The bureau investigated 116 kinds of colored tablets used as recreational drugs between July 2007 and February 2009. The researchers came to the conclusion that 48 percent of drug tablets used during that period contained a mixture of various drugs or pharmaceutical products, increasing the risks to users. Amphetamines could cause schizophrenia, raise blood pressure, cause vision loss, depression, memory loss, and in the worst-case scenario, even result in death, the bureau said.

Use in Taiwan is rising, following similar trends found by the UN in other East and Southeast Asian countries, the bureau said.

The pills had bright colors and a variety of images like smilies and logos of French fashion brands to attract young people. The chemical and pharmaceutical ingredients found in the drugs included cough suppressants Dextromethorphan and Dyphylline, camphor and substances affecting the central nervous system, the bureau said.

Pills containing 298 milligrams of MDA or 121 milligrams of PMMA could be fatal to their consumers. A total of 55 percent of tablets tested showed MDMA levels ranging from 100 milligrams to 150 milligrams, according to the researchers.