The Trimbos Institute of the Netherlands activated a "Red Alert"—its highest warning level—on Friday due to the detection of potentially lethal ecstasy pills shaped like the head of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The pills were identified through the DIMS system, a Dutch national network that allows users to anonymously submit drug samples to determine their composition before consumption.
What do they contain and why are they dangerous?
The risk does not come from conventional ecstasy: as reported by the AP agency, the tablets contain PMMA —para-methoxyamphetamine— a substance with effects similar to MDMA but with a critical difference: it acts much more slowly in the body.
This delay can lead consumers to take a second or third dose, believing that the first one was ineffective, which increases the risk of overdose.
The institute warned that its consumption “can cause excessive heat with potentially fatal consequences,” referring to hyperthermia, one of the main causes of death associated with PMMA.
The message was clear: “Under no circumstances should you use these pills.”
What are the pills like?
The pills come in two colors: green and yellow.
On one side, there is a representation of Trump's head with his distinctive hairstyle and features.
On the reverse side, the inscriptions "NL" —the abbreviation for the Netherlands— and "Trump" are engraved, separated by a vertical line.
The institute disseminated photographs of the tablets through its website and social media when issuing the alert.
No confirmed victims at the moment
The spokesperson for the Trimbos Institute, Anniek Groothuis, clarified to The Associated Press that so far there are no reports of fatalities or serious cases specifically linked to these pills in the Netherlands.
"We are not aware of any victim in whom PMMA has been found in the blood," Groothuis stated.
The absence of confirmed victims, however, did not diminish the urgency of the warning given the lethal potential of the substance.
Background of deaths in Scotland
This is not the first time that ecstasy pills bearing Trump's image have circulated, and the precedents are serious.
In 2023, tablets bearing the image of the leader were investigated in Scotland in connection with the deaths of Scott Allison and Marcus Dick, both 18 years old, after attending an event at the SWG3 club in Glasgow.
A third young woman, also 18 years old, died in January 2024 after a New Year's Eve party at a Scottish club, and authorities suspected a connection to that type of pill.
The chief superintendent Faroque Hussain of the Scottish police stated to the Daily Record: "Police Scotland is committed to tackling organized crime in all its forms, including drug supply in our communities; but we cannot face this alone."
The first precedent: Germany, 2017
The trail of these pills dates back to August 2017, when the German police seized nearly 5,000 orange tablets featuring Trump's face during a roadside check in Lower Saxony, with an estimated value of around 39,000 euros in the illegal market.
The Dutch context
Although producing, selling, and consuming ecstasy is illegal in the Netherlands, its use is widespread in clubs and music festivals.
A government report from 2024 estimated that around 550,000 people used the drug in that country over the course of a year, making the Netherlands one of the most active ecstasy markets in Europe.
PMMA has caused deaths worldwide since it began to gain popularity in party settings in the 1970s.
In the United Kingdom, where it is classified as a Class A drug, its supply can lead to a life sentence.
Related videos:
Filed under: