MDMA production appears to be rising across Europe, with authorities seizing millions more ecstasy tablets as experts warn that unusually strong products continue to pose serious health risks.The European Union Drugs Agency’s European Drug Report 2026 says Europe remains an important global production hub for MDMA, with manufacturing concentrated primarily in the Netherlands and Belgium and Spain becoming increasingly prominent.Authorities are also discovering more production sites. In 2024, four EU countries dismantled 59 MDMA laboratories, up from 36 the previous year. The Netherlands alone accounted for 47 of them, followed by Spain with seven, Belgium with four and Germany with one.Meanwhile, EU countries reported around 24,000 MDMA seizures during 2024, involving 10.7 million tablets and 4.2 tonnes of powder. That compares with 7.2 million tablets and 3.6 tonnes of powder seized a year earlier.But it is not only the amount of MDMA circulating that is concerning authorities.The EUDA warned that the MDMA content of ecstasy tablets remains high by historical standards. Average tablet strength increased from around 84mg in 2011 to 170mg in 2019 and has remained elevated, while tablets containing 300mg or more continue to be available in Europe.Drug-checking services are also finding that while MDMA is generally less adulterated than some other illicit drugs, high-strength products themselves present risks. The proportion of tested samples containing other psychoactive substances increased from 9% in 2024 to 15% in 2025, with cathinones, cocaine and ketamine among the most commonly detected.Around 2.4 million young adults aged between 15 and 34 are estimated to have used MDMA during the previous year, representing 2.4% of that age group. Among 15 to 24-year-olds, around one million were estimated to have used the drug.MDMA remains particularly associated with nightlife and entertainment settings and is the second most commonly used illicit stimulant in Europe after cocaine, according to the EUDA.The agency warned that varying tablet strength and powder purity can leave users facing unpredictable risks, particularly when MDMA is combined with other substances.What do you make of these statistics?•