Four hurt by MDMA laced champagne in Netherlands; One killed in Germany

The 3-liter sized bottle of Moët & Chandon Ice Impérial champagne may be laced with the hard drug MDMA, also known as ecstasy, the Dutch food, and consumer product safety authority NVWA warned on Thursday. Touching or drinking the ecstasy laced champagne so far led to four cases of illness in the Netherlands, and seven cases of illness and one death in Germany, the NVWA said.  "Touching or drinking the contents of the bottles is life-threatening."

Manufacturer Moët Hennessy informed the NVWA about the issue this week. It is not known how the MDMA got into the bottles, so the NVWA can't estimate how many hazardous bottles are in circulation. It is also possible that other bottles from the same brand may be laced with MDMA, the NVWA said.

The authority called on Netherlands residents to be alert to 3-liter bottles of Moët & Chandon Ice Impérial with lot code LAJ7QAB6780004. The code is located on the label on the back of the bottle. If the content of the bottle looks odd, do not touch it. 

Champagne laced with MDMA is not fizzy, has a reddish-brown color that darkens over time, and may smell of anise. If you worry that the bottle you got is off,  do not touch anything. "Even dipping a fingertip in the liquid and tasking it can lead to serious health problems, even without swallowing. Taking a small sip can be fatal," the NVWA said.

Leave the bottle and glasses untouched. Notify the police. If you touched or ingested the liquid, call emergency number 112 immediately, the NVWA said.