Teenagers duped into buying 'sun tanning'medication are hospitalized

Two teenagers from Bydgoszcz have been taken to hospital for treatment with severe burns after taking a tablet which was supposed to accelerate sun-tanning. Earlier, they had bought a zl.10 packet of pills at the infamous Russian bazaar in Warsaw, after a friend advised them that one pill, followed by a 15-minute visit to a solarium, would give them a deep, lasting tan. After the initial attempt, they were so disappointed with the results that they decided to repeat the ill-fated treatment the next day. It later transpired that the tablets they had bought were actually for the treatment of psoriasis, and were intended to be obtained on prescription only. One of the side effects of the medication includes the skin's over-sensitivity to UV rays. (Gazeta Wyborcza, July 2, p. 3) A.Z.