Dutch institute warns of lethal Trump‑shaped ecstasy pills
'A Dutch drug addiction and mental health institute has issued a "red alert" to users about potentially lethal ecstasy pills in the shape of US President Donald Trump's head.' The Utrecht‑based Trimbos Institute said several of the pills had been handed in at testing centres in August and were found to contain a 'very high' amount of the chemical PMMA.
'Do not use this pill under any circumstance,' the institute warned, citing the risk of overheating with potentially fatal consequences. The Institute released images of the pills, which feature a depiction of Trump's head on one side and the words 'Trump' and 'NL' stamped on the other.
PMMA, or para‑methoxymethamphetamine, 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, raising the risk of overdose. Users are warned to be alert for symptoms such as nausea, increased heart rate and convulsions hours after ingesting the pills.
'There have been no reported cases of death or serious illness among possible users,' Trimbos spokesperson Anniek Groothuis told the Associated Press. While producing, selling and using ecstasy is illegal in the Netherlands, a 2024 Dutch government report still noted that the substance remains popular as a party drug, with a record 550,000 people having taken it at least once in 2022.
'This is not the first time Donald Trump’s facial features have been used as inspiration for the shape of ecstasy pills,' the Trimbos Institute said. In 2017, German police confiscated about 5,000 carrot‑coloured ecstasy tablets in the shape of the US president's head, reportedly promoted online under the slogan "Trump makes partying great again".
