Japan cracks down on over-the-counter medicines to combat social media ‘overdose’ trend

The government is enacting age verification and purchase limits to curb hospitalisations and shortages, amid social media influence

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Japan is cracking down on over-the-counter medicines to combat a worrying social media trend. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 9:00am, 14 Nov 2024

The Japanese government plans to restrict access to over-the-counter medications due to rising misuse among young people, driven by a social media trend called “overdose” that has led to a surge in hospitalisations.

According to the health ministry, there are around 1,500 medications – primarily sleeping pills, antianxiety drugs, cough and cold remedies – that can be bought without a prescription. These medications contain six ingredients that young people are using for their narcotic effects.

Among these ingredients are codeine, the pain relief agent paracetamol, and dextromethorphan, which is commonly found in cough and cold medicines.

Under the ministry’s proposals, these medicines will be removed from displays, and pharmacists will be required to explain their potential side effects. Sales will be restricted to people over the age of 20, and pharmacists will have to verify the purchaser’s age and limit the quantity bought.

This trend of deliberately overdosing on these medicines is a real danger to these children

Kazuhiro Tateda, Japan Association of Infectious Diseases president

“This has become a serious problem in the last few years,” said Kazuhiro Tateda, president of the Japan Association of Infectious Diseases and a member of the advisory panel established to guide the Japanese government at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020.

“This trend of deliberately overdosing on these medicines is a real danger to these children and quite new here in Japan, although it has been prevalent in other countries for some time,” he said.