Urgent warning to parents as dangerous pills being pushed to kids on TikTok | The Sun

PARENTS have been warned that dangerous diet pills are being promoted on social media.

Medicines used to treat epilepsy, alcohol addiction and migraine were found being openly promoted as weight loss pills to kids on TikTok.

An investigation by The Pharmaceutical Journal revealed that the prescription only pills were being promoted to teenagers searching for diet pills.

The journal analysed the top 100 popular user posts under the hashtag #dietpills and found that a number were advocating the use of prescription-only medicine.

The most commonly mentioned prescription drug mentioned in the posts was an appetite suppressant not licensed in the UK, known as phentermine.

The drug is used in some countries to treat obesity.

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However, it can sometimes cause lung and heart disease in some serious cases.

The British Dietetic Association told the journal: “Diet claims that are unrealistic and not supported by evidence-based science.

"Social media can be dangerous no matter what your age. But, for under 16s, they can have very real consequences."

A spokesperson from TikTok told the journal: “Our Community Guidelines make clear that we do not allow the promotion or trade of controlled substances, including prescription weight loss medication, and we will remove content that violates these policies.”

The Pharmaceutical Journal said that the social media giant removed some of the videos after it reported them

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Meanwhile, cannabis sweets are being sold to young adults and children on social media.

According to SkyNews, the sweets have been designed in ‘child-friendly’ packaging, disguised as brands like Haribo, in order to make them more appealing.

The investigation raised concerns that the drugs are luring children into drug trafficking in their local areas.

Amid rising concerns for children’s safety, Martin Preston, Founder and Chief Executive at Private Rehab Clinic Delamere warned of the devastating consequences of purchasing cannabis gummies online.

He said despite their innocent appearance, cannabis gummies are often stronger than smoking the substance.

"This is because when consumed the THC chemicals (the psychoactive compound in cannabis that produces the high sensation) can take a lot longer to take effect.

"It may [also] lead the person to consume too much because of the delayed reaction," he explained.

"This, in turn, may lead to dangerous consequences and side effects including anxiety, paranoia, impaired memory and poor attention span. 

“As cannabis is illegal in the UK, young adults who are seeking edibles will often turn to instant messaging apps, the dark web and social media platforms like TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram to purchase them.

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“The issue with this is that though products like cannabis gummies claim to be harmless, they can not only pose a risk of accidental overconsumption but may also contain a whole host of dangerous unknown chemicals that could lead the consumer to be seriously unwell or may even be lethal.”

Earlier this year, a lead scientist said that marijuana-based gummies and pills that help to prevent infections of Covid-19 could be rolled out soon.

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