An official at the Ministry of Public Health in Lebanon, Rita Karam, said that there is suspicion of the existence of counterfeit copies of the drug "Ozambik", after 11 people suffered attacks of dangerously low blood sugar this year.
The official said, "11 people suffered bouts of dangerously low blood sugar this year, and one of them was transferred to a hospital on suspicion of using an inauthentic version of the drug Ozambik, which is produced by Novo Nordisk, for diabetics."
Rita Karam added, "Officials suspect that the medications they took were fraudulent after discovering that their doses differed from those of the original Ozambik injection pens."
She explained, "The Ministry began investigating the eleven cases, but was unable to determine the sources of the medicines or the numbers printed on their labels, which allows tracking their production history, which made it difficult to know what the patients had taken in the first place."
She pointed out that "three of them used the drug Ozambik, which is suspected to be adulterated, to control diabetes, four to control weight, while the remaining four used it for unspecified reasons."
According to the ministry's website, "two orders were issued relating to the withdrawal of Uzbek in January 2023." While Rita confirmed, “No cases were reported in which a non-original copy of Ozambik could have been used in Lebanon last year.”
France imposes restrictions on smoking in some public places
French Health Minister Aurelien Rousseau announced that his country will impose a ban on smoking on beaches and parks as part of its anti-smoking program for the period 2023-2027.
During a press conference broadcast on BFMTV television, the minister said: “No-smoking zones will be expanded to include beaches, parks, forests, and areas near public places.”
Rousseau pointed out that the death rate in the country has increased due to smoking, and because of this habit, 75,000 people die in France every year.
The minister expressed his ambition for a "non-smoking generation" to emerge in the country by 2030, explaining that legislative initiatives must be presented to normalize life without cigarettes by the beginning of 2024.
Rousseau did not rule out imposing new fines on tobacco products in France, and said: “The price of a pack of cigarettes, which currently costs 11 euros, will increase to 12 euros by 2025, and this price will increase to 13 euros in 2026.”