Tests find food supplements laced with dangerous drugs sold online

By The Nation

 

 

SEVERAL SUPPLEMENTS that claim to help with weight loss or sexual potency and distributed via popular online platforms contain dangerous drugs, the Foundation for Consumers said yesterday.

 

These supplements are sold online via Lazada, WeMall, Shopee, 411estore as well as Watsons , the foundation said, adding that apart from risking their health, buyers may also face legal action if they are found to have these items in their possession. 

 

The foundation called on Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday to impose the harshest penalties possible on the sellers. 

 

The call followed tests conducted by the foundation’s Chalad Sue (Smart Buying) magazine, which found that many food supplements being sold online were harmful. The magazine’s product-and -service-monitoring project, recently examined 15 weight-loss supplements advertised online. 

 

 Three products – sold under S-Line, Chaliew2 and Deli by NQ Brand – were found to contain the psychoactive agent sibutramine, which is usually used to treat depression. 

 

The side-effects, however, are high blood pressure, risk of stroke and heart problems. 

 

Under the law, sellers of sibutramine can face a jail term of four to 20 years plus fines of Bt400,000 to Bt2 million. Those found to be in possession of the drug are liable to a jail term of one to five years and/or a fine of Bt10,000 to Bt100,000. Consumers can also face a jail term of up to three years and/or a maximum fine of Bt60,000.

 

The project also examined 10 supplements that claim to address impotency. Supplements sold under the brands Draco, Plays, MO CHA, So Cool, OMG, CHU, Vitalmax and Vitality Reborn were found to contain the controlled substances, sildenafil, tadalafil or vardenafil, that have severe side-effects such as headaches, sudden hypotension and arrhythmia. These products can prove to be fatal if used by people with heart problems, blood-pressure issues or diabetes. 

 

The Foundation of Consumers said that though sildenafil, tadalafil, and vardenafil can be sold to consumers, the FDA should still take action against those selling supplements tainted with these substances. 

 

“Since they contain drugs, these products cannot be considered pure food supplements according to the Foods Act of BE 2522,” the foundation said, adding that the sellers should face up to two years in jail and a fine of Bt20,000. 

 

“They should also be held responsible for violating legal stipulations on labelling,” it added. 

 

Offences related to false labelling are punishable by six months to 10 years in jail plus a fine of Bt5,000 to Bt100,000. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30371059

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-06-14

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Wow, at last an article which actually names the dangerous supplements! Usually they are afraid to do so for fear of being sued. Well done, for some sanity at last :-)


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"SEVERAL SUPPLEMENTS that claim to help with weight loss or sexual potency and distributed via popular online platforms contain dangerous drugs..."

 

Even if these supplements are taken off the public market, they will still be in demand on the black market. Many, if not most people, are attracted to promises of desired results, with no effort or sacrifice on their part. Just pop a pill and be transformed into that thin, white, strong, well endowed, etc. perfect god or goddess. Suckers are born every minute, and there is always someone waiting to cash in on their low self-esteem, dissatisfaction and desperation.

Edited June 14, 20197 yr by jaltsc

Again Lazada, this is another proof of the seriousness of this great cheating company!

Edited June 14, 20197 yr by 30la

I am very surprised by Watsons being on that list.

I see the FDA never finds these problems-always a foundation.

Why do consumers get fined, when it’s the negligence of the government letting them make it to market ????

sibutramine used to be available in some Thai pharmacies as it really does help to curb appetite. Its been taken of the market as for some people it can have dangerous side effects but has been used by many without problems. However hiding it without letting people know what it is is just criminal. 

 

There are dangers from this drug and if you choose to take it so be it but if you don't know your taking it that is a totally different story.

 

I used it for a while (years ago) but it messed with my sleep and i stopped it. But I had done my research before so i knew the risks. 

 

 

1 hour ago, 30la said:

Again Lazada, this is another proof of the seriousness of this great cheating company!

Is ebay responsible for all the stuff sellers sell at their platform ? I think not but they should act if they are pointed out to problems. I guess you have no idea how lazada works.

6 hours ago, webfact said:

These supplements are sold online via Lazada, WeMall, Shopee, 411estore as well as Watsons

 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Under the law, sellers of sibutramine can face a jail term of four to 20 years plus fines of Bt400,000 to Bt2 million

I think the morning boardroom chat could be interesting?

>>sildenafil, tadalafil or vardenafil

 

These are all generic ED pharma products which are carried in quite a few pharmacies.

...shouldn't people know which brands specifically....???

 

...to avoid them or discard them...???

 

 

 

 

 

6 hours ago, graemeaylward said:

Wow, at last an article which actually names the dangerous supplements! Usually they are afraid to do so for fear of being sued. Well done, for some sanity at last ????


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Fantastic disclosures, and l was under the impression the my impotency was due to age

Yes, but did someone get rich? I mean its about money, not conscience, not morals, not caring about other peoples safety, just gobs and gobs of money.

4 hours ago, steelepulse said:

>>sildenafil, tadalafil or vardenafil

 

These are all generic ED pharma products which are carried in quite a few pharmacies.

Yes buying a "supplement" one does not expect to being getting ED treatment or any other drug, without consent or knowledge

 

4 hours ago, hotchilli said:

 

I think the morning boardroom chat could be interesting?

The boards room of the distributing site or the sellers??

Does the site have to test for all ingredients before listing them now??

36 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

Yes buying a "supplement" one does not expect to being getting ED treatment or any other drug, without consent or knowledge

 

>>>

The project also examined 10 supplements that claim to address impotency.

 

Pretty sure when people are looking for supplements to address impotency, they are looking for an ED helper.

FDA is same in all countries, they get money from mostly big pharma to fast track a half backed new pill where the manufacturer did the safety study, no 3rd party involved...everybody happy... sometimes 50.000+ people have to die (vioxx) before taking of the market, but the lawsuits are incorporated into the marketing & profit machine... make billions of dollars and pay a couple of hundred of millions is a good deal, for them

https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resourcesforyou/consumers/buyingusingmedicinesafely/medicationhealthfraud/ucm612813.htm

 

This is a Thai product. 

11 hours ago, steelepulse said:

>>sildenafil, tadalafil or vardenafil

 

These are all generic ED pharma products which are carried in quite a few pharmacies.

I have Sildafil prescription from my Doctor USA

I think it that the products are not listed on the ingredients list of the supplements, like having pesticide in alleged organic products. Mislabelled supplements 

19 hours ago, Redline said:

I see the FDA never finds these problems-always a foundation.

Why do consumers get fined, when it’s the negligence of the government letting them make it to market ????

Thainess teaches to target the weak. 

On 6/14/2019 at 7:55 AM, graemeaylward said:

Wow, at last an article which actually names the dangerous supplements! Usually they are afraid to do so for fear of being sued. Well done, for some sanity at last ????


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You might assume that the Junta issued the information and instructed them on how the article should be worded in order to avoid corrective punitive measures.

They are using banned substances in their products.

 

So this is why they are so expensive? More Thai logic at work?