Illegal muscle-building drugs being sold in UK shops, says report

Pharmacists body demand stricter laws against drug use and selling

Body-building supplements with substances known as Sarms are being freely sold in the UK, investigation finds (Getty Images)

Illegal muscle-building drugs are being reportedly sold in shops as well as on online platforms in the UK, according to a report.

Body-building supplements with substances known as Sarms are not authorised for sale in the UK.

An investigation by the BBC has found that the drugs – which have been deemed dangerous – are freely available over the counter in shops and sold online by sellers based in the UK and overseas.

Sarms, which stands for Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators, are a class of drugs that have similar effects to anabolic steroids but are designed to be more selective in their actions. They work to promote muscle growth and bone density and are believed to have worse side effects than steroids in the long term while a full range of effects are yet to be known.

Selling Sarms is a criminal offence in the UK as they are categorised as an "unauthorised novel food" not used for human consumption and "should not be consumed", according to the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

BBC said its undercover reporter went to 10 shops across the UK and spoke to gym-going young people over the use of muscle-building drugs.

It found that most retailers advised the use of Sarms drugs to build "bigger and leaner" muscles quickly and sold the products.

A seller in West Midlands said: "They’re not even strictly for human consumption, but they are effective.” Another recommended against the use of it but sold the product anyway.

The seller, when asked if there were any side effects of the drug, said, “not really” and mentioned the possibility of lowered testosterone.

“You should be absolutely fine,” he told the BBC reporter.

In a statement, the retailer later said that the staff is well trained in compliance and legality and they “would never advise anybody to take Sarms. If we get the feeling somebody will be consuming them we immediately refuse the sale".

FSA said in a statement: "SARMs are not authorised for sale in the UK and should not be consumed. If consumers become aware of these products on sale, they should report it to the Food Standards Agency or to their local authority."

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) is the professional membership body for pharmacists and pharmacies in England, Scotland and Wales calling on the government and regulators to tighten the laws and conduct strict inspections to half their use.

Laura Wilson of the RPS told BBC that side effects range from disrupted hormone levels, liver issues to breast tissue development in men.

"So our advice would be not to take them,” she said.

"We would like to see the laws around them tightened, we would like to see better control over them and an acknowledgment that they are not being used for ‘research purposes’ when they’re being purchased."