A Dutch institute issues a ‘Red Alert’ over potentially lethal Trump-shaped ecstasy pills

The Trimbos Institute, a Dutch drug addiction and mental health institute, issued a "Red Alert" on Friday concerning potentially lethal ecstasy pills that have been designed to resemble the head of U.S. President Donald Trump. The institute cautioned users against using these pills, warning that they could be lethal. The pills feature a depiction of Trump's head on one side, with "NL" and "Trump" stamped into the surface on the other side, with hints of green or yellow coloring.

According to the institute, these pills contain a high concentration of PMMA (para-methoxymethamfetamine), a chemical similar to the active ingredient in ecstasy, MDMA. PMMA has a slower onset, which may lead users to take additional doses, increasing the risk of overdose and potentially fatal consequences. The Trimbos Institute has not reported any cases of serious illness or fatalities among individuals who may have used these pills, but they cannot rule out the possibility of undetected instances.

Despite ecstasy's illegality in the Netherlands, it remains widely used, especially at clubs and music festivals. In 2024, a government report indicated that around 550,000 people took ecstasy in the Netherlands. This is not the first time ecstasy pills have taken the form of Trump's head; in 2017, German police had already seized thousands of orange Trump-shaped tablets.