The State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) announced on September 30 a ban on the production, sale and use of clenbuterol tablets, a medicine used to treat bronchial asthma, also illegally used by farmers to make pigs leaner.

The decision was made after an overall consideration of the risks of drug abuse and the drug's clinical value and safety risks, the SFDA said.

Clenbuterol tablets can have serious negative effects on cardiopulmonary functions if abused for a lengthy period, the SFDA said, citing the results of a review program that has been underway since 2009.