Dutch institute issues 'red alert' over Trump-shaped ecstasy pills

Notably, a Dutch drug addiction and mental health institute has issued a "red alert" to users regarding potentially lethal ecstasy pills in the shape of US President Donald Trump's head.

Key points

• The report continued that, in 2022, a "record 550, 000 people" had taken the drug at least once.
• While producing, selling and using ecstasy is illegal in the Netherlands, a 2024 Dutch administration report stated the substance was "still quite popular as a party drug".
• Trimbos Institute spokesperson Anniek Groothuis informed the Associated Press that it had no noted cases of death or serious illness among feasible users.
• This is not the first time Donald Trump's facial features appear to have been applied as inspiration for the shape of ecstasy pills.
• It feature a depiction of Trump's head on one side and the words "Trump" and "NL" stamped on the other.

For context, the Utrecht-based Trimbos Institute remarked a number of of the pills had been handed in at testing centres in August and were discovered to contain a "very high" amount of the chemical PMMA.

"Do not use this pill under any circumstance, " the institute remarked in its warning, cautioning that the drug could cause "overheating with potentially fatal consequences".

It issued images of the pills. It feature a depiction of Trump's head on one side and the words "Trump" and "NL" stamped on the other.

PMMA, or para-methoxymethamfetamine, is a substance similar to MDMA – the active ingredient in ecstasy pills.

"However, the effect occurs later, and the stimulating effect is often absent, " the institute advised. "This increases the risk of overdose."

Users are being cautioned they could experience symptoms such as nausea, an climbed heart rate and convulsions hours after ingesting the pills.

For context, the report continued that, in 2022, a "record 550, 000 people" had taken the drug at least once.

In 2017, German police confiscated regarding 5, 000 carrot-coloured ecstasy tablets in the shape of the US president's head – which they believed had been promoted on the internet under the slogan "Trump makes partying great again".

Taken together, the developments around dutch institute issues ' red alert' over Trump point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.