False podcasts openly offering very addictive drugs are widespread on Spotify – which retracts after a survey of commercial initiates.
Bi found 200 “podcasts” which announced the sale of opioids and other drugs – often without a prescription, in violation of the federal law – and directed users to websites who pretended to be legitimate online pharmacies.
Many episodes examined by BI were lower than one minute and are less to the content and more on the push of the products, providing links to websites claiming to sell opioids such as tramadol and oxycodone.
“Buy online tramadol with one click since (expurgated) without a prescription with legal delivery in the United States,” said a voice in an episode of seven seconds podcasts.
Cover exposed for a podcast which has since been deleted. Business Insider / Spotify
Another episode said: “Do you want to buy 50 mg online tramadol? Learn to get authentic pain relief drugs with easy trusted pharmacies, trusted pharmacies and no delivery hassle. Buy online tramadol safely today.”
The rules of the Spotify platform prohibit content which promotes the sale of regulated or illegal drugs. Some of the podcasts were apparently deleted after a user X called the problem on Tuesday and marked the CEO of Spotify, Daniel Ek. Others were withdrawn after BI reported them to Spotify. Bi could not reach any of the websites to comment.
“We are working constantly to detect and delete the violation of the content of our service,” said Spotify spokesman for Bi.
Dozens of tramadol advertising podcasts could be found by looking for Spotify. Business Insider / Spotify
Some podcasts did not contain any audio. Instead, they relied on the description of the episode or even on the coverage to list the URLs or the instructions on where to buy the drugs.
BI has also found more than 25 types of opioids, benzodiazepines and weight loss drugs announced. They also included Opana, a powerful opioid drawn from the American market in 2017 at the request of the Food and Drug Administration because of its high potential for abuse.
While many of these drugs are legally prescribed for relief or chronic anxiety of pain and other medical conditions, some are also linked to high levels and a risk of dependence, abusive use and overdose.
Cover for a podcast that Spotify has now deleted. Business Insider / Spotify
Some of the “online pharmacies” promoted in podcasts claim to have “medical experts” who can review the condition of a client, but explicitly promise to deliver drugs “quickly” and “discreetly” without ever asking for a prescription. Some sites have said they offered prescriptions via a telephone appointment.
Federal law requires that prescription drugs be provided only with a valid prescription from an approved health practitioner. Sales of unregulated drugs can create risks to public health, especially when the drugs sold can be counterfeit, prohibited from unknown or expired substances.
Although the websites consulted by BI take users to a payment page, it is not clear if they really deliver medication. Customer opinions for some sites claim that they have not received the drugs for which they paid.
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