A New York City resident was one of ten people across the United States who had to be hospitalized after injecting botulinum toxin that was bought from unlicensed sellers on social media, health officials told the press on Monday.
Between May and August, the victims received treatment with antitoxin after they introduced dangerous knock‑offs into their bodies, according to the New York Department of Health. Three of those patients needed to be intubated and placed on a ventilator, a health advisory released Monday to medical practitioners in the city and state confirmed.
There were no deaths linked to the injections, even though some of the products were sold on apps like TikTok, WhatsApp and overseas e‑commerce sites. Many of the items turned out to be unlabeled vials of white powder with no instructions or safety warnings.
In the advisory, the Health Departments noted that “Some of the symptomatic individuals reported seeing advertisements for vendors selling botulinum toxin products on social media, including on TikTok.” They also added, “None of the people injecting these products reportedly met state requirements for purchasing or administering botulinum toxin products.”
Under state law, Botox is supposed to be dispensed only by trained, licensed professionals. Still, unregulated at‑home kits have been circulating for years, leading to an uptick in reports of infection and life‑threatening botulism.
“I’m doing my own [injection]. I just ordered my Korean Botox,” a TikTok user wrote in the comments of a self‑injection tutorial. “Tired of paying ridiculous amount of money when the neurotixin [sic] itself is under 100 [dollars] for a 100 unit bottle.”
Botulism is a bacterial illness caused by a toxin that attacks the nervous system, producing symptoms such as headache, muscle weakness, facial paralysis, and trouble speaking. In the cases cited by New York officials, symptoms began roughly three days after injection and included breathing difficulty and weakness in the extremities.
Earlier this year, the city’s Health Department issued an advisory after similar botulism‑like illnesses were reported in New Yorkers who received botulinum toxin from “unlicensed providers or with unverified products.” That warning came just before the latest wave of self‑injecting patients, signaling a shift in how these dangerous substances are being used.
New Yorkers who suspect they have botulism—or a botulism‑like illness—can call the NYC Health Department Provider Access Line at 866‑692‑3641. Those outside the city can reach the state Health Department’s Bureau of Communicable Disease Control at 518‑473‑4439 during business hours, or after hours at 866‑881‑2809.
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