Twenty-year-old youth, the best customers:

Sex enhancing drug sales soar

by Carol Aloysius

Several pharmacies in Colombo were found to be selling medical drugs to enhance sexual virility in men. "In our latest raid on June 17 we found four pharmacies in Pitakotte selling Sildenafil (generic term) without prescriptions. This is dangerous as it should be taken only on doctor's advice", Chief Food and Drugs Inspector, Cosmetics, Devices and Drugs Regulatory Authority (CDDRA) Amith Perera told the Sunday Observer.

He said the pharmacies raided were registered and the customers were mainly males in their early twenties or even younger. "They need not buy these drugs as they are virile. Such drugs are for old men. If these youngsters continue to take these drugs they will lose their natural virility and become impotent.

It could also cause hypertension and health complications such as cardiac arrests, which could lead to death", he said. Fierce competition among importers had led to youth turning to pharmacies for popular products especially sex enhancing drugs.

e-dispensing of such drugs had also increased. Perera said that the CDDRA's current Medicine Act did not have any laws to regulate this new trend.

This month alone fines totalling over Rs. 1 lakh were collected by the courts from more than five pharmacies selling sex stimulating drugs mainly Sildenafil.