Woman with 6 Consecutive Crashes Due to Reckless Driving... 'Appetite Suppressant' Found in Vehicle

After Reckless Driving, Collision with Police Car and Stop
Investigation Reveals Long-term Use of 7 Types of Appetite Suppressants
Appetite Suppressants May Accompany Serious Side Effects

A woman in her 20s who was driving recklessly in Jeju, repeatedly colliding with other vehicles and fleeing, was caught by the police after crashing into a police car and coming to a stop, Yonhap News reported on the 2nd.

It was revealed that the driver had been taking appetite suppressants for a long period. Appetite suppressants are known to potentially cause side effects.

According to the Seogwipo Police Station in Jeju, around 11 a.m. on the 28th of last month, a report was received about a white vehicle driving recklessly and honking near Seogwipo City.

Police who arrived at the scene demanded driver A to stop the vehicle, but A refused and fled.

During the escape, A collided with a total of six vehicles including a bus, a cargo truck, a passenger car, and a police car. It is reported that three people in total?two bus passengers and one passenger car occupant?were injured and received hospital treatment.

Photo by Yonhap News

Despite police attempts to stop her, A continued reckless driving, so the police used an excavator and other equipment to stop the car, broke the window, and arrested A. The police have booked A on charges including hit-and-run injury, dangerous driving causing injury, and reckless driving.

In the police investigation, A tested negative for alcohol and drugs.

However, the police found drugs containing psychotropic substances in the form of appetite suppressants inside the car.

Investigation revealed that A had been overdosing on seven types of appetite suppressants since last summer. It was also reported that she stated she continued taking the drugs because withdrawal symptoms such as binge eating appeared if she did not take them.

The police believe that the drugs containing appetite suppressant ingredients A was taking may have influenced her behavior, and requested a DNA test at the National Forensic Service for accurate analysis.

There are cases where one person was prescribed 9,000 pills... Serious abuse of appetite suppressants

Drug photo. The photo is not directly related to the article content. / Photo by Pixabay

Meanwhile, appetite suppressants can only be prescribed to obese patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, for whom dietary or exercise therapy is ineffective.

The Korean Society for the Study of Obesity recommends taking them for no more than 4 weeks, and even under a doctor's diagnosis, exceeding 3 months increases the risk of serious side effects. They cannot be taken together with other appetite suppressants.

Nonetheless, in 2021 alone, 1.28 million patients were prescribed psychotropic appetite suppressants. On average, each person was prescribed 4.6 times, receiving 191 pills. There have even been cases where one person was prescribed 9,000 pills, indicating severe abuse.

Patients who develop dependence increasingly obtain prescriptions under family members' names or purchase drugs through illegal channels such as the internet.

Appetite suppressants containing psychotropic drugs can cause side effects such as addiction, insomnia, and headaches, and in the most severe cases, symptoms of schizophrenia or coma. If side effects occur after taking appetite suppressants, the medication should be stopped immediately and consultation with a specialist is necessary.