UN: Illegal drugs sold via social media

VIENNA—A UN drug agency is warning that illegal internet pharmacies are selling illicit drugs and prescription medicines online and are increasingly targeting young audiences.

The International Narcotics Control Board cites its head, Hamid Ghodse, as saying that such use of social media “can put large, and especially young, audiences at risk of dangerous products.”

In a report released Tuesday, the Vienna-based board urges governments to close down illegal internet pharmacies. It also calls on them to seize substances which have been illicitly ordered on the internet and smuggled through the mail.