Ecstasy tablets moulded in the shape of Donald Trump’s head could be deadly, experts have warned.
Drug specialists at the Trimbos Institute in Utrecht have issued an urgent alert about the pills, warning they contain dangerously high concentrations of para-methoxymethamphetamine (PMMA).
Read Also: Britain set to escape Donald Trump's looming tariff blitz as EU braces for fresh levies
The substance can prompt users to take excessive doses, risking lethal overheating.
Several of the two-tone pills have recently been submitted to drug-checking facilities across the Netherlands.
The institute’s statement was unequivocal: “Do not use this pill under any circumstances.”
It added: “If someone has taken this pill and experiences severe effects as a result, immediately call medical services and try to calm the person in question as much as possible in the meantime.”
PMMA is chemically similar to MDMA, the active compound in ecstasy, but it operates far more slowly and frequently fails to produce any euphoric effect.
This delay can trick users into believing their pills are duds, tempting them to swallow additional tablets and dramatically increasing the danger of overdose and potentially fatal hyperthermia.
The Trimbos Institute warned that the consequences can strike without warning.
They said: “Hours after PMMA has been ingested, various effects can suddenly occur, such as nausea, increased heart rate, convulsions, and an extremely elevated body temperature.”
By the time symptoms manifest, users may already have consumed a life-threatening quantity.
The pills come in at least two distinct colour combinations.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
- REVEALED: Grooming gang abusers linked to national networks of organised crime
- Man, 21, charged with drug offence amid police investigation
- Ecstasy and ketamine abuse soars by more than 200% in just four years
One variant features a green face with a red reverse, whilst another pairs a yellow face with a blue back.
Each tablet bears the US President’s likeness on one side, with the markings “NL” and “Trump” stamped on the other.
They were identified after being handed in at a network of Dutch facilities where recreational drug users can have their substances tested before consumption.
The Netherlands operates these checking centres as part of its harm-reduction approach, enabling authorities to flag hazardous batches before they cause widespread harm.
The Netherlands holds the distinction of being both the EU’s largest ecstasy manufacturing hub and its biggest consumer of the synthetic party drug, according to the bloc’s drugs agency.
A wastewater analysis covering 115 cities, published earlier this year, confirmed the country’s position at the top of European MDMA consumption, with Amsterdam recording the highest levels in its water supply.
The EU agency has noted that ecstasy tablets typically come in a wide array of designs, frequently mimicking well-known brand logos in vivid colours.
These are not the first pills to exploit Mr Trump’s image.
In 2017, German authorities confiscated thousands of orange Trump-shaped tablets.
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
