A famous Korean actor was exposed for taking drugs! It was because of this "anesthetic milk"...

Recently, Yoo Ah-in was arrested for taking Propofol in violation of regulations. The abuse of this drug was one of the causes of Michael Jackson's death. Is this "milk-like" anesthetic a "drug" or a "poison"?

Compiled by New Media Editor Duan Dawei

Recently, Korean actor Yoo Ah-in, who has won many film awards, has attracted attention due to his drug use.

(Photo source: theqoo)

According to the Dong-A Ilbo report, Yoo Ah-in has been using propofol for a long time since 2021. The Korean Food and Drug Safety Agency has learned about the so-called "medical shopping" in which Yoo Ah-in has been prescribed propofol at multiple hospitals since 2021, and commissioned the police to conduct an investigation in November last year. Subsequently, the topic "Yoo Ah-in confirmed to be taking drugs" became a hot search on Weibo.

(Photo source: Sina Weibo)

In fact, injecting propofol is nothing new in the Korean entertainment industry. Park Si-yeon, a Korean actress who starred in the Chinese film "The Lotus Lantern", was sentenced to eight months in prison with a two-year reprieve for long-term illegal use of propofol. According to the police's subsequent investigation, it was found that she had illegally injected propofol as many as 185 times, which led to the Korean KBS directly issuing a ban on her performance.

(Picture from the Internet)

The same situation also happened to South Korean actresses Lee Seung-yeon, Jang Mi-in-ae and Hyun Young. According to police investigations, they had illegally injected propofol 111 times, 95 times and 42 times respectively since 2011. These actresses claimed that they were injected during pain treatment and beauty treatment at plastic surgery hospitals, and after being exposed, they insisted that they did not abuse drugs.

Anesthetic that looks like "milk"

Propofol, also known as propofol, was first invented in 1970, first clinically tested in 1977, and later approved by the FDA for clinical use. It is now widely used in China and around the world. Because it is a milky white liquid that resembles milk, anesthesiologists and surgeons jokingly call the injection of propofol a "milk shot."

As an ultra-short-acting intravenous anesthetic widely used in clinical practice, the anesthetic effect of propofol is characterized by a very rapid onset of action. In actual practice, an adult of normal weight can fall asleep in about 10 seconds after taking 100-150 mg of the drug.

Waking up after the injection does not cause strong nausea, vomiting and other reactions unlike other anesthetics, so it is very popular. It is commonly used in clinics for minor outpatient surgeries, painless gastrointestinal endoscopy, painless abortion, pediatric anesthesia, neurosurgery, etc.

The reason why propofol is addictive is that when some people use it to relieve mild sedation such as pain, stress, anxiety, insomnia, etc., they experience a euphoric feeling similar to taking psychostimulants such as cocaine, which leads to long-term abuse and addiction.

According to the drug euphoria (MBG) score designed by the American Addiction Research Center, the MBG score of morphine and heroin is 9.8, the MBG score of marijuana is 4.7, and the MBG score of propofol can be as high as 10.5, which also shows that propofol has the potential for drug abuse and dependence.

Studies have shown that the injection of propofol makes people feel euphoric because it can stimulate dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area of ​​the midbrain, enhance the secretion of dopa neurotransmitters (the happiness factor in the human body) and the concentration of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, thereby producing pleasurable feelings such as relaxation and excitement. This is similar to the drug principles of drugs such as opioids, cocaine and amphetamines.

In addition, propofol is an activator of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GABA) A receptors, just like common drugs of abuse such as benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and alcohol. Binding to them can increase the excitatory synaptic transmission of glutamatergic neurons and release them in the VTA, stimulating dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain VTA region, thereby promoting propofol abuse and dependence.

In fact, the dependence and abuse caused by the abuse of propofol have been reported since the 1990s. Most abusers first use it to relieve tension, insomnia, and stress, and become dependent and addicted after long-term use. Currently, the main abusers of propofol in Europe and the United States are the United States and Germany, and in Asia, South Korea is the majority. It ranks fourth among the abused drugs in the application of anesthetic recreational drugs.

According to the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA), there were 396 cases of propofol theft in 2009, 548 in 2010, and 850 in 2011. The incidence rate has increased significantly each year. Considering the poor reporting rate of KFDA, the actual number of propofol thefts may be much higher. These data are enough to prove that the abuse of propofol in South Korea is very serious.

Is it a medicine or a poison?

Drugs and medicines are like the two sides of a coin. Proper use can save lives, but abuse can cause endless harm. Therefore, drugs are used for medical purposes and to relieve patients' pain. On the contrary, drugs are abused for the sake of enjoying the euphoria after use. From a legal perspective, drugs that are produced and used in violation of legal provisions are drugs, and drugs that are within the scope of legal provisions are medicines.

Article 357 of the Criminal Law: The term "drugs" as used in this Law refers to opium, heroin, methamphetamine (ice), morphine, marijuana, cocaine, and other narcotic drugs and psychotropic drugs that are addictive and are regulated by the State.

my country's laws adopt catalog management for the identification of drugs. To determine whether a substance is a drug, we need to see whether it is in the relevant catalog. The relevant catalogs include the "Catalogue of Narcotic Drugs", "Catalogue of Psychotropic Drugs", "Supplementary Control Catalogue of Non-Medicinal Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Drugs", and other control announcements jointly issued by the Ministry of Public Security, the State Drug Administration and other departments.

According to current regulations, propofol is not included in the above-mentioned control catalog. Propofol is only an anesthetic drug listed in the National Essential Medicines Catalog 2018 Edition. Therefore, the use of propofol in my country is not considered a drug crime, but it will also be strictly regulated when used.

As early as February 2011, the Korean Food and Drug Administration classified this drug as a "psychoactive drug" and strictly prohibited its use except for treatment purposes. Violators will be held legally responsible for drug abuse. Previously, the Korean court considered the injection of propofol by actresses Park Si-yeon, Lee Seung-yeon, Jang Mi-in-ae and Hyun Young to be drug abuse because the frequency, number and dosage of their use had long exceeded the scope of medical treatment, and they also illegally injected it privately. At this time, propofol had long since changed from an anesthetic to a drug.

Abuse of propofol is harmful

No matter how good a drug is, it can become poison if it is not used properly. Studies have shown that the abuse and drug dependence of propofol will have a great impact on daily behavior, because the dependence on propofol is mainly a strong psychological dependence, so the frequency and number of uses will be out of control.

The main mental manifestations are restlessness, unsteady gait, slurred speech, runny nose, yawning, body aches and convulsions, dizziness, and even hallucinations, impulses, and aggressive behavior. Propofol acts on the subcortical center of the human brain, causing changes in brain chemicals. In terms of emotions, it can cause changes in a person's thinking style and mental behavior, resulting in depression, irritability, and reduced self-control.

(Photo source: CCTV News)

Propofol also has a fatal side effect, which is severe respiratory depression. Once an overdose is injected, it will cause the user to suffer from respiratory arrest and death. One of the causes of death of American superstar Michael Jackson was that he was injected with an overdose of propofol by his personal doctor.

Based on the comfortable sleep and possible euphoria brought by propofol, long-term use may lead to addiction. In short, if used properly, it is a good partner to accompany you through the surgery safely and smoothly; if used incorrectly, it may turn into a deadly weapon.

(Compiled from CCTV.com, Jimu News, Beijing News, and the "Poisonous Words and Poisonous Languages" public account, etc.)

Produced by: Science Central Kitchen

Produced by: Beijing Science and Technology News | Beijing Science and Technology Media

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