Recently, a children's cough syrup sold in Africa was found to contain toxic substances. As of the 17th, Kenya, Nigeria and other African countries have announced recalls.
According to reports, the children's cough syrup involved was produced by Kefu Company, a former division of Johnson & Johnson that was spun off into an independent company last year. Nigerian regulators first reported last week that higher concentrations of diethylene glycol were detected in this cough syrup. Diethylene glycol is hepatorenal toxic, and symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, headache and acute kidney injury, and even death may occur after taking it.
The batch of cough syrup was produced in South Africa in 2021 and has an expiration date until 2024, with a total of about 11,000 bottles and sold to several African countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Rwanda, Nigeria and other African countries.
Both the company and the South African regulator said that they have not received any reports of poisoning caused by the recalled syrup. Kenyan regulators said they were evaluating three additional batches of the product and would review other products from the brands involved.
This is not the first time that cough syrup has been caught up in the "controversy vortex", and in previous years, it has also made the news for being taken as a drug by Africans. Cough syrup has a high medicinal value, and the taste is sweet and slightly bitter, which tends to reduce people's cough after taking it, how can it become a "drug"?
As a matter of fact
This is because of certain cough syrups
Its ingredients contain codeine and ephedrine
Codeine compound oral liquid preparation is commonly known as cough water, because its composition contains codeine and ephedrine, long-term use can form psychological dependence, and withdrawal symptoms are similar to heroin drugs. Long-term continuous use of large amounts will produce obvious toxic side effects, which will cause damage to human organs or organs, and even physical hazards such as mental disorder, coma, and death caused by cardiac arrest, and will also lead to psychological problems, autism, suicide, etc. In May 2015, the state included codeine-containing compound oral liquid preparations in the management of Class II psychotropic drugs.
Source: Hunan anti-drug WeChat public account