Buying aniline online can be deadly

ATLANTA, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- If research chemicals are labeled with a "not for human consumption" alert, U.S. health officials say consumers should believe the warning.

A report published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report says the term "research chemicals" is the most recent description used to illicitly sell stimulants on the Internet, with the intent to avoid regulations that ban their use.

"Two men tried to buy the designer amphetamine derivative 2C-E via the Internet. However, the product they received was actually aniline, a potent industrial chemical with high toxicity," the report said.

"All these research chemicals are labeled with a 'not for human consumption' alert, but these two individuals ingested it. Within minutes they had a severe reaction with their hemoglobin being converted to methemoglobin, a molecule that does not allow the red blood cell to carry oxygen."

Their skin turned a cyanotic blue and one of them lost consciousness, but rapid identification and treatment through the coordination of the poison center and health department helped identify the toxic chemical and alert other healthcare providers to its risk, the health officials said.

"Buying research chemicals over the Internet in an attempt to circumvent laws regarding abused stimulants carries potentially life-threatening risks," the report said.