Sydney [Australia], November 3: High-dose MDMA tablets (ecstasy) have been found circulating in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW), which prompted a public warning on Friday from local health authority.
The NSW Ministry of Health confirmed in a statement that three types of tablets have recently been identified in the state, including blue diamond-shaped tablet with 216 mg MDMA, blue skull-shaped tablet with 216 mg MDMA, and yellow square tablet with 160 mg MDMA.
According to NSW Health, the tablets contain up to twice the average amount of MDMA usually found in tablets circulating in NSW. In addition, other drugs, such as cathinone, ketamine and ketamine analogues, have also been detected in some MDMA tablets and capsules.
Darren Roberts, medical director of the NSW Poisons Information Center, revealed that consuming high doses of MDMA has been linked to recent cases of serious illness and death in NSW.
"MDMA can cause severe agitation, raised body temperature, seizures or fits, irregular heart rhythm and death," said Roberts.
"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," he warned.
Source: Xinhua