The world police agency Interpol has given out a global warning over the use of diet pills called dinitrophenol (DNP,) which can cause overheating from the inside, Tech Times reported. The drug have left a French man critically ill and caused the death of British woman.
Initially, the drug was used to manufacture explosives in France during World War I. Later, it was found that DNP has the ability to cause weight loss and increase metabolism. The drug was marketed as a diet pill in the 1930s but was prohibited after it was found to be carcinogenic.
Generally, DNP is sold in capsule form or yellow crystalline powder. However, it is also available as a cream, according to The Independent. These diet pills cause the body to overheat, accelerating the metabolism of the body and thus burn body fat quicker. Side effects of DNP include vomiting, dehydration and an irregular heartbeat. Long-term consumption could lead to cataracts, physical damage to the heart and skin lesions.
A study carried out in 2014 discovered that DNP use had returned and was linked to the deaths of five people in the United Kingdom between the years 2007 and 2013.
According to Interpol, online DNP sellers were trying to smuggle the drug and avoid custom officials by having labels of the spice turmeric. Interpol has issued an Orange Alert to call on customers to be vigilant about DNP diet pills and to abstain from buying online pharmaceuticals.
In 190 countries, police were alerted that the banned drug is a dangerous risk for unknowing customers who are dealing with shadowy online retailers.