England

Royal Pharmaceutical Society calls on Home Office to ban dangerous ‘diet drug’ DNP

We're calling on the Home Office to ban the industrial chemical 2,4-Dinitrophenol (DNP), which can also cause weight loss. DNP has led to 32 deaths since 2007 in those taking it after having been supplied it online as a ‘diet drug’.

DNP is unfit for human consumption and its main use is in the manufacture of explosives and pesticides. It can also reduce body fat by speeding up the metabolism and is sold by unscrupulous dealers to vulnerable individuals wanting to lose weight. It is highly dangerous to health and should never be used for weight loss.

Our response to the Home Office consultation on changes to the Poisons Act 1972 urges the Government to:

  • Immediately ban DNP to reduce the danger to the public
  • Prosecute those seeking to profit from DNP

Between 2007 and 2020, the UK National Poisons Information Service recorded 138 cases of poisoning due to DNP. Of those who presented at hospital between 2007 and 2019 with a history of having taken DNP, 18% died.

RPS President Professor Claire Anderson said: “We welcome the fact that DNP could be added to the Poisons List, which we have been calling for since 2019. But we believe that DNP should be completely banned and not supplied under any circumstances. There is no legitimate human or animal use for DNP and over the last 15 years 32 people have died from taking it.

“We are concerned that DNP is still in circulation and often targeted to image conscious young people who may want to try quick fixes to improve their body image. Don’t ever believe what you see online about DNP – if you want to lose weight, talk to a health professional instead. You’re dicing with death if you buy DNP online.

“If the Home Office will not consider a ban, then as well as adding DNP to the Poisons List to control its supply, legislation should be passed that prohibits the compounding of DNP. This would make it illegal to put DNP into sachets or capsules for human, animal or agricultural use.”

Read the response

Read more RPS news.

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