 2001, when past-year Ecstasy use reached its peak, the total number of pastyear cheerleaders (3.8 million) and Ecstasy users (3.25 million) were relatively similar.” So at least in 2001 the numbers are very close. Looking at the numbers, this means that in 2001 1 in 152 cheerleaders sought ER treatment and 1 in 585 ecstasy users sought ER treatment. So I think you are a little farther from that checkmate than you think.
March 8th, 2007 at 9:24 pm
Ecstasy causes less damage than marijuana, you idiots. Stop believing what mommy government spoon feeds you.
http://thedea.org/neurotoxicity.html#holes
March 9th, 2007 at 3:16 am
Well played, RN. I guess I missed that in the unbiased article published by an organization supporting the use psychadelic drugs (MAPS). However, that was merely half of my question. Time duration spent on the respective activity was the whole idea behind my inquiry. Most users I know very well, some being friends of mine. Yes, I realize it must be surprising that despite debating on a web page at 2am I do have friends, and actually some fall into that 3.25 million. So, viva la revolution and all that jazz. I digress. What I was getting to was that there are a lot of users who do not roll often, I’ll say even once a month. They fall into that broad category of “user”. The problem is that cheerleading is an activity, or sport for you females out there, which consumes hours at a time, several times a week. They’re not including Aunt Linda teaching the nieces a few moves at the family Memorial Day picnic. This falls under the same logical reasoning for debunking those who rabble on about how it’s important to know that you are 10 times more likely to get into a car accident within 5 miles of your house than anywhere else. Thanks, sleuths. Most of the time when I’m driving, I’m actually within 5 miles of my house. In fact, it seems to always start there and somehow fall right back in that range by the end of the day. So it is with our quantifiably convincing, yet structurally inept comparison. SPECIFY. Numbers only manipulate those who haven’t read Descartes and understand the importance in doubting everything. Don’t emulate the governments ability to impose will on the people by concealing information. That will only facilitate more unaffordable divide in those of us who are begging for change, no more illusion of democracy.
March 14th, 2007 at 1:56 am
maybe if you stopped using the dam stuff and actually read my reply, if you can show me actual statistics of how many serious injuries there were in each, the costs, any long term, stuff like that. you can’t just say that cheerleading is more dangerous, and even so, even if it is by far more dangerous, even if your statistics prove me wrong, show me something that says ecstasy is good for you. cheering is at least heathly and beneficial, all doing ecstasy does is make you think retarded things and write retarded articles, and im glad in your response to my frist posting you actually showed me something that proved me wrong, get off the drugs and go do something with your life, i know cheerleaders, they are good people, everyone that has ever done drugs that i know has turned into a terrible person, i hope and pray to god every night that people like to never come to power…
thats all
March 14th, 2007 at 2:18 am
Ah, the personal attacks again. Interestingly enough, I have never done Ecstasy. Moreover, you assume I am doing nothing with my life but I am actually in college as we speak (type) pursuing a degree in computer engineering. Also, I would like to see your proof that “all ecstasy does is make you think retarded things” Where are your studies or statistics to back that up? Sounds like a hasty generalization to me. Sort of like saying all cheerleaders are sluts.
ymbf
You’re right. I didn’t mention any of that in my summary but the original study did say “Note that this data does not account for the differences between users; a cheerleader who practices daily and an Ecstasy user who takes the drug once a month are both counted here simply as participants.” The information is there for anyone to see. I also understand that numbers are can be tricky after all, “There are only three types; Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics”, but the same can be said for any study and some of these studies are used to make laws. Which was the point behind my article. Making a law prohibiting cheerleading would be ridiculous. Just as it is ridiculous to prohibit a plant or chemical that happens to make people feel funny when they ingest it.
March 21st, 2007 at 7:47 am
There is a fatal flaw in that graph … it does not take into account the number of people participating in each activity. The ER visits need to be standardized against the number of participants for each activity to give a better view of the disparity.
March 21st, 2007 at 9:20 am
This was already addressed earlier in the comments.
March 29th, 2007 at 6:36 am
This is a pretty weak argument.
You fail to take into account other important considerations related to ecstasy usage, including (but certainly not limited to) longterm health effects, lost productivity, mental health consequences, addiction, and other critical economic costs.
Would you even try to make these claims of cheerleading? Accidents and injuries aside, cheerleading offers positive health effects as a cardiovascular activity. And though I’m not ruling it out, I am not aware of any families ruined as a result of cheerleading.
Drugs are dangerous. Synthetic drugs especially so. There is a time and place for arguments of decriminalization, but this is a pretty weak case.
April 12th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
I truely think none of you really know what cheerleading is. Why? well im a cheerleader and half the stuff your talking about doesnt happen so often. Im writing a report on how cheerleading is and many people are over exaderating it. You mostly dont think of the bad things when your cheering. Most people only cheer because there good at it and they enjoy it very much. it can be dangerous in many ways if you dont have spotters and you dont know what your doing. I also dont know what Ecstasy from reading what everybody wrote im guessing its some sort of drug and if its a drug i say its more dangerous than cheerleading.
September 20th, 2007 at 1:19 am
Leonese spelled cheerleading wrong, just thought I’d point that out.
January 17th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
I think the danger of extacy is getting hooked or starting to use other drugs…not necessarily injury necessitating an ER visit…
March 31st, 2008 at 10:50 pm
you guys are all retarded!
March 31st, 2008 at 10:50 pm
you guys are so stupid go to school and learn about drugs you retards
March 31st, 2008 at 10:52 pm
um..drugs are bad..theres no such thing as a safe drug
March 31st, 2008 at 10:55 pm
this is the stupidest thing i have ever read in my life. how the hell is cheerleading more dangerous than estacy??? i mean come on now…
March 31st, 2008 at 10:58 pm
i agree with Kati…i mean do u have something against cheerleading because this article is ridiculous.
March 31st, 2008 at 11:05 pm
YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!! omg!!! ahahahhaa this article is SOOOOOOO RETARDED!! i cant believe it! outlaw cheerleading? wow. omg wow. your a retard. you are a stupid retard. like seriously?? omg. so should we outlaw track to because sometimes people fall? wow this is…i never read a worst paper in my life. get over it.
April 1st, 2008 at 8:37 am
“you guys are so stupid go to school and learn about drugs you retards”
You would be surprised to learn that everything they teach you in government school is not correct. Check out sites like erowid.org for real information about drugs.
“um..drugs are bad..theres no such thing as a safe drug”
Yes. Drugs are “bad”, but alcohol is also a drug. Should it be outlawed?
“this is the stupidest thing i have ever read in my life. how the hell is cheerleading more dangerous than estacy??? i mean come on now…”
The title was effective in catching your attention, so it worked. The article explains why cheerleading could be considered more dangerous than ecstasy use, but the point was to show the absurdity of banning the substance because it is “harmful”
“omg. so should we outlaw track to because sometimes people fall?”
Obviously not. Nor should we outlaw cheerleading, or ecstasy. That is my point exactly.
April 6th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
wtf are you talking about?
cheerleading is amazing, and im sorry but have you ever participated in it, pal? YEAH DIDNT THINK SO!
and cheerleading is not anything fucking close to ecstacy thank you very much.
tell you what, im gonna try and forget your dumbass, stupid, ignorant, incorrect, article.
but do me a favor, DONT TALK SHIT ABOUT CHEERLEADING UNTIL YOUVE DONE IT AND KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
yeah. and people get hurt in other sports, so dont fucking talk about cheer like its the only one.
April 7th, 2008 at 2:42 am
Wow. Learn to use proper punctuation and capitalization. Also, refer to my previous post for a response to your ignorant comment. I obviously was not “talking shit” about cheerleading, I was using it as an example to show that the war on drugs is ludicrous (not the rapper, it really is a real word). People should be allowed to cheer, despite its dangers, just like they should be allowed to take ecstasy if they want to. It is your body, do with it what you wish, but allow others to do the same.