Smith County Sheriff’s Department warns parents of drugs disguised as candy or vitamins

Smith County Sheriff’s deputies made an arrest recently for possession of a drug that looked more like candy than an illegal substance. The pills were emblazoned with the face of a popular cartoon character.

The drug, ecstasy, is often produced to be appealing to young teenagers, deputies say. The often bright-colored pills come in all kinds of shapes and designs and are frequently imprinted with logos and cartoon faces.

(photo from Smith County Sheriff)

Often, the pills are indistinguishable from candy or chewable vitamins, reports WLBT.

Ecstasy, often called Molly, is a synthetic drug (3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine or MDMA) that alters mood and perception (awareness of surrounding objects and conditions), according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. It is chemically similar to both stimulants and hallucinogens, producing feelings of increased energy, pleasure, emotional warmth, and distorted sensory and time perception.