Nam Kyeong-pil, the head of the drug prevention and healing organization 'Eun-gu', warned about the dangers of diet pills spreading among adolescents and young women.
On the 16th, Nam appeared on MBC's 'News Today' and said of the so-called 'butterfly pill' (Dietamin), "It contains narcotic ingredients and requires a doctor's prescription, but continued use can lead to addiction and progression to more serious drugs."
The butterfly pill is an appetite suppressant containing phentermine, which stimulates the central nervous system to suppress appetite. In Korea, it is restricted to short-term prescriptions (within 4 weeks) for patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. It is prohibited for individuals under 16 years old.
According to the Addiction Rehabilitation Center of the Drug Abuse Prevention Movement Headquarters, while taking Dietamin shows reduced appetite, it is accompanied by mental disorders such as insomnia and anxiety. Withdrawal symptoms may occur when stopping use, leading to extreme fatigue and depression, and in severe cases, hallucinations and mental confusion can also occur.
Rumors that taking the butterfly pill allows for quick and easy weight loss have spread via social media, leading to an increase in illegal transactions among adolescents. By searching tags such as '#butterflypilluse' '#butterflypillgroupbuy' '#butterflypill500available' on social media like Instagram and Naver Blog, one can see testimonials about usage.
Nam also expressed concern, stating, "The increase in drug use among teenagers has reached 50 times," adding, "If this situation is not stopped, incidents like the zombie streets in America could occur in Korea."
In fact, juvenile drug crimes are on the rise. According to the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office, the number of juvenile drug offenders reached 1,380 by November of last year, nearly tripling from the previous year (454).
Nam started drug prevention and healing activities after his eldest son became addicted to drugs, retiring from politics in 2018. He reported his son directly to the police and established the drug prevention and healing organization 'Eun-gu.'