Latvijas Avīze writes: 'Currently, the illegal market predominantly offers so-called lifestyle drugs — enhancements for appearance, weight, and sexual function.
Women are offered weight loss products, also marketed as dietary supplements. Often, they include sibutramine — a banned substance that can cause severe side effects, including suicidal tendencies. Men, on the other hand, buy steroids to increase muscle mass. The use of these can also lead to serious side effects, including sexual function disorders, which immediately leads to the offering of counterfeit erectile dysfunction medications.
Additionally, medications intended for the treatment of women's breast diseases may be used in parallel to reduce steroid-induced breast enlargement. Once a person starts using something that is not prescribed for them, a set of other counterfeit medications is prescribed to 'improve' the side effects. Once a person enters this illegal niche, an endless vicious cycle begins.
The State Health Inspectorate has blocked 6 websites that offered weight loss products without prescriptions and information about the distributor. 'People often do not recognize whether the homepage is legal,' writes Latvijas Avīze.
