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The Department of Health (DH) has appealed to members of the public not to buy and definitely not to eat slimming products from doubtful or unknown sources, the Internet included, as they may contain hazardous substances that are not only unsafe but can even be life-threatening.
The appeal follows the arrest of a 40-year-old woman in a joint operation with the Police today (May 16) over the sale of a slimming product known as "Slimming Capsules", which had been found earlier to contain undeclared banned drug ingredients.
"Here, the woman might have contravened the law because of illegal selling of a Part I poison plus the illegal sale of an unregistered pharmaceutical product," a DH spokesman remarked.
DH first obtained samples of five slimming products, including the product connected to today's arrest, through purchase from Internet auction websites during the department's targeted surveillance. The other four products are "Super Fat Burning Bomb - Quick Result Slimming", "Super Fat Burning Bomb - Reduce Fat on Abdomen and Waist Type", "Super Fat Burning Bomb" and "Fat 2 and 1 Burners III Soft and Hard Gelatin Capsules Combination Pack".
Laboratory analysis by the Government Laboratory detected that all five products contained sibutramine and its analogues, and three of them also contained phenolphthalein.
Sibutramine is a Western medicine that was once used as an appetite suppressant. It is also a Part I poison. Since November 2010, products containing sibutramine have been banned by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board because of increased cardiovascular risk among consumers.
Sibutramine analogues, being chemically similar to sibutramine, are expected to possess the same properties as sibutramine, and are hence being treated the same way.
Phenolphthalein is another banned drug. It was used previously for treating constipation, but has been banned for its cancer-causing effect.
"Thus, products containing sibutramine or phenolphthalein are banned and are not accepted for registration as pharmaceutical products in Hong Kong. The sale of unregistered pharmaceutical products and illegal sale of Part I poisons are offences under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance and their maximum penalties are both a fine of $100,000 and two years' imprisonment," the spokesman clarified.
"People must stop using all the named products immediately if they have any in hand. They should consult a doctor if they feel unwell after taking the products. Any remaining amount must be submitted to the Department's Pharmaceutical Service at 3/F, Public Health Laboratory Centre, 382 Nam Cheong Street, Kowloon, during office hours as soon as possible as they are unregistered drugs and banned Part I poisons," the spokesman stressed.
The spokesman concluded by re-emphasising that "Weight control should only be achieved through a good diet and appropriate exercise. People ought to consult health-care workers for their professional advice if they have questions and definitely before using any medication for weight control."
Ends/Monday, May 16, 2011
Issued at HKT 19:35
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