An MDMA substitute deemed to be lethal is being sold as ecstasy in New Zealand — and found in approximately 1 in every 4 pills.
The cheap, easily manufactured substance is said to be especially harmful if taken in the same dosage as pure MDMA. The highly toxic chemical known as n-ethylpentylone is the ingredient users should be worried about.
Side-effects traced back to the synthetic drug include “increased heart rate, increased body temperature, increased blood pressure, anxiety, paranoia, agitation, inability to sleep.” Anyone who feels these warning signs should seek medical attention. 
New Zealand director of the drug related harm reduction service Know Your Stuff, Wendy Allison, shares her concerns: “In our testing this season approximately 25 percent of substances brought us as MDMA have turned out not to be. Of those, the majority have been n-ethylpentylone.”
Test your drugs.
