A sweet stick for a spicy evening. This is the promise of many brands of “aphrodisiac honey” or “erectile honey”, which are secretly sold in France. Small envelopes of a few grams of a dangerous mixture, increasingly present in France, according to a report from the French General Directorate of Customs transmitted to BFMTV.com, which confirms the information from Le Figaro.
The organization warns of increasingly regular seizures of this product that is dangerous to health. In 2019, its services recorded 18 seizures of illegal cargo, compared to 131 in 2023. And the trend continues.
“2024 marked an absolute record, both in terms of finds and quantities seized. Only the largest seizure allowed 13 tons of erectile honey to be seized in Marseille,” explain Bercy services.
Shipments come from Malaysia, Türkiye, Tunisia and even Thailand. On the boxes, dozens of doses bear the seal “natural honey” or “energizing honey”, without specifying the presence of a crucial ingredient: sildenafil, the active ingredient… of the famous Viagra. A prescription drug prescribed for erectile dysfunction in men.
A product sold on social networks.
In just a few minutes, BFMTV.com was able to identify several sellers of this clandestine product on social networks. Accounts dedicated to these products on Tiktok, Instagram or Facebook. Some even claim to be able to “deliver throughout France.”
The claims are innumerable: “increases and stimulates fertility”, “100% natural”, “without side effects”, etc.
The costs? Some offer a jar for 30 euros, others offer a dozen bags for 50 euros. Similar products are also sold on e-commerce platforms that are legal and, in theory, subject to controls.
Customs also confirm a more formal sale of these illegal products, “in certain night stores” or behind the counters of certain tobacconists, where we already find trade in contraband tobacco or a broader sale of narcotics.
“Very serious” health risks
Why is this trade such a big problem? Because consumers are unaware of the presence of medicinal substances in these products that are sold as natural.
The molecule, present for example in Viagra, is not trivial. It is a vasodilator, that is, a substance that dilates blood vessels and causes a reduction in blood pressure.
Two risks thus arise: the concomitant use of adulterated honey with another treatment and overdose. The first case is favored by the overlap between the populations that use these products and those that suffer from heart problems.
“We run the risk of suffering very serious or even fatal accidents” if they are taken simultaneously, explains Dr. Alain Ducardonnet, cardiologist and health advisor for BFMTV.
The second risk is overdose. “If we drink too much, we run the risk of suffering epileptic seizures, hemorrhagic accidents or kidney problems,” he emphasizes.
The use of this type of products is also an aberration. Medications for erectile dysfunction are accessible with a simple medical consultation, which allows you to avoid all the risks associated with the treatment.
Source: BFM TV
