Circulation of high-dose MDMA tablets identified in Australia's New South Wales

Sydney [Australia], February 16: The health authority in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) has warned of high-dose MDMA tablets, which contained around twice the average dose of other ecstasy tablets in recent circulation.
The tablets are skull-shaped, with some high-dose examples in the color of blue or pink-orange, according to a warning issued on Thursday by the NSW Ministry of Health.
Darren Roberts, medical director of the NSW Poisons Information Center, stressed that consuming high doses of MDMA has been linked to cases of serious illness and death in the state.
"The amount of MDMA in a tablet or capsule can vary a lot, even within the same batch. The health risks from MDMA are greatly increased if high amounts (including multiple doses) are consumed over a short period," Roberts noted.
This was the second public drug alert that has been issued so far this year in NSW.
Earlier, some tablets, sold as MDMA in January, were found to contain potent opioid. Three people were taken to hospitals in Sydney, after taking as little as half a tablet. One of them was admitted to intensive care unit before being discharged.
Source: Xinhua