SINGAPORE – His parents had plans to open a gym for him to pursue his passion for bodybuilding.
But in the pursuit of his goals, the 20-year-old polytechnic student had turned to an illicit drug that ultimately killed him.
On Oct 16, State Coroner Adam Nakhoda found that the youth, who cannot be named due to a gag order, had taken 2,4-Dinitrophenol, or DNP.
The substance has been banned by the Food and Drug Administration in the US for almost 90 years and is listed under the Poisons Act in Singapore.
It is so dangerous that there are no legitimate medical uses for it in humans, and no effective antidotes or treatments for those poisoned by it.
Yet, it is still falsely marketed by illicit sellers as a fast and safe weight-loss drug.
The youth was hospitalised on Dec 22, 2024, after he went to the hospital emergency department in the early hours of the morning, saying he had difficultly breathing.
Hours later, his heart stopped and he could not be resuscitated.
In his findings, the coroner said the youth was a competitive bodybuilder who trained intensely for long hours, especially when he neared a competition date.
His family knew he had been taking supplements, but did not question him as they trusted him.
The coroner said that according to medical reports, the youth had previously seen several doctors and denied taking illicit drugs and steroids.
This was despite numerous irregularities found in his blood and urine tests.
He had also informed a clinic that he had a previous prescription for weight loss medication from MaNaDr Clinic, which had its licence revoked in December 2024 for multiple lapses.
In September 2024, his mother noticed his breathing had become heavy.
He told her he was taking fat burners and she asked him to stop, after which his breathing returned to normal.
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