May 2021 Update on 2C-B

The scientific name for 2C-B is 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenylethylamine and it belongs to the family of psychedelic phenethylamines drugs.

2C- B mainly comes in colourful branded pills, similar to ecstasy. Like ecstasy, there is a risk of other substances being mis-sold in tablets.

An example of this occurence is the recent alert that was issued by the Dutch Drug Informational and Monitoring System (DIMs). Since the beginning of April, some pills that were sold as pills containing the substance 2C-B have been handed in to the test centers in the Netherlands. These are dark pink, triangular pills with a ''Tesla logo. After analysis, these pills were found to contain no 2C-B, but the long-acting tripping agent DOC (2,5-dimethoxy-4-chloramphetamine). Follow-up research has shown that it is a very high dose. The pills have been reported in various places in the country. It is now also known that the use of these pills has caused such severe trip effects and also physical effects that acute hospitalization was necessary. Based on this information, the Trimbos Institute warns users in the Netherlands to be extra alert and not to use this pill.

While this alert allies to the Netherlands and not an Irish context, it is a reminder of the risks associated with 2C-B such as other more potent substances emerging.