Dutch institute raises red alert over Trump‑shaped ecstasy pills

In August, the Trimbos Institute – a Dutch drug‑addiction and mental‑health organisation – released a “red alert” after finding ecstasy pills carved in the likeness of former US president Donald Trump. The tablets were tested positive for a high concentration of para‑methoxymethamphetamine (PMMA), a drug chemically related to MDMA but potentially more dangerous.

The warning, which carried the stern directive “Do not use this pill under any circumstance,” highlighted that the drug’s delayed onset and lack of stimulant effects can increase overdose risk. Users endured nausea, tachycardia and convulsions hours after ingestion.

Pictures supplied by Trimbos show the pills’ green front depicting Trump’s face and the back stamped with “NL” and “Trump.” This is not the first time political imagery has been used to shape illicit drugs; in 2017 German police seized thousands of Trump‑shaped tablets dubbed “Trump makes partying great again.”

While the Netherlands’ legal framework prohibits ecstasy use, a 2024 government report noted the substance remained popular, with a record 550 000 people having taken it that year.

Trimbos spokesperson Anniek Groothuis added that, so far, there have been no reported deaths or serious illnesses linked to the pills, but the high PMMA level demands caution.