KUWAIT, Feb 21 (KUNA) -- The ministry of health warned here Sunday againt the use of some Chinese herbs in the form of tea and coffee drinks called "Green Coffee 500" and "Slimming Bag Green Tea" on diet as they have negative effects on heart.
Assistant deputy of Drugs and Medical Supplies Affairs in the ministry of health Dr. Omar Al-Sayed Omar told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the Drug Monitoring Directorate tested these herbs and found that they contain a chemical material that must not be used except under a medical prescription.
He went on to say that such products are brought to the country through unofficial means such as internet, passengers or personal parcels without being checked by the Drug Directorate of the MoH and without having any medical license, calling for taking precautions against the use of such herbs.
Omar also warned against purchasing such drugs or herbs through the internet or bringing it from abroad without being conscious of their latent hazards.
He also asserted that smuggling and counterfeiting products containing chemical materials or getting drugs without medical licenses is a crime punishable by law, pointing out that the Ministry of Health takes all necessary legal measures and refers all violators to the legal bodies concerned out of protecting the human health even if the small amount seized was for personal use.
Omar also stressed the importance of the mass media in raising the awareness of people regarding the hazards involved in such products through abstaining from advertising about them in case of being unlicensed.
Finally, he rang alarm bells against drifting toward the use of the unlicensed drugs and products, calling for protecting the society against the serious effects resulting from such use.
There are some drugs and products that are sold through unconventional ways whether through houses, unlicensed shops or telemarketing as those who promote them fear official questioning and as those products are not usually verified by the official bodies due to being brought to the country under the pretext of personal use. - Kuna