More Diet Pills Being Illegaly Traded Online

"I want to buy 15 milligrams of Slimmer."

Messages like this are often posted on an online thrift shop.

Slimmer, a prescription drug which makes a person feel full faster to curb appetite, could cause side effects if misused.

Selling the drug without a prescription is subject to up to five years in prison or a fine of 20 million won (15,200 U.S. dollars).

Still, the drug is traded on online sellers of used items; an unused portion is sold a few hours after a sale message is posted.

Yesterday, an Internet user posted the message “I want to sell a month’s supply of Slimmer for 50,000 won (38 dollars)” on an online thrift shop. The seller got a call in less than 90 minutes.

“I was prescribed this drug two months ago, and lost four kilograms. I want to sell it because I don’t need it anymore,” the user said.

The price was 30 to 40 percent lower than the market price. In addition, the appetite suppressant Silkramine and psychotropic appetite suppressants such as Dietamine, Adipex and Puring are traded on online thrift stores.

Medicaments such as New Slim 30 and Slim, products banned by Korean health authorities, are often bought and sold online.

Medical experts warn that giving leftover drugs to others is very dangerous.

Cho Bi-ryong, a professor of family medicine at Seoul National University Hospital, said, “If one takes appetite suppressants without a prescription, the ensuing side effects could include insomnia or anxiety due to high blood pressure and rapid pulse.”

nuk@donga.com