DNP: the deadly 'diet pill' that 'burns people from the inside'

An inquest into the death of a woman thought to have taken highly toxic "diet pills" has been been opened, and her mother has urged others not to take the weight-loss aids.

Eloise Aimee Parry, a 21-year old student, died in hospital after tablets believed to contain the industrial chemical DNP caused her body temperature to rise dangerously. "Two tablets was a lethal dose – and she had taken eight," her mother Fiona Parry told The Guardian. "She was literally burning up from within."

This is the latest in a string of deaths attributed to the dangerous drug, which remains easily available online.

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What is DNP and how does it work?

DNP, or dinitrophenol, is marketed online as a powerful and effective weight loss pill, promising to help users shed "a pound a day" without dieting. It burns fat by accelerating the body's metabolic rate, which can have fatal consequences.

What is it traditionally used for?

It is an industrial chemical that was initially used in the manufacture of explosives during the First World War. Workers at a French munitions factory who were exposed to DNP "highlighted both its potential and its risks", The Guardian reports. "They lost weight, they felt fatigue, sweated excessively and exhibited elevated body temperature." DNP was subsequently sold as a slimming aid in the US in the 1930s, but was quickly banned because of its severe side effects. Today, it is commonly used as a pesticide and herbicide.

Why is it so dangerous?

DNP accelerates the human metabolism to a "dangerously fast level" according to the NHS. "Our metabolic system operates at the rate it does for a reason – it is safe," it says. While speeding up the metabolism may help burn fat, it also triggers a number of potentially dangerous side effects. These include fever, skin lesions, cataracts, damage to the heart and nervous system and can result in a coma and even death.

Is it legal?

Technically, yes. Although it cannot be advertised for human consumption, bottles of DNP tablets are legally sold online for as little as £20. The police and the Food Standards Agency are working together to combat the online sale of the drug. However, many of the websites selling the drugs are based abroad, which makes cutting off the supply chain almost impossible. Parents of the victims and campaigners continue to call for DNP to be classified as a class-C drug, but police argue that it cannot be banned outright because of its many legitimate uses.