Photo/Illutration A building that houses the health ministry in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

The health ministry is considering tightening regulations on the sale of cough and cold medicines in response to the growing abuse of the over-the-counter drugs, particularly among young people.

The proposed rule would prohibit the sale of large quantities or multiple packs to people under 20.

It also mandates that, for customers within this age group, smaller doses can only be bought in person or through video and audio calls in which the customer provides identification to the pharmacists.

These and other regulations have been proposed because some cough and cold medicines, which can be purchased at pharmacies and drug stores without a doctor’s prescription, contain ingredients that can be addictive and easily abused.

For example, codeine, the active ingredient in cough medicine, has a chemical structure similar to the narcotic morphine. Continued use of codeine can lead to drug dependency, making it difficult to quit.

According to the health ministry, drug abuse by young people is becoming a serious issue.

The ministry’s research group’s survey in fiscal 2021 showed that 1 in 60 high school students, or 1.6 percent, had abused over-the-counter cough and cold medicines in the past year “to get high or alter their mood.”

Around 45,000 students from 80 schools nationwide responded to the survey.

It is believed that one reason for the frequent abuse of these drugs is that they are easier to obtain than illegal drugs, such as marijuana, or prescription medicines, such as sleeping pills.

Drugs containing six ingredients, including codeine, have been designated by the health ministry as medicines that pose a risk of abuse. Special rules restricting their sale have already been established--but are not being thoroughly enforced.

In principle, sales are currently limited to one pack of these drugs per person, and sellers must verify the buyer’s name and age when selling to young people such as junior high school and high school students.

But according to a ministry survey in fiscal 2022, researchers visited pharmacies to investigate sales and were able to purchase multiple packs of these drugs without any questions being asked in 24 percent of the stores.

In response, the ministry is considering stricter sales regulations for medicines that are at risk of being abused.

Under the new proposal, people under 20 could only buy these medicines in-person or through video and audio calls. Sellers would be required to verify and record the young person’s name and age and would be prohibited from providing large quantities or multiple packs to them.

If sellers were unsure if a customer is 20 or older, they would have to ask the customer to show a photo ID to verify the age.

Even for customers 20 or older, sellers must still verify and record the buyer’s name and age when providing large quantities or multiple packs.

In a meeting, some experts objected to the proposal that one small pack of these drugs could still be sold online to people over 20 in a conventional manner. 

The ministry will compile a report by the end of this year after consulting with experts on Nov. 30. It plans further deliberations on the matter in a separate committee of experts next year, with the aim of leading to a revision of the system.

However, it’s uncertain whether this proposal will be effective as there has been a growing issue of abuse even with over-the-counter medicines not categorized as being at risk of abuse.

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