«Emirates Today» has monitored the increase of advertisements promoting cosmetics and sexual tonics on social networking sites in recent weeks, while the Abu Dhabi Department of Health warned against using 1097 adulterated products, including 971 adulterated sexual enhancers and 126 adulterated cosmetic products, which varied between creams, pills and herbs And syrup and types of honey and chocolate, and slices placed under the tongue, in addition to creams for the skin, eye cosmetics and hair softening.
In detail, the Abu Dhabi Health Department updated the list of adulterated sexual supplements for the year 2020, and published the names and photos of these products to clarify their risks, and the department renewed its warnings about purchasing such drugs from outside the state, or via the Internet, due to their insecurity and safety, weak control over them and their lack of minimum manufacturing requirements The Good for Medicines, and she urged community members not to be drawn into herbal products and tonics that claim the ability to increase sexual activity in a non-scientific and logical way in order to protect them from the risks of commercial and drug fraud and adversely affect their health.
And published a list of their names and pictures of their packages, indicating that the citizens and residents' circulation of these products may affect public health, lead to many dangerous diseases and may lead to death, or cirrhosis, cancerous diseases, and other dangerous diseases related to the heart, blood vessels, and blood pressure.
The department indicated that prohibited products were banned, and warning of their danger by several medical and research authorities, including the Ministry of Health, the Zayed Herb Factory, the Food and Drug General Authority in Saudi Arabia, the US Food and Drug Authority, the Australian health ministries, Canada, and the Department of Therapeutic Products in Australia and the British Medicines Agency.
While doctors and pharmacists have warned of ads promoting prescriptions and sexual preparations that are said to be "natural", indicating that they may pose a great risk if used without medical advice, given that they often contain strong chemical compounds that are not advertised on the posters of these products. Thus it represents a high health risk.
A consultant dermatologist, aesthetic medicine, Dr. Khaled Othman, stressed the danger of using drugs or creams without consulting the doctor, because of their significant side effects, noting that the use of creams or henna for hair through the advice of social networking sites and Internet blogs, results in a lot of Side damage such as allergies and infections, and it may be necessary to treat the patient with a cortisone to control the situation, indicating the need to consult a doctor before purchasing or using any medical products of unknown origin or purchased online to ensure that it is efficient and appropriate to the prescribed purpose, in order to prevent health damage that may result To use it without referring to the specialists.
Specialized doctors, Moataz Ali, Mohamed Khaled, and May El Sayed agreed that the medicinal products promoted on the Internet and the herbal recipes promoted by some perfumery stores were not subject to toxicological and safety studies and the many health risks that may result, as these compounds conflict or interact With medications that the patient may take to treat other diseases, in addition to the inadequacy of these compounds for many patients with chronic conditions, as well as the non-compliance of these products with quality and quality control during manufacturing processes, and not subject to the supervision of the relevant health authorities.
As pharmacists, Sameh Farouk, Sherine Hassan, and Umniah Muhammad pointed out that ads promoting cosmetics and herbal products are able to treat acne, remove dark circles around the eyes, tummy sagging, whitening, moisturizing, softening the skin, resisting wrinkles, and protecting from the sun's rays, often showing After analyzing it, it contains no active substances, and the medical claims written on these creams are incorrect and misleading to the consumer, and that some creams contain high levels of mercury, sulfur, or lead.
Doctors and pharmacists stressed the danger of purchasing medicines through the Internet, describing them as a process with great dangers and causing a lot of health problems, as it is very possible to obtain a counterfeit drug that does not contain the correct dose, or does not contain the active ingredients, or that it contains additives Dangerous, which may cause major health problems, even if these medications or preparations do not harm the consumer directly or the moment of treatment, the patient's condition will worsen due to ineffective treatment.
They pointed out that the movement of a group of society behind the use of herbal medicines or sexual tonics or the use of anonymous cosmetics, despite the health authorities in the country constantly warning and warning the public not to use these products and be careful about them, is a participation in the error and helping the promoters of these products to harm the health of society , And support the spread of this harmful and illegal trade.
Legal offense
The Ministry of Health and Community Protection confirmed that it is working to monitor health ads via social media around the clock, to protect members of the community and patients from misleading and deception, noting that there are inspectors working 24 hours a day in all emirates, in coordination with local health authorities, its mission Checking and monitoring this type of advertisement, and taking legal measures immediately in the event of any violation related to health ads being discovered and proven.
The legal advisor, Salem Saeed Al-Haiqi, stressed that the procedures for marketing medical products, or slimming or cosmetic products on the Internet without a permit is against the law, especially as some people may become ill as a result of buying and using these products, noting that there are official channels in the country that are Responsible for approving such products and authorizing their sale.
He explained that the problem of such products is that they are marketed from outside the state, and it is difficult to reach those responsible for them, but if the seller is reached, the affected person can return to the seller legally, pointing out that societal awareness of the danger of resorting to these products is the best way to prevent their damages.