Bestival said it warned festival goers once it became aware the drug was on site
Orange-coloured MDMA pills with a likeness to US President Donald Trump were found circulating at Bestival in Dorset last week (2-5 August).
The Loop, a not-for-profit company, provided a free drugs testing service at the festival. It said the tablets, which had “Trump” stamped on the back, contained more than 250mg of MDMA.
It said it had found similar “Donald Trump” pills across European festivals but that the pills look similar, adding “you can’t know the strength from looking.”
Tablets with “Donald Trump” logo tested by @WeAreTheLoopUK at #Bestival2018 containing 250+mg of MDMA – over two doses in one tablet. Others tested in Europe with different strengths. Visit The Loop on site for independent drug safety testing and advice. pic.twitter.com/4izWhgysMi
— The Loop (@WeAreTheLoopUK) August 3, 2018
. @WeAreTheLoopUK are offering independent drug safety testing and advice on site – find them opposite the Disco Ball between 11am-7pm daily:https://t.co/oBqFkfG223
— Bestival (@Bestival) August 4, 2018
It’s #TimeToTest. We need to raise £50,000 to expand our harm reduction, drug testing services to cities and festivals across the UK. We don’t have big donors, so can only do it with your help. Let’s keep people safer this summer. Please RT.
Join us here: https://t.co/5DdkpUysrc pic.twitter.com/NJjXIhyUgc
— The Loop (@WeAreTheLoopUK) June 22, 2018
The Loop tweeted: “Tablets with ‘Donald Trump’ logo tested by @WeAreTheLoopUK at #Bestival2018 containing 250+mg of MDMA – over two doses in one tablet.”
“Others tested in Europe with different strengths. Visit The Loop on site for independent drug safety testing and advice.”
The super-strength pills were also found on site at Y Not Festival in Derbyshire, again by The Loop, the previous week.
On social media, festival organisers from Bestival shared the information, warning festival-goers not to take the extra-strength drugs.
The Loop aims to reduce the number of drug-related deaths by offering free testing across festivals. This was the first time such drug-testing had been offered at the festival; last year, 25-year-old Louella Michie died after taking 2C-P, ketamine and MDMA at the event.
Boardmasters has said that it will “embrace” anything that can be done to reduce potential harm to festival goers. The initiative, which is a joint venture with Safer Cornwall, has received the backing of Devon and Cornwall Police and Cornwall Council.https://t.co/1ms81Ee9WU
— The Loop (@WeAreTheLoopUK) August 8, 2018
This is great progress for the integration of harm reduction tools that aim to inform and educate consumers. Well done @WeAreTheLoopUK https://t.co/SnsOobZrds
— EDP Drug & Alcohol (@EDPDrugAlcohol) August 9, 2018
This weekend, The Loop will be in attendance at Boardmasters festival in Cornwall.
You can find out more about the work of The Loop here.
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