Travelling with peptides? Be very careful

If you are a bodybuilder, biohacker, weight-loss enthusiast or looksmaxxer travelling with peptides then you might want do some research.  

What is perfectly legal in your own country could get you into trouble at your destination. 

Travellers carrying or personally using non-prescribed products could face medical bills, customs action and criminal penalties abroad, new research shows. 

Carrying research peptides across international borders could result in having products confiscated, related travel-insurance claims rejected and, in serious cases, criminal prosecution, Licensed Peptides reports. 

It says Dr Samuel Sarmiento, a physician and medical content reviewer for Licensed Peptides, reports  that travellers may wrongly assume that being able to purchase a peptide online means it can be legally carried abroad or will be covered by travel insurance.

Buying or carrying a research peptide would not necessarily void an entire travel-insurance policy but a claim connected to someone carrying or personally using a non-prescribed or unapproved product could be investigated and potentially rejected under the policy’s drug-use, illegal-activity, experimental-treatment or pre-existing-condition exclusions.

The traveller could then face two separate problems: action from customs authorities and an insurer refusing to pay the resulting costs.

Licensed Peptides says it supplies "research materials strictly for laboratory use. Its products are not approved for human consumption or therapeutic use".

Dr Sarmiento says anyone who personally uses a product carrying that label could find it particularly difficult to argue that it was a normal prescribed medication.

“A ‘research use only’ label is not a prescription, medical authorisation or guarantee of human safety.

If the product explicitly states that it is not intended for human consumption, but someone decides to inject or consume it, a travel insurer may examine whether the resulting medical event falls within one or more exclusions.

Buyer beware. Traveller be aware. 

* Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration has issued a specific warning about importing unapproved peptide products. The Australian regulator says products imported unlawfully may be seized and destroyed, while serious cases of illegal medicine importation can result in fines or imprisonment.

Could you unintentionally break the law when travelling?

Every country has different customs and laws that could land the unwary traveller in trouble.

Tourists have this week been warned of bizarre laws in popular destinations which could see them hit with fines, or even jailed, should they unknowingly break them.

A spokesperson for StressFreeCarRental.com said: “Tourists should always research before jetting off on vacation so they don’t cut into their holiday budget by unknowingly breaking the law.

“Although some laws may not seem to make sense, holidaymakers must respect them else they could be fined or even locked up.

“Most tourists will not be intentionally setting out to break laws but will be unknowingly caught by unusual foreign rules they have never heard of before."

Here are some of the potential pitfalls identified by the StressFreeCarRental.com team.

They include apparently harmless acts, like wearing high heels or stepping on money, which are illegal in particular parts of the world.

Malaga, in Spain, has recently introduced a flurry of fineable offences, including bans on inflatable sex dolls and blow-up penis costumes - likely only to be of concern to pissed-out-of-their-heads Brits.

In Greece, by law, it is forbidden to wear high heels to famous tourist attractions like the Acropolis (above) and the Epidarus Theatre in the Peloponnese region. This is to preserve the history and ancient stone ruins of iconic sites.

In Thailand, stepping on Thai currency is a crime and even accidentally standing on Thai notes could get tourists a hefty jail sentence. The act is seen as disrespectful to the king because Thai notes and coins contain an image of his face.

Jaywalking is walking in the street or road unlawfully without regard for approaching traffic, which is illegal in New York. Tourists from abroad who cross the road whenever they deem it safe often unknowingly break these laws and are issued fines by police officers.

In Dubai, public displays of affection, including kissing, hugging, and holding hands, is illegal and those found to be breaking the law could be imprisoned or deported.

More bizarrely, kissing at train stations is illegal in France. 

Farewell kisses were causing delays of train departures over a century ago. The law has been in place since 1910 to avoid delays and overcrowding on platforms, but nowadays there is no formal penalty imposed.