Trump-shaped ecstasy pills could be lethal, Netherlands institute issues red alert

A Dutch mental health and addiction institute has issued a “red alert” warning over potentially lethal ecstasy pills designed to resemble US President Donald Trump.

The Utrecht-based Trimbos Institute said several of the pills had recently been submitted to drug-testing centres across the Netherlands, where they were found to contain a “very high” concentration of PMMA, or para-methoxymethamfetamine.

The institute urged people not to consume the pills under any circumstances, warning that PMMA can cause potentially fatal health complications.

“Absolutely do not use these pills,” the institute said in its warning.

The pills feature an image resembling Trump's face on one side, while the other side is stamped with the words “Trump” and “NL”. Photographs released by the institute showed pills with different coloured faces, including green and yellow.

PMMA CAN INCREASE OVERDOSE RISK

PMMA is chemically similar to MDMA, the main psychoactive substance in ecstasy. However, according to the Trimbos Institute, its effects can take longer to appear and may not produce the expected stimulating sensation associated with MDMA.

This delayed effect can increase the risk that users consume more of the drug, potentially resulting in an overdose.

The institute warned that people who take PMMA-containing pills could experience symptoms including nausea, an elevated heart rate, overheating, epileptic seizures and loss of consciousness. In severe cases, the substance can cause serious heart problems and death.

Trimbos Institute spokesperson Anniek Groothuis told the Associated Press that the institute was not aware of any reported deaths or serious illnesses linked to the pills. “We do not know of any victims where PMMA was found in their blood,” she said.

ECSTASY REMAINS POPULAR IN NETHERLANDS

Although producing, selling and using ecstasy is illegal in the Netherlands, the drug remains popular, particularly at clubs, festivals and other nightlife events.

A Dutch government report published in 2024 said around 550,000 people had taken ecstasy in 2022, describing it as a widely used party drug.

The Trimbos Institute operates a national drug-testing network involving 12 participating organisations and 34 testing locations across the country.

The Trump-themed pills are not the first ecstasy tablets inspired by the US president. In 2017, German police seized around 5,000 carrot-coloured ecstasy tablets shaped like Trump's head. Authorities believed they had been promoted online with the slogan, “Trump makes partying great again.”