Dutch health experts issue 'red alert' over Trump-shaped ecstasy pills containing potentially fatal chemical

The Trimbos Institute in Utrecht has issued a red alert after Trump-shaped ecstasy tablets laced with a potentially deadly chemical were discovered at drug-testing facilities across the Netherlands. The pills are moulded in the shape of President Trump's head and bear the markings "NL" and "Trump" on the reverse. They contain PMMA, a slow-acting compound chemically related to MDMA that causes users to take more doses when no initial effect is felt. The institute's guidance is unequivocal: "Absolutely do not use these pills."

PMMA is far slower to kick in than MDMA, leading users to redose in the belief that the first pill has had no effect — a cycle that can cause fatal overheating and seizures.

Several hours may elapse between swallowing the pill and the appearance of symptoms such as convulsions, severely raised body temperature and heart problems, allowing a lethal amount to accumulate before any warning signs emerge.

The pills have been identified in at least two colour variants; a 2024 Dutch government report found that roughly 550,000 people used ecstasy in the Netherlands within a single year.