A drug related harm reduction service has a warning for Kiwis after it found "potentially dangerous high doses of MDMA during the 2018/2019 festival season".
KnowYourStuffNZ provides free pill testing at festivals and events around New Zealand so those planning on taking them can make more informed choices.
In a statement today, the service warned that a number of pills tested were found to contain up to four times the normal dose of MDMA than is commonly found in one pill.
"Users are advised that the only way to guarantee safety is to not take them.
"For those who do choose to take them, our recommendation is to only take a third of a pill at most and wait at least an hour before considering taking any more.
"A common dose of MDMA is around 80-120 milligrams, depending upon a user’s body weight.
"Some of the pills that KnowYourStuffNZ have tested this summer contained up to four doses in one pill," part of the statement reads.
The agency also released photos and descriptions of some of their findings as below:
Purple Defqon
Purple/pink, round, logo of Defqon festival one side only
Weight: 320mg
Estimated to contain 150-200mg MDMA
Pink Porsche
Bright pink, shield shape, Porsche logo one side
Weight: 350mg
Estimated to contain 200-250mg MDMA
Pink Maple Leaf
Pink, Canadian maple leaf shape, ‘D2’ on one side, ‘ICON’ on the other
Weight: 330mg
Estimated to contain 200-300mg MDMA
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