Written question asked by Jim Cunningham (Labour) on Monday, 5 March 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 12 March 2007. It was answered by Caroline Flint (Labour) on Monday, 12 March 2007 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Slimming: Drugs

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of (a) the availability of slimming pills online and (b) the effect of online availability on the prevalence of addiction to such pills.

Answer: Addictive drugs, including psychostimulants such as amphetamines, may be included as a constituent of slimming pills online. There is no direct evidence of the impact on the prevalence of addiction to such pills of the availability of such products onlineThe Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) monitors the online availability of medicines. United Kingdom based websites which are identified dealing in breach of medicines legislation are referred for appropriate enforcement action. Websites discovered operating illegally outside of the European Union are referred to the relevant authority in the country concerned for appropriate action.The Department continues to ensure that there is access to credible information about the risks of all drugs, including the possible dangers involved with addiction. In particular, the information campaign, FRANK, communicates the known harmful effects of all illegal and harmful drugs, including amphetamines.

Secondary information