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| Viagra, a brand name for sildenafil, is a prescription drug in Hong Kong |
A 45-year-old
Filipino recognizance paper holder (which shows his opposition to being sent
back to the Philippines), was fined $1,000 at Eastern Court on Friday, after he
pleaded guilty to possessing 3 tablets and fragments of another tablet of sildenafil,
which is sold under the brand name Viagra.
Sildenafil is
listed as Part 1 Poison in the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance, which prohibits
anyone from having it in their possession without a prescription.
C.K.D., who
lives in Yuen Long, was found to have the prohibited substance in his bag when
he was stopped for a random check at the junction of Canal Road West and
Hennesy Road in Wanchai on October 26
this year.
Shortly after
giving his statement on Dec. 15 he was taken to court where he pleaded guilty to
the offence before Magistrate Tang Ching-yiu, and then fined.
Viagra, which is
taken by men for erectile dysfunction, is classified as a prescription drug in many
countries including the United States as it’s been found to have an ingredient that
may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs, such as nitroglycerin,
and lower blood pressure to dangerous levels.
However, it is
sold over the counter at pharmacies in some countries like the United Kingdom.
Under Hong Kong
law, possession of part 1 poison carries a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment
and a $100,000 fine.
