California Woman Fatally Poisoned After Using Ointment Bought on Facebook
A woman developed “severe” lead poisoning and died last month after using a hemorrhoid ointment that she’d bought on Facebook, California health officials said.
The Sacramento woman, who has not been named, was mailed the ointment by a relative in Vietnam after making the purchase on social media, according to Sacramento County health officials. They added that it’s unclear if the ointment—named “Cao Boi Tri Cay Thau Dau” can be directly bought inside the U.S.
Sample tests conducted by the California Department of Public Health found that the supposed hemorrhoid treatment contained a 4 percent lead—a “dangerous amount” of the toxic substance, health officials said. They added that any quantity of lead can damage health.