Banned ‘Power’ Energy Drink Contained Viagra

The banned Power SX energy drink manufactured by Revin Zambia Limited based in Ndola contained sildenafil citrate, a component used in Viagra, the government has revealed.

The government agencies moved to ban the manufacture and sale of the energy drink following reports in Uganda indicating that a man suffered a six-hour erection after taking Power SX.

The Zambia Bureau of Standards, the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority and the Ndola City Council instituted investigations to ascertain the compounds used in the drink.

“When ZABS puts its certification logo on that product, it was on the background agreement that everything was done in conformity with required standard. But that was not the case.

After that guy [In Uganda] cried foul, when authorities did a random check, it was confirmed that yes, the product contained some traces of that [Viagra] and that is what we are trying to normalize. We want to make sure that when it comes back, we should anticipate or expect [no] such traces of Viagra,” said commerce, trade and industry minister Christopher Yaluma when he addressed the media in Lusaka today.

He said regulatory agencies have continued to conduct other tests to ensure the drink meets all standards for human consumption before coming back on the market.

Yaluma further refuted speculation that there is a conflict of interest between his ministry and the Ministry of Health over the energy drink which led to the delayed release of test results.