Dutch Drug Institute Issues Red Alert Over Potentially Fatal Trump-Shaped Ecstasy Pills Containing PMMA
核心洞察
The Trimbos Institute (搜索), a Dutch drug and addiction research center, issued a "red alert" warning that Trump-shaped ecstasy pills contain a very high concentration of PMMA.
PMMA closely resembles MDMA but acts more slowly, which may encourage users to take additional doses and risk a potentially fatal overdose.
Symptoms including nausea, elevated heart rate, convulsions, and extremely high body temperature can occur suddenly hours after ingestion, leading to overheating with potentially fatal consequences.
A Dutch drug and addiction research center has issued a "red alert" warning that ecstasy pills shaped like the head of U.S. President Donald Trump are potentially lethal and should not be taken "under any circumstances." The Trimbos Institute (搜索), based in Utrecht, issued the warning on Friday after the pills were handed in to multiple drug-testing locations where substances are tested before use.
The pills come in different colors, are shaped like the commander-in-chief's head, and are stamped with the words "Trump" and "NL" on the back, according to the institute. A photo shared by the institute showed two pills, one green on the front and one yellow, with red and blue on the back. The institute urged, "Absolutely do not use these pills."
The warning centers on the pills' active ingredient, para-methoxymethamphetamine, or PMMA. Although PMMA closely resembles MDMA — the active ingredient in ecstasy pills — it is much more dangerous, the institute warned. A key hazard is that PMMA acts more slowly than MDMA, which could encourage users to take additional doses and potentially overdose.
The institute described the clinical risks in detail. Hours after taking PMMA, symptoms such as nausea, increased heart rate, convulsions, and an extremely elevated body temperature can "suddenly occur." Taking the pill can lead to "overheating with potentially fatal consequences."
Spokesperson Anniek Groothuis told the Associated Press that there have been no reported cases of death or serious illness among possible users so far. "We do not know of any victims where PMMA was found in their blood," she said. Groothuis also told POLITICO that it is currently not possible to know how many of the pills are in circulation, but "multiple" drug-testing locations have received them. Testers have previously encountered pills shaped like Superman logos or featuring car brands, she noted.
While ecstasy is illegal in the Netherlands, hundreds of thousands of people use the drug every year, according to the government. The alert follows earlier seizures of similarly themed pills, including orange Trump-shaped ecstasy pills seized by Indiana State police in 2018 and thousands of Trump-shaped ecstasy pills seized by German police in 2017 with an estimated street value of nearly $46,000.