South African consumers helping to drive the illegal trade in rhino horn

South African consumers’ taste for black market aphrodisiacs has once again come under the spotlight in the wake of this week’s 17th meeting of the parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which is underway in Johannesburg.

Despite the lack of scientific evidence of effectiveness the illegal trade of sexual stimulants containing rhino horn and parts of other endangered species thrives to this day.

Tumi Motsei, spokesperson for Pharma Dynamics explains that many cultures from around the world still mistakenly believe that rhino horn is a cure for impotence and all sorts of other ailments, including hangovers, typhoid, gout, hallucinations and cancer.

“There has been no scientific evidence which supports the medicinal value of powdered rhino horn in the treatment of ED (erectile dysfunction) or any other illness. In fact, studies have confirmed it’s just as ineffective as fingernails,” she says.

Motsei refers to research which was released by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 1983, which found no evidence that rhino horn has any medical value whatsoever.

Last year was the worst year recorded to date for rhino pouching in Africa, with over 1 300 rhinos killed, mostly in South Africa.

Rhino poaching has primarily been driven by the insatiable demand for the horn in Vietnam, India, Thailand and China to cure impotence, but statistics show that SA consumers are also driving the demand for black market aphrodisiacs – some of which may also contain powdered rhino horn and the like.

Motsei says millions of counterfeit ED treatments are seized around the globe each year.

“Annually, SARS confiscates more than 200 000 black market ED drugs at an estimated value of R21-million. Law enforcement officials also say more and more criminals are sourcing these drugs online and selling them illegally at local pubs and clubs,” she warns.

Most male sexual enhancement pills are ordered online from websites in India, Malawi, the UK and Hong Kong, and go by explicit names such as Love4Long, Boss Rhino Gold, Anaconda Strong and Golden Root.

With so many side-effects associated with taking fake erection drugs – not to mention so many legal alternatives, why do South Africans continue to buy these drugs illegally over the internet?

“The problem is two-fold,” says Motsei, “firstly, people are offered ED drugs at a fraction of the price that they sell them for at licensed pharmacies and secondly, it’s a condition which men are often too embarrassed to discuss with their doctor. There are literally hundreds of online websites where sexual enhancement pills can be bought for as little as R9 a tablet,” she says.

Motsei warns that ED drugs should never be taken unless recommended by a doctor. In combination with nitrates used to treat cardiovascular conditions, it can prove fatal.

“Even when the active ingredient dose is the same as the legitimate product, one also needs to consider where the counterfeit drug has been stored, whether it has expired or if the manufacturer used active ingredients from different sources. Fake ED drugs have also been shown to contain potentially dangerous substances, including acid, commercial paint, blue printer ink and even brick dust.”

Most men experience erectile dysfunction at some point in their lives, usually between the age of 40 and 50.

“Instead of scouring the Internet for these drugs, rather talk to your doctor about your sexual problem. To a doctor, ED is a legitimate health concern, which affects a large proportion of men – 4 in 10 to be exact. Abstain from buying drugs online completely as you won’t know if it’s legitimate,” advises Motsei.

The international illegal wildlife trade is valued at around $20 billion a year (about R278 billion), according to CITES, and is ranked the fourth largest illicit business in the world after arms, counterfeit goods and human trafficking.

Source: Meropa Communications

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