Israel gives Ecstasy to its traumatized troops

An Israeli medical team has started tests using the drug Ecstasy as a treatment for conflict-linked post-traumatic disorders, the Maariv daily reported on Friday.

Doctors at the Beer-Yakov psychiatric hospital south of Tel Aviv are testing the response of Israeli post-traumatic disorder patients to MDMA, the active ingredient in the drug.

The doctors believe the drug has both calming and stimulating effects that can help patients not only overcome trauma but also dominate it, Maariv said.

Almost 500 reserve troops suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder following the 34-day war with Lebanon’s resistance movement, Hezbollah in July and August 2006, the paper said.

Ecstasy, which is illegal in most countries, is one of the world’s most commonly used narcotics.