Dutch health institute warns of 'red alert' over Trump-shaped ecstasy pills

A Dutch public health agency has issued a grave warning regarding ecstasy tablets shaped like former American President Donald Trump.

The institute explicitly cautioned individuals against consuming this specific pill.

One side of the ecstasy tablet, which is green, features an impression of Trump's face, while the reverse, in red, displays the letters "NL" above a break line, with the name "Trump" stamped below it.

An organisation in the Netherlands focused on drug addiction and mental well-being has issued an urgent warning to consumers about potentially deadly ecstasy pills that bear a resemblance to former US President Donald Trump.

The Trimbos Institute, located in Utrecht, reported that several of these pills were submitted to testing facilities in August and were found to contain exceptionally high concentrations of the chemical PMMA.

In its advisory, the institute strongly urged people to avoid taking this pill, explaining that it could lead to 'overheating with potentially fatal consequences'.

They disseminated pictures of these tablets, which show an image of Trump's face on one surface and the words 'Trump' and 'NL' embossed on the other.

PMMA, or para-methoxymethamfetamine, is a compound chemically related to MDMA, which is the primary psychoactive component in ecstasy.

However, the health body advised that PMMA's effects manifest more slowly and often lack the stimulant properties of MDMA, which elevates the risk of an overdose.

Users are being alerted to potential symptoms such as sickness, an elevated heart rate, and seizures, which could occur several hours after ingesting these tablets.

Anniek Groothuis, a spokesperson for the Trimbos Institute, informed the Associated Press that there have been no reported incidents of fatalities or severe illnesses among those who might have used the pills.

Although the production, distribution, and consumption of ecstasy are against the law in the Netherlands, a Dutch government report from 2024 indicated that the substance remains 'quite popular as a party drug'.

The report further noted that in 2022, a record number of 550,000 individuals had consumed the drug at least once.

This incident is not the first instance where Donald Trump's distinctive facial features have reportedly inspired the design of ecstasy pills.

In 2017, German authorities seized approximately 5,000 orange-coloured ecstasy tablets molded into the likeness of the US president's head, which they suspected had been advertised online with the slogan 'Trump makes partying great again'.

The institute released photographs of two distinct pills: one was yellow and blue, while the other featured red and green colours.

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