Deadly MDMA pills with twice the average dose are circulating in an Australian state as officials issue an urgent warning as the festive season kicks off.
NSW Health said there are three types of MDMA tablets being sold across the state, some containing a dangerous mixture of other drugs.
The marked pills include a blue diamond-shaped pill featuring the Marvel Comics character “Punisher,” a yellow pill featuring the cartoon character Spongebob and a blue skull tablet bearing the “MYBRAND” logo.
The Punisher and MYBRAND pills both contain 216 mg of ketamine, while the Spongebob pills contain 160 mg.
Some MDMA tablets contain a dangerous combination of other drugs, such as cathinones, ketamine and ketamine analogues.
NSW Poisons Information Center medical director Dr Darren Roberts said high doses of ketamine have been linked to recent deaths in NSW.
“MDMA can cause severe agitation, increased body temperature, seizures or seizures, irregular heart rhythm and death,” Dr. Roberts said.
‘The amount of MDMA in a tablet or capsule can vary greatly, even within the same batch. The health risks of MDMA increase sharply if large quantities (including multiple doses) are consumed in a short period of time.’
Deadly MDMA pills at twice the average dose are circulating in an Australian state as officials issue an urgent warning as the festive season kicks off (pictured, officers at a festival)
NSW Health said there are three types of MDMA tablets being sold across the state, some containing a dangerous mixture of other drugs
The medical director said MDMA was even more dangerous when mixed with other stimulants such as amphetamines, cocaine or cathinones.
Dr. Roberts warned visitors to music festivals this summer to take regular breaks because MDMA can cause the body to overheat.
“Taking a break from dancing, finding shade and drinking water are important measures to reduce the risk of overheating,” he said.
‘It’s very important to remember that if you or a friend have taken drugs and you feel unwell, you won’t have any problems seeking medical help.’
The warning comes after two men, aged 21 and 26, died from suspected overdoses after attending the Knockout Festival at Sydney Olympic Park on October 2.
Nine other festival goers were taken to hospital.
Up to 27 people at the Knockout festival were charged with drug possession, while four were charged with drug supply.
Police said a 21-year-old man had up to 491 MDMA pills in his possession.
Some MDMA tablets contain a dangerous combination of other drugs, such as cathinones, ketamine and ketamine analogues (pictured, partygoers at Sydney’s Field Day festival)
Those attending music festivals this summer are urged to take regular breaks as MDMA can cause the body to overheat (stock image)
In the same month, 85 people who attended the Listen Out festival in Sydney’s Centennial Park were charged with drug possession and eight people with drug trafficking.
The charges come despite amnesty bins being placed at festivals where revelers can dispose of drugs without fear of arrest.
The policy was introduced as a recommendation as part of an investigation conducted in 2020 into the deaths of six young people at music festivals in NSW between December 2017 and January 2019.
Alex Ross-King, 19, Joshua Tam, 22, Callum Brosnan, 21, Diana Nguyen, 21, Joseph Pham, 23 all died at festivals after taking MDMA or ecstasy.
Five out of six festival goers also had other illegal substances in their system.
The inquest also recommended other strategies, including pill testing, scrapping the use of sniffer dogs and reducing the number of strip searches.
However, the NSW government has yet to adopt the recommendations.