LONDON, United Kingdom – February 2015: Public Health England (PHE), an executive agency of the Department of Health of the United Kingdom, published a warning about the possible continued availability of red Superman-shaped tablets sold as “ecstasy” but containing a high dose of PMMA (para-Methoxymethamphetamine) instead of the usual ecstasy ingredient MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxy-methamphetamine). The unusually high dose of PMMA was linked to recent deaths and hospitalizations in the country.

After the initial identification in the Netherlands and Sweden, and first alerts through the Dutch Drugs Information and Monitoring System (DIMS) in 2014, tablets with similar description and content have also been found in circulation in Spain in January 2015.

The Welsh Emerging Drugs and Identification of Novel Substances Project (WEDINOS) reported that red Superman-shaped tablets that contain only MDMA are also in circulation, which could be confused with similarly-looking tablets containing PMMA.

PMMA, a phenethylamine, has been reported for the first time to the UNODC EWA in 2009 by Finland, Israel and the Netherlands. In 2013, it was reported by 16 mostly European and some Asian countries.

Chemical structure of PMMA (Source: UNODC)

For further information please see:
http://www.trimbos.nl/nieuws/persberichten/2014/levensgevaarlijke-xtc-aangetroffen
http://www.wedinos.org/resources/downloads/2014%20warning%20Superman-112.pdf
http://www.nta.nhs.uk/Dangerous%20Superman-branded%20ecstasy%20pills%20still%20available.aspx
http://www.nta.nhs.uk/uploads/phe-pmma-superman-pills-alert-270115.pdf