The Ministry of Health and Welfare yesterday warned that melatonin, which is used to treat sleeping disorders, has never been approved in the nation, so purchasing it abroad and selling it in Taiwan is against the law.
According to a survey by the Taiwan Society of Sleep Medicine, about one in five, or 20.2 percent, of Taiwanese suffer from chronic sleep disorder.
Statistics released by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in February also showed that a total of 339 million sleeping pills were consumed in Taiwan in 2014.
While many people are worried about the side effects of taking sleeping pills regularly, such as dizziness or lightheadedness, prolonged drowsiness, headaches, gastrointestinal problems, severe allergic reactions or daytime memory and performance problems, some turn to melatonin to help them deal with insomnia.
In some countries like the US, melatonin is considered a dietary supplement and can be purchased over the counter. Some use it to adjust the body’s internal clock, such as when suffering from jet lag or shift-work disorder.
However, Chi Jo-feng (祁若鳳), a senior technical specialist at the Food and Drug Administration, said melatonin has been listed as a controlled substance in Taiwan since 1996.
No local pharmaceutical company has ever applied for a drug manufacturing license, so production or selling of melatonin is illegal in the nation, Chi said.
According to the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act (藥事法), people who import or sell illegal drugs, such as melatonin, can face up to 10 years in prison or a fine of up to NT$50 million (US$1.55 million), the ministry said.
People can purchase melatonin for personal use, but are allowed to bring in only 12 bottles, it said, adding that selling them is strictly against the law.
“Taking melatonin regularly for an extended period can change the natural production and release of melatonin in the body,” Lin Chia-mo (林嘉謨), chief director of the Sleep Research Center at Shin Kong Memorial Hospital, said yesterday, adding that the dosage and ingredients of these products are not universal and could be confusing to users.
Moreover, overseas studies have shown that a high dosage of melatonin can cause possible side effects, including nausea, vomiting, daytime sleepiness or even affect fertility.
Taipei and New Taipei City government officials are aiming to have the first phase of the Wanhua-Jungho-Shulin Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line completed and opened by 2027, following the arrival of the first train set yesterday. The 22km-long Light Green Line would connect four densely populated districts in Taipei and New Taipei City: Wanhua (萬華), Jhonghe (中和), Tucheng (土城) and Shulin (樹林). The first phase of the project would connect Wanhua and Jhonghe districts, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Chukuang (莒光) being the terminal stations. The two municipalities jointly hosted a ceremony for the first train to be used
MILITARY AID: Taiwan has received a first batch of US long-range tactical missiles ahead of schedule, with a second shipment expected to be delivered by 2026 The US’ early delivery of long-range tactical ballistic missiles to Taiwan last month carries political and strategic significance, a military source said yesterday. According to the Ministry of National Defense’s budget report, the batch of military hardware from the US, including 11 sets of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and 64 MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems, had been scheduled to be delivered to Taiwan between the end of this year and the beginning of next year. However, the first batch arrived last month, earlier than scheduled, with the second batch —18 sets of HIMARS, 20 MGM-140 missiles and 864 M30
Representative to the US Alexander Yui delivered a letter from the government to US president-elect Donald Trump during a meeting with a former Trump administration official, CNN reported yesterday. Yui on Thursday met with former US national security adviser Robert O’Brien over a private lunch in Salt Lake City, Utah, with US Representative Chris Stewart, the Web site of the US cable news channel reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter. “During that lunch the letter was passed along, and then shared with Trump, two of the sources said,” CNN said. O’Brien declined to comment on the lunch, as did the Taipei
A woman who allegedly attacked a high-school student with a utility knife, injuring his face, on a Taipei metro train late on Friday has been transferred to prosecutors, police said yesterday. The incident occurred near MRT Xinpu Station at about 10:17pm on a Bannan Line train headed toward Dingpu, New Taipei City police said. Before police arrived at the station to arrest the suspect, a woman surnamed Wang (王) who is in her early 40s, she had already been subdued by four male passengers, one of whom was an off-duty Taipei police officer, police said. The student, 17, who sustained a cut about
RSS