Over Labor Day weekend, 19-year-old Mary “Shelley” Goldsmith died from an overdose of the drug “molly” in Washington, D.C., reports the New York Daily News.  Goldsmith, from Abingdon, Virginia, was a sophomore at the University of Virginia.  She was at the D.C. club Echostage on August 31 when she collapsed and was taken to the hospital.  Hours later, she was pronounced dead.  Police and family members have stated that the drug molly was to blame, but an official toxicology test needs to be conducted to confirm the cause of death.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse describes MDMA as a synthetic, psychoactive drug with stimulant and hallucinogenic properties.  MDMA is better known as ecstasy, and molly is a purified form of MDMA.  Ecstasy creates feelings of euphoria, increase in emotional warmth and empathy towards others, and heightened energy levels.  MDMA is a popular combination drug, often being used with methamphetamine, cocaine, and ketamine.

Molly is a drug in its pure crystalline form, reports Forbes.  In the past decade, Molly has surged in popularity, with mentions in the lyrics of well-known artists including Miley Cyrus, Rick Ross, and Kanye West.  The same weekend as the death of Goldsmith, two young people attending the Electric Zoo Festival in New York also died after taking molly.

Goldsmith is remembered as a “brilliant student.”  The New York Daily News goes on to state that Goldsmith was attending the prestigious university on a Jefferson Scholarship.  That award is reserved for top university students.  In addition, Goldsmith spent time volunteering with her church youth group and at a food bank.  Her father has stated that taking drugs was not who she was, but are hoping that her death will help increase awareness.

The Boston Globe online reports that Boston police suspect that there is a bad batch of the drug being sold in the Northeast.  At the Boston House of Blues, three people overdosed on molly.  One overdose was fatal, killing a New Hampshire college student.  Boston police have confirmed that the drugs were brought in from outside the club and not purchased inside.  Despite security at the House of Blue club checking bags and patting down patrons, keeping drugs out of the club is difficult.

My Fox Boston reports that security at the Boston Calling concert event is taking extra precautions.  Patrons are being asked to bring their belongings in a clear plastic bag instead of a backpack.  This comes after a dozen overdoses at the Ocean Club in Marina Bay, in addition to all of the other high-profile fatalities this summer.