There’s been a rash of rumours recently about various deadly batches of pills hitting the UK ecstasy market. Police have reported pill related deaths in Scotland however the police have been typically useless with regard to publishing details of their appearance. Once again ectasy users have been left in the “knowledge” that there is a “deadly” batch of tablets in circulation without so much as a whisper by the police as to their contents or appearance. I’ve done my best to scratch the facts together and will post updates on this page (permalink).

ParaMethoxyMethylAmphetamine (PMMA/PMA) is a phenethylamine that has only recently made a widespread appearance in UK pills. It is an extremely powerful chemical both active and dangerous at much lower doses than MDMA. PMMA/PMA is believed to be being marketed as the “10 pound pill” and it has appeared in the UK in pills with the following stamps:

Green Rolex (BBC):

Pink McDonald (BBC):



Pink Rolex (BBC)

Pink Rolex: Image via Erowid

White Four Leaf Clover (BBC)

White Clover: Image via EZ Test

White/Tan Mitsubishi (EZ Test)

PMA in capsule form (Wikipedia)

The Facts:

At lower doses (less that 50mg, depending on body weight) PMMA/PMA produces an increase in energy, minor visual hallucinations, and a mild euphoric state.

At slightly higher doses it (suddenly) increases heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature to dangerously high levels that can lead to convulsions, coma and death.

A person who has ingested a high enough dose of PMMA/PMA has difficulty breathing, develops muscle spasms and nausea, and starts vomiting.

The initial effects of a low dose of PMMA/PMA might feel a little bit like MDMA but PMA takes more than half an hour longer to come on . This may cause some people to take another pill thinking that they got “weak Ecstasy.” By this time the person may have taken a lethal dose.

Appearance

“They have a diameter of 7 or 7.5 mm, and are thicker than most pills. Pills tested around the world that match this size and description have always contained PMA, so if you come across an exact match (size, color and logo), it most likely contains PMA, not MDMA (EZ test).

Detection

PMMA/PMA will not appear on a regular Marquis chemical test however the Mandelin reagent will pick it up.

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