SYDNEY, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Health authority in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) on Tuesday issued an urgent drug alert, saying a high-dose MDMA (ecstasy) tablet has recently been found in circulation.
NSW Health warned in a statement that the pink-orange colored and square-shaped tablet contains 414 mg of MDMA, four times the average amount in MDMA tablets circulating in the state.
Medical Director of the NSW Poisons Information Centre Darren Roberts said consumption of high doses of MDMA can cause serious illness and death.
"It can cause severe agitation, raised body temperature, seizures or fits, irregular heart rhythm, and death," said Roberts. "The health risks from MDMA are greatly increased if high amounts, including multiple doses, are consumed over a short period."
"Hot environments can also increase the risk of harm from MDMA. Several music festivals are taking place this week in New South Wales, and hot weather is predicted," he added.
Earlier in February, several people were taken to hospital after attending a music festival at Sydney Showground and a panel of experts later determined MDMA as the cause of toxicity.
A 26-year-old man died of a suspected drug overdose, with another 12 people hospitalized, seven of them requiring intubation. ■
