Table 4 Overview of the reason categories in which one or several reasons were reported for each behaviour

Addiction, fear of becoming dependent

Availability/price/quality of ecstasy

Changing life circumstances (moving in or out of a certain lifestyle)

Curiosity (or lack of curiosity)

Decreased drug effects or decreased appreciation of drug effects

Denying or forgetting negative effects

Desire to be on the same level as friends (i.e. to be similarly intoxicated)

Ecstasy is overrated

Ease of administration

Enhance energy and dancing

Enhance mood (to feel good)

Enhance other substances' effects

Enhance sex

Enhance social interaction

Enhance/change sensory perception

Experienced no or unpleasant ecstasy effects

Experienced very pleasant effects

Fear of ecstasy's effects

Feeling safe about ecstasy contents and ecstasy use setting

Help lose weight

Help you to concentrate, work, or study

Intoxication, losing inhibitions

Legal consequences

Minimising ecstasy comedown

Minimising health risks or fear of health risks

Noticed mood/affective/cognitive changes in oneself

Observation of others using ecstasy

Other's bad experience/mood/affective/cognitive changes/death

Own bad experience

Positive effects outweigh negative effects

Presence or lack of opportunity

Recreation/relaxation/stop worrying

Responsibilities or relationship problems

Self-medication

Social influence (friends use ecstasy or quit using ecstasy)

Social influence from relatives

Spirituality