Super-strength Ecstasy which has caused the deaths of more than
60 people in England and Wales – including people in Greater
Manchester – is on sale in the region.
An alert has now been issued warning people that the Ecstasy or
MDMA, which comes in both pill and powder form, is extremely
dangerous.
The warning has been issued by a Greater Manchester Drug Alert
Panel, which comprises experts from across the city-region and
forms the Greater Manchester Drug Early Warning System.
They are asking people who are attending Parklife this weekend to
take extra care, after two people died at the recent Mutiny
Festival in Portsmouth – warning that this level of potency for
Ecstasy and MDMA has never been seen before in Greater
Manchester.
Greater Manchester Drug Early Warning Coordinator Michael Linnell
added: “MDMA pills and MDMA powder are stronger than
they have ever been. This is what makes it so dangerous. Even
half a pill can be a dangerously high dose on its own and the
risk is increased if alcohol and other drugs are taken at the
same time.
“There have been numerous recent warnings about high potency
individual pills, which are thought to contain up to 300mg of
MDMA. This is at least three times a strong dose for an adult
male and more than four times that for a younger person or a
woman with a smaller body weight.”
Panel member Dr Prun Bijral, Medical Director of CGL, one of
the leading drug and alcohol service providers added: “There
is no safe way of using ecstasy there will always be a risk
involved in using this very dangerous drug. If you do take
that risk don’t use alone, make sure friends are around so
they can get immediate help from the emergency
services if you start to feel ill.”
The super-strength Ecstasy pills come in hundreds of different
shapes, colours, and designs, costing as little as £5 each. The
drug also comes in powder and crystallised forms.
Greater Manchester Drug Early Warning System is a multi-agency
initiative and the first regional system of its type to be
established. It provides up to date online information to
professionals throughout Greater Manchester and has an alert
panel that assess risks around individual drug-related incidents.
MDMA warning June
2018v3.pdf
The warning can be downloaded by clicking here
