Trump-shaped ecstasy pills contain dangerous chemical and could be deadly, Dutch group says

A Dutch drug addiction and mental health institute warned users on Friday about potentially lethal ecstasy pills shaped to look like the head of President Trump.

The respected Trimbos Institute said that several of the pills have been handed in recently at a network of centers that test drugs for users before they take them. 

The institute warned in a “Red Alert” published on its website and social media that they contain a high concentration of a chemical called PMMA, or para-methoxymethamfetamine. The chemical is similar to MDMA, the active ingredient in ecstasy pills. 

The institute says if PMMA is found in an ecstasy pill, then the pill is contaminated and could be lethal. Users don’t feel the effect of the drug right away, the institute said, and could take a higher dosage, which could lead to overheating, epileptic seizures, loss of consciousness or heart problems.

“Absolutely do not use these pills,” the institute warned.

It released a photo of the pills that have a depiction of Mr. Trump’s head on one side and on the other side “NL” and “Trump” stamped into the surface on either side of a vertical line. One of the pills has a green face, and another is yellow.

“We do not know of any victims where PMMA was found in their blood,” she told The Associated Press. 

Producing, selling and using ecstasy is illegal in the Netherlands, but it’s widely used, particularly at clubs and music festivals. A government report in 2024 said that some 550,000 people took the drug in a year.

The Trimbos Institute tests drugs through its national network of 12 participants and 34 testing locations in the Netherlands.