Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration has issued a warning about an illegal drug that’s gone viral on TikTok dubbed the ‘Barbie’ drug.
The Melanotan II drug is touted as a long-lasting fake tan alternative and is described as being able to “stimulate the production of skin-darkening pigments in your body without dangerous UV exposure this summer”.
However, the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) has issued a warning about the drug after a growing number of TikTok accounts have started promoting it.
“Side-effects include darkened skin, increased moles and freckles, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, flushing of the face, involuntary stretching and yawning, and spontaneous erections,” part of the warning reads.
Back in 2017, an initial warning was issued about the nasal-spray drug.
“The Therapeutic Goods Administration urges consumers to steer clear of using products containing ‘Melanotan’ without advice from a medical professional,” it said.
“Regardless of how the product enters the body, the associated risks remain and are not new.
“These products are not included on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) and have not been assessed for quality, safety or efficacy by the TGA. This makes it illegal to advertise or supply them.”
Although the importing of Melanotan II is illegal, a company called Melanotan Australia is still selling the drug. Its illegality isn’t mentioned on the website, and customers are only able to pay via direct deposit.
“We are no longer able to process credit card payments due to being in the pharmaceutical industry and transactions being labelled as high risk and to get approved for a merchant account or payment gateway to process payments is near impossible to all businesses within this industry,” Melanotan Australia’s website reads.
TGA has reiterated that any customers who purchase the drugs risk losing their money.
“Despite some websites appearing to be Australian, these products are quite often coming from an overseas source,” they said. “If they are detained at the border, you will not receive your goods, you will lose your money and there may be penalties if you are involved in promotion or sale of these products.”
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