When will the tragedy of "diet pills" not repeat itself

  This is destined to be a tragedy.

In March of this year, 4-year-old Tingting (pseudonym) passed away forever in the rescue room of a children's hospital in a certain place in Jiangsu.

The local police detected a chemical component-sibutramine in the child's liver, heart blood, urine, venous blood and gastric lavage fluid.

  According to experts, cetrobumin is a drug that acts on the central nervous system to suppress appetite. Although it has a certain weight loss effect, it may cause side effects such as high blood pressure and increased heart rate.

  In 2010, because sibutramine would increase serious cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risks, the relevant departments stopped the domestic production, sales and use of sibutramine preparations and APIs, and the production companies were responsible for recalling and destroying drugs that have been on the market.

  However, sibutramine began to gradually enter the black market, and unscrupulous merchants bought sibutramine and "assembled" them into weight-loss drugs for sale.

Last month, "Internet celebrity" Guo Meimei was sentenced for selling "diet candy" containing the "banned drug" sibutramine.

The girl’s death stems from illegal "diet pills"

  The police investigation found that the "slimming chocolate" containing sibutramine that Tingting mistakenly ingested was bought online by her mother Li Min (a pseudonym).

  As an office worker, Li Min gained weight due to frequent sitting and lack of exercise.

Later, when she saw an advertisement for weight loss in Moments, she bought a "weight loss chocolate" for 380 yuan from a WeChat business.

  Weishang told her that this kind of chocolate has a strong medicinal effect, and she can eat up to half a slice at a time.

These "slimming chocolates" have added herbal ingredients and are green and healthy.

  In fact, after taking this "chocolate", Li was so sensitive that his heartbeat increased significantly and his body sweated frequently.

Of course, the weight loss effect is also obvious. After taking it for the first time, she lost 6 catties.

Li Min didn't dare to take too much because he "can't sleep all night and all night".

Later, she felt that the side effects were too great, so she put the remaining "weight loss chocolate" into the bag.

  One day in March this year, Li Min went out to work, and only his daughter and the elderly were left at home.

At that time, the old man was busy cleaning the house, and Tingting saw her mother's bag.

When the old man noticed the granddaughter, he found that there were a few pieces of golden wrapping paper in front of the granddaughter, and only one piece of chocolate was left.

  At that time, the old man did not take this to heart.

One hour later, when the old man found that Tingting was sweating a lot and was very weak, he hurriedly sent his granddaughter to the hospital.

After the doctor learned that Tingting might have "eating bad", he suggested to lavage the stomach first, and then prescribe a laboratory test.

  When Li Min found out that her daughter might have eaten 4 "weight loss chocolates" by mistake, Tingting's condition was already very serious. She vomited from time to time, her lips became purple, she had been sweating, and the bed sheets and pillows were wet.

  At this time, Li Min hurriedly sent WeChat to ask WeChat business what exactly are the ingredients of "weight loss chocolate".

After learning that a child was taken to the hospital due to accidental eating, the micro-businessman also consulted on the ingredients of the "weight loss chocolate" from the previous home.

At this time, they knew that the main ingredient of "weight loss chocolate" was "sibutramine."

  After gastric lavage, on the next day, Tingting's condition did not improve, she became confused, and ultimately failed to rescue her.

"Crime and Punishment" under the temptation of Gaoli

  After investigation by the police, it was learned that the "weight loss chocolate" containing sibutramine came from Wang Qiang (a pseudonym).

This 27-year-old young man who used to be an online ride-hailing driver accidentally heard of sibutramine while having a meal with a friend.

  A friend told him that selling sibutramine can make "big money".

Wang Qiang's heart moved.

Immediately, he released information on the sale of sibutramine raw materials on the online platform.

"Indian goods, high purity" became his advertising slogan.

  Wang Qiang confessed to the police that sibutramine is usually wrapped in plastic sheet and placed in a blue bucket.

For a barrel of 25 kilograms, he took the goods at a price of 5,500 yuan per kilogram.

He took out the 11.1 million yuan he had accumulated for many years and bought 200 kilograms of sibutramine.

  When delivering goods, he sometimes chooses to mail them, and more often, he drives to the almost empty Yellow River at night to make transactions.

What he didn't expect was that business was surprisingly good.

After the product information was released, buyers on all major platforms contacted him.

He sells it at a price of 6,600 yuan per kilogram.

  According to the police handling the case, distributors in various places will process the raw materials of sibutramine after they have obtained them, turning the raw materials into pills, candies, and chocolates.

Then, advertisements for products such as "Pills for Models", "Green Diet Pills", and "Slimming Candy" will appear in the circle of friends of some people.

  In fact, many distributors have consulted Wang Qiang on the dosage of sibutramine.

Wang Qiang repeatedly urged that the amount of sibutramine added to each box of weight loss products should not exceed 20 ml.

However, in reality, some unscrupulous merchants often increase the amount added in order to improve the weight loss effect.

  According to the police, Wang Qiang's sales of sibutramine amounted to more than 1.7 million yuan. His behavior has violated Article 144 of the Criminal Law and is suspected of the crime of producing and selling toxic and harmful food.

On April 27 this year, Wang Qiang was arrested by the procuratorate.

  As early as August this year, a reporter from China Youth Daily and China Youth Daily reported a case of being sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment for suspected production and sales of toxic and harmful food.

The defendant Qian Yu purchased sibutramine and made a "diet medicine" using it as a raw material, and sold it to others for profit.

  The reporter learned that the 3,500 yuan xibuquming purchased by Qian Yu could be sold for more than 30,000 yuan after simple assembly. This also made Qian Yu taste the sweetness and took the risk.

  And Qian Yu's illegal behavior was found by the police, which also originated from a tragedy.

In October 2019, Xiao Mei, a college student from an art college in Guangdong, fell to his death in Hangzhou.

His father later discovered through his daughter’s diary that she had taken “diet pills” that made her thirsty, flustered, dizzy, unable to sleep, and hallucinations.

  Later, the father logged in to his daughter's WeChat account, found a micro-business who sold weight-loss pills, and bought a bottle of weight-loss pills.

He reported the clues shown in the logistics information to the Market Supervision Administration of Wuzhong District, Suzhou City, and then the clues were transferred to the local police.

  The Suzhou police found that Qian Yu's "diet pills" were sold to many people, involving more than 260 post-85s and post-90s buyers in more than 20 provinces including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, and Fujian.

How to control from the source

  Article 144 of the Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of my country stipulates that if toxic or harmful non-food raw materials are mixed into the food produced or sold, or the food that is known to be mixed with toxic or harmful non-food raw materials is sold, the penalty shall be no more than five years. Imprisonment and a fine; if it causes serious harm to human health or has other serious circumstances, it shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than five years but not more than 10 years, and a fine; if it causes death or has other particularly serious circumstances, it shall be in accordance with the 14th Criminal Law Penalties stipulated in Article 11.

  On October 18 this year, the Shanghai Railway Transportation Court sentenced the defendant Guo Meimei to 2 years and 6 months imprisonment and fined RMB 200,000 for selling sibutramine-added "weight loss candy". Yuan, this matter has also aroused social concern.

  According to Zhou Hao, a lawyer from Beijing Weiheng Law Firm, sibutramine is a “toxic and harmful non-food raw material”. The illegal production and sale of weight-loss candy supplemented with sibutramine constitutes a crime of producing and selling toxic and harmful food in accordance with the law.

He said that according to the Criminal Law, if the sale of toxic and harmful non-food ingredients causes harm to human health or death, the penalty level must be increased.

  In the view of Zhao Dajun, a lawyer at Shanghai Xiaocheng (Suzhou) Law Firm, the current laws and regulations are more appropriate for penalizing related acts.

The most critical point is to control and stop the production and import of sibutramine from the source. It is necessary to strengthen management and control of online sales and severely crack down on illegal crimes.

  A post prosecutor of the People’s Procuratorate of Wuzhong District, Suzhou reminded that the production and sale of toxic and harmful food not only violates the law, but also seriously damages the health of consumers. Under the high pressure that the country has always maintained a severe crackdown on crimes endangering food safety, do not Try the law by yourself.

  In addition, excessive "appearance anxiety" is not desirable. Consumers should choose formal channels when buying products such as weight loss drugs. If they find that their rights are damaged, they should promptly defend their rights.

  A prosecutor from the People's Procuratorate of Xuzhou City said that when consumers buy weight-loss drugs, they must remember to check the ingredients of the drugs and do not buy three-no products.

After knowing that sibutramine is contained in weight-loss drugs, consumers should immediately report the case to the public security organs.

Consumers should also consume rationally and lose weight healthily.

Relevant departments should also strengthen publicity to eliminate relevant illegal and criminal acts to prevent such tragedies from happening again.

  China Youth Daily · China Youth Daily reporter Li Chao Source: China Youth Daily