Ecstasy tablets sold on the street in Poland vary widely in their content and often contain little or no MDMA. Analysis of nearly 20,000 tablets seized between 2005 and 2020 showed that the average MDMA content dropped from 90 mg in 2005 to 50 mg in 2011, then spiked to 195 mg per tablet in 2013 before declining again. From 2016 onward, average MDMA content rose, ranging from 60 to 280 mg. Almost 20% of tablets sold as Ecstasy contained other psychoactive substances, including new psychoactive substances (NPS) from various chemical groups or dangerous combinations. This variability poses a high risk to users unaware of a tablet's true composition.
Ecstasy tablets shaped as "Stormtrooper" heads seized in Poland between 2020 and 2021 contained not only MDMA but also MDA and, for the first time in Polish seizures, a novel phenylethylamine derivative called MDDM. MDDM is a methyl analogue of MDMA and a dimethyl analogue of MDA with limited pharmacological data and reportedly mild psychoactive effects, likely arising as a by-product of illicit MDMA synthesis. Quantitative analysis showed MDA in the highest concentrations per tablet (26–74 mg), followed by MDDM (11–28 mg) and MDMA (3–11 mg). Although MDDM alone is considered low potency, its co-occurrence with other phenylethylamines may produce synergistic effects and increase toxicity. These findings highlight the unpredictable composition of street drugs and the need for continuous forensic monitoring.