Jacinda Ardern replicated in unusual object
Jacinda Ardern has had an unusual item named after her, after ecstasy pills pressed with her name were discovered being sold on New Zealand’s underground drugs market.
The pink pills of Class-B methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) include a crude caricature of her face, with the NZ Herald reporting that they are being sold for $NZD 30-40 each ($AUD 28-37) online
When the publication asked the Prime Minister’s office for comment, they were directed to the police.
The illicit ‘Jacinda Ardern’ pills have surfaced online. Image: NZ Herald
A police spokesperson said the sale of the pills is “not something we’re aware of”.
MDMA is a “party drug” that is especially popular with clubbers and summer festival goers.
Community drug testing service Know Your Stuff online list of flagged pills doesn’t list the “Jacinda Ardern” pills, but the group warns that doesn’t mean taking it is risk-free.
“If your pill does not appear on this page, this is not a guarantee that it is safe.”
The discovery comes after New Zealand recently became the first country in the world to permanently legalise drug checks at large scale events, including music festivals.
Know Your Stuff was appointed to run the pilot program, offering drug-checking services at events and helping people know what pills they intend to consume actually contain.
This year, the service has reported increasing incidents of people taking what they believe to be pure MDMA which was either just cathinones or contained just enough MDMA to “spoof” the tests.
Synthetic cathinones, also known as “bath salts”, have a similar euphoric effect as MDMA but wear off faster and can lead to anxiety, paranoia, gastric distress, seizures or respiratory failure.
Mephedrone, a cathinone commonly found in the country, has been linked to a number of deaths in the UK and Europe.
Image: Getty Images