BBCIllegal weight loss injections with dirty needles have been sold on social media and sent to people in Northern Ireland, a BBC investigation found.
BBC News Ni has made a test purchase of a syringe from a UK-based seller via Facebook, claiming it contains Semaglutide, a prescription-only drug.
When tested, the liquid was not semaglutide, but contained carnitine. This is a supplement that can be purchased on the high street.
Northern Ireland’s Police Service (PSNI) said it is working at an international level to eradicate criminal gangs selling illegal jabs manufactured in unsanitary labs.
What is a skinny jab?
The so-called skinny jab is prescribed weight loss injections that work by feeling more fulfilling and less hungry.
In the UK, Semaglutide is available on the NHS as part of the weight management program.
However, this is not because there is no specialized weight management service in Northern Ireland.
However, it is available with a private prescription.
Northern Ireland’s Ministry of Health said people are putting themselves in serious risk buying from sellers of social media sites.
The BBC purchased a suspected weight loss injection from its Facebook account.
Four needle-mounted syringes arrived wrapped in kitchen rolls without labels or guidance on what they included.
What skinny jabs did BBC News Ni purchase?
Professor Panagiotis Manesiotis, director of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Queens University Belfast, screened two syringes.
“It’s absolutely shocking that people are at the risk of purchasing medicines like this injectable form outside the internet,” he said.
“I don’t know if you’re allergic to the content of it, I don’t know if it’s manufactured in a clean way.
“Looking at how those samples reached me, I have serious concerns about the health effects they may have in the public.”
He added that the needle itself is a carrier for bacterial infections and can cause sepsis. This is a condition that needs immediate treatment and requires emergency care.
“It could ultimately lead to someone else’s death,” he said.
What can online drugs do for your health?
The Ministry of Health said the implications of people purchasing medicines online from suspicious sources should be taken into consideration.
“The way you know what you’re buying is what you think, and this can have serious consequences for your health,” the department said.
BBC News Ni has identified many social media accounts across multiple platforms that promote the availability of weight loss infusions without prescriptions or medical supervision.
After the investigation, Tiktok and Telegram closed accounts they engaged for violating their policies regarding the trading of regulated goods and services.
Meta did not request user account details.
PSNI also warned people about purchasing drugs online without consulting with medical professionals.
“These unregulated drugs are often produced in illegal, unhygienic laboratories and are made to look like real products. This means they are extremely dangerous to take,” he added.
What does social media companies do about skinny jab?
Tiktok told the BBC it does not allow the trade or marketing of regulations, bans or high-risk products, including prescription drugs.
“In the third quarter of 2024, we removed 96% of content that we found to violate these policies before they were reported,” the statement added.
Messaging Service Telegram said the sale of prescription drugs is expressly prohibited on its platform and will be removed when it is discovered.
Adding that would “encourage reporting from users and organizations to actively monitor public parts of the platform and remove millions of harmful content every day.”
Meta told the BBC: “We are not permitted to sell medicines on Instagram or Facebook, and will remove weight loss content, including miraculous claims, and will attempt to buy, sell, trade, donate or gift weight loss products.”
Has anyone ever been charged with skinny jab online?
From 2022 to 2024, the Ministry of Health’s Drug Regulation Group (MRG) conducted 18 surveys focusing on the illegal possession, advertising and/or supply of counterfeit or unlicensed weight loss drugs.
To date, one person has been charged, and four more have been pending prosecutions.
MRG also issued 10 formal advice and warning letters, seized over 340 weight loss drug products and reported two to professional regulatory bodies.
Julian Dickenson, a dietitian in South Belfast, said the problem was access to medicines.
“I’ve heard people get them from criminal gangs and social media,” she said.
“So if something is much cheaper than normal, it is a red flag.
“Make sure your doctor is registered with the General Medical Council, make sure your pharmacy is registered.
She added that a collaborative approach is needed to tackle obesity.
“It’s a chronic, recurrent, progressive illness,” she said.
“So everyone has to work together, it has to come from the individual, it has to come from the community, it has to come from the school, the workplace, the food manufacturer, the NHS, the government.”
