An urgent drugs warning has been issued in Manchester over orange-coloured 'flame' ecstasy tablets as thousands of revellers prepare to descend on the city for New Year's Eve celebrations.
The Manchester Drug, Analysis and Knowledge Exchange - known by the acronym MANDRAKE - shared details of the alert on its social media platforms and an image of the tablets concerned.
The embossed tablets are shaped as a flame and around a centimetre wide.
MANDRAKE said the tablets had been tested and found to contain cathinone, a relation to the amphetamine family of drugs, in a higher than normal dose.
The tablets are said to be circulating in Manchester and the experts urged anyone feeling unwell to seek urgent medical attention.
In a tweet, MANDRAKE said: "Caution. 30 Dec 22. Orange “Flame” embossed #Ecstasy/#MDMA tablets, analytically confirmed by @MANDRAKE_LAB to contain #cathinone, 4-chloromethcathinone (4-CMC) (140 - 165 mg/tablet = 2x common oral dose) circulating in #Manchester.
"If unwell please seek medical attention."
MANDRAKE is a licenced scientific resource, based at Manchester Metropolitan University, which works in partnership with key stakeholders to facilitate rapid, robust and cost-effective chemical analysis for both harm-reduction and intelligence sharing. It's the first publicly-funded permanent city centre based testing and harm reduction facility and has been operating since 2016.
Two laboratories are in operation, with an aim to spread awareness and reduce harm to people who take drugs. The Mandrake scheme is led by Dr Oliver Sutcliffe of Manchester Metropolitan University, alongside Warehouse Project boss Sacha Lord and Greater Manchester Police.
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