Power Natural High Energy Drink SX is reportedly popular among Zambian men. It’s now been banned after allegations that it is spiked with high doses of the active ingredient in the EDS drug Viagra

A popular energy drink has been banned in Zambia after tests found it contained the active ingredient in Viagra, according to local authorities.
Natural Power High Energy Drink SX was investigated after a man reported having a six-hour erection, sweating and abnormal heartbeat after consuming it.
Officials in the African nation found some samples of the drink had been spiked with sildenafil and recalled all cans that were on sale.
They warned that consuming the drink ‘poses a threat’ to the public. Sildenafil has been linked to loss of hearing, vision problems and skin cancer.

Power Natural High Energy Drink SX, which is made in Zambia, is not marketed as a sexual aid.
But an investigation by Ugandan health authorities in December found that the beverage contained sildenafil citrate – the active ingredient in Viagra.
Since then, news of the drink’s side-effects has boosted its popularity.

  Natural Power High Energy Drink SX was investigated and banned by local authorities after it was found to contain the EDS drug Viagra

Natural Power High Energy Drink SX was investigated and banned by local authorities after it was found to contain the EDS drug Viagra. The ban followed a complaint from the country’s medicine regulator, Zambia Medicine Regulatory Authority, in December suggesting the drink was contaminated with sildenafil citrate.
The Ndola City Council collected various samples which were forwarded to the Food and Drugs Laboratory for tests.

They said: ‘Results from both Zimbabwe and South Africa correlated with those obtained from the Foods and Drugs Laboratory that indicated a positive presence of sildenafil citrate.’
Despite the controversy, news of the drink’s side-effects has boosted since its popularity. Reports from the area say there has been increased demand for the energy drink, which is sold as soda in grocery stores and by street vendors across the country. The drink is still on sale in shops in the capital city of Lusaka.
The packaging on the drink clearly states that it “increases libido” and is an “aphrodisiac”. It also claims to “revitalise the body and mind”.

Medical authorities say Natural Power High Energy Drink SX contains a high dosage of Viagra which should only be available on prescription

Viagra, a Pfizer product, is the brand name of sildenafil citrate, the medication used to treat erectile dysfunction. Viagra was developed in 1998 by accident, after scientists discovered it had benefits for sufferers of erectile dysfunction. It is normally only available on prescription.

The drink’s manufacturer, Revin Zambia, has not commented on the ban.
Responding to questions of possible contamination in January, the company claimed the energy drink did not contain any drugs.
But the Zambian authorities are unequivocal about the test results, which were announced on Wednesday.
“Results from both Zimbabwe and South Africa correlated with those obtained from the Foods and Drugs Laboratory that indicated a positive presence of Sildenafil Citrate,” a statement from the Zambian authorities, Reuters reports.
Jerome Kanyika, the head of The Pharmaceutical Society of Zambia said reports about the drink’s “unsuitability” should have been acted upon sooner, The BBC reports.
The ban was “a welcome move but also an embarrassment to us as a country because we had to rely on investigations by other countries”.
The drink ‘should not be sold openly in supermarkets and other public places,’ Kanyika said.