Home / Health / Liverpool Woman's Near-Death from "Skinny Jabs"
Liverpool Woman's Near-Death from "Skinny Jabs"
14 May
Summary
- Unregulated weight loss injections led to hospitalization.
- Black market jabs may contain dangerous substances.
- Strict regulations are needed for illegal sellers.
A woman from Liverpool narrowly escaped death after self-injecting a black market weight loss drug, underscoring the grave risks associated with unregulated treatments. She required intensive care following a single dose, leading to a three-month recovery period.
Campaign groups are urgently calling for stricter enforcement against illegal sellers, as some black market "skinny jabs" have reportedly contained hazardous ingredients like windscreen wash. The drugs, legally prescribed for obesity with a BMI over 30, are increasingly sought on the black market by individuals who do not meet the criteria.
Despite legal routes for prescriptions with high BMIs, the high cost of these GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy and Mounjaro fuels the demand for illicit alternatives. There are also concerns about the sharing of injection pens, posing infection risks such as HIV and hepatitis. The illegal trade, often sourcing products internationally, means buyers have no certainty about the contents of these dangerous injections.
