News Regulations for OTC drugs tightened

[thomas]

To prevent the misuse of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs for cough and cold by young people, who are overdosing on them, the health ministry has proposed a draft plan to tighten the rules on their sales. The draft suggests that retailers should not sell large quantities or multiple products of cough and cold medicines that can be abused to anyone under 20 years old. According to the plan, if the buyer is under 20 years old, they can only buy one product and in small quantity at a time.

Such drugs would be made available for purchase to people under 20 only through face-to-face sales at stores or online platforms with video and audio functions in principle. Pharmacists would check the names and ages of the buyers. Some OTC drugs contain ingredients similar to those of illegal drugs and therefore may cause addiction if taken in large doses. [...] Under rules in Japan, retailers are asked in principle to limit their sales of OTC drugs containing any of these ingredients to only one item per person and confirm the names and ages of the buyers when selling such products to junior or senior high school students. [...] According to a fiscal 2021 survey by the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, about one in 60 high school students consumed OTC drugs for abuse within the past year.

Japan to tighten regulations on over-the-counter drug sales

The plan comes in response to the spread of overdoses mainly among young people.

www.japantimes.co.jp

I wasn't aware cough medicine could be abused....

default - Stanford Medicine Children's Health

Stanford Medicine Children's Health DXM is a common ingredient in many cough and cold remedies. It's also become a popular substance to abuse by teens searching for a cheap, easy high. Here's what you should know.

www.stanfordchildrens.org

 

[Grandpa Frank]

I don't remember what cold tablet it was when I was there in the military , but it was a common OTC cold med. Word got around when you were short on drinking money , you took one or two pills and just one or two drinks would get you drunk. The main thing back then for young people was sniffing glue.