Social Media: Substances Unfit for Human Consumption

Baroness Davies of Devonport Excerpts

Wednesday 17th June 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Lab)]

Substances that are illegal or that cause harm to children are caught under the Online Safety Act. Where they are classified as medicines, that is caught by the MHRA under the Human Medicines Regulations. Products sold on online marketplaces that fall outside of medicines or food regimes must still be safe and comply with UK requirements. The Office for Product Safety and Standards oversees that. The Department for Business and Trade is currently consulting on changes, using the powers under the PRAM Act, which is now in force, to look at what more needs to be done to make sure that online marketplaces are marketing safe products to UK consumers.

[Baroness Davies of Devonport (Con)]

My Lords, my question is very much on the same lines as that from the noble Lord, Lord Addington. Influencers play a huge part in this. We have just seen the Enhanced Games on television. For anyone not aware of it, it is a sporting event where they pump the athletes full of as many drugs as possible so that they can win races. Does the Minister have any plans for how we will tackle this and stop young people buying things online such as testosterone without any prescription whatever?

[Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Lab)]

The Government support clean competition in sport, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport supports UK Anti-Doping and UK Sport in their efforts to protect clean sport and educate athletes on the risks of performance-enhancing drugs. The Online Safety Act covers situations where illegal products are marketed, and it is for Ofcom to enforce that area. As I mentioned, the children’s harms guidance makes it clear that sponsor or influencer-promoted content can be in scope where it actively encourages children to consume harmful substances.