Trump-shaped ecstasy pills trigger red alert in Netherlands

A Dutch drug addiction and mental health institute has issued a "red alert" over potentially lethal ecstasy pills shaped like US President Donald Trump.

The Utrecht-based Trimbos Institute said several of the pills were submitted to drug-testing centres in August and found to contain a "very high" concentration of PMMA, a substance similar to MDMA, the active ingredient in ecstasy, reports the BBC.

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

The pills feature an image of Trump's face on one side, with "Trump" and "NL" stamped on the other.

PMMA, or para-methoxymethamfetamine, produces effects similar to MDMA, but its effects take longer to appear, and it often lacks the stimulating sensation associated with ecstasy, according to the institute. This can increase the risk of an overdose, it said.

Users may experience nausea, an increased heart rate and convulsions several hours after taking the pills, the institute warned.

Trimbos Institute spokesperson Anniek Groothuis told the Associated Press that it had received no reports of deaths or serious illnesses among people who may have taken the pills.

Although producing, selling and using ecstasy is illegal in the Netherlands, a 2024 Dutch government report said the drug remained "quite popular as a party drug". In 2022, a record 550,000 people had taken ecstasy at least once, according to the report.

This is not the first time Trump's likeness has inspired the design of ecstasy pills.

In 2017, German police seized around 5,000 carrot-coloured ecstasy tablets shaped like Trump's head. Authorities believed the pills were promoted online with the slogan "Trump makes partying great again".