Death of medical student Sarah Houston after taking banned slimming drug DNP highlights dangers of buying pills online, warns Government

U.K: Jim Dobbin has called for an “urgent” re-evaluation of the law concerning uncontrolled slimming pills which led to the death of medical student Sarah Houston.

The Labour MP and microbiologist said, “It is unacceptable that lives are being put at risk by ineffective legislation and control of internet trade in potentially lethal products.”

Sarah Houston, a 23-year-old medical student, was being treated for anorexia and bulimia and died after taking a combination of prescribed antidepressants and DNP, an inquest heard on Monday. The same uncontrolled weight-loss product was linked to 62 deaths in a study published last year in the Journal of Medical Toxicity.

- independent.co.uk