Widespread concern has been raised after it was discovered that some TikTok accounts are promoting epilepsy drugs as weight loss pills.
Teens on the video-sharing app who search for the term ‘diet pills’ are being directed to videos containing information and promotion about some drugs used for other purposes.
This is according to an investigation carried out by The Pharmaceutical Journal, where the top 100 popular user posts under the hashtag #dietpills were analysed.
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During the investigation, it was found that a number of these videos were advocating the use of prescription-only medicines for conditions including epilepsy, alcohol addiction, and migraines.
The British Dietetic Association told The Pharmaceutical Journal, “Diet claims that are unrealistic and not supported by evidence-based science on social media can be dangerous no matter what your age. But, for under 16s, they can have very real consequences.”
TikTok was contacted by the journal, which received a response from a spokesperson which read: “Our Community Guidelines make clear that we do not allow the promotion or trade of controlled substances, including prescription weight loss medication, and we will remove content that violates these policies.”
After investigators at the publication reported these videos, it confirmed that the social media giant had removed some of them.
The specific guidelines, under the title ‘Drugs, controlled substances, alcohol, and tobacco’ on TikTok state: “We do not allow the depiction, promotion, or trade of drugs or other controlled substances. The trade of tobacco and alcohol products is also prohibited on the platform.
“Do not post, upload, stream, or share:
- Content that depicts or promotes drugs, drug consumption, or encourages others to make, use, or trade drugs or other controlled substances
- Content that offers the purchase, sale, trade, or solicitation of drugs or other controlled substances, alcohol or tobacco products (including vaping products, smokeless or combustible tobacco products, synthetic nicotine products, E-cigarettes, and other ENDS [Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems])
- Content that provides information on how to buy illegal or controlled substances
- Content that depicts or promotes the misuse of legal substances, or instruction on how to make homemade substances, in an effort to become intoxicated.”
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