SURREY Trading standards officers have mounted a campaign aimed at students, warning about the dangers of using the illegal slimming drug DNP.

The drug 2.4 Dinitrophenol – known as DNP – also taken for bodybuilding, was outlawed for human consumption in the 1930s, following the discovery of a wide range of damaging side-effects.

But a study last year warned it has made a comeback, and could be linked to at least five deaths in the UK between 2007 and 2013, including the death of a Surrey art student.

UK experts say members of the public are more likely to turn to unlicensed substances such as DNP in a last-ditch bid to lose weight over the festive and New Year party season.

After a request by the French health authorities, Interpol issued an Orange Notice alert declaring DNP represents an “imminent threat” to consumers around the world, as it can cause users to overheat and “cook” from the inside.

Fitness enthusiast Sarmad Alladin, a student of University for the Creative Arts in Epsom, died in 2013 after taking DNP.

Government figures show more than 30 serious cases of DNP poisoning were referred to the National Poisons Information Service between January and September this year.

Trading officers are handing out beer mats with the message “Would you play Russian Roulette with DNP?” and talking to students at campuses in Surrey to raise awareness of the dangers of the drug.

Officer Donna Ward, who is leading the campaign, said: “DNP is most definitely unsafe for human consumption, yet it is clear that it’s being sold illegally, mainly online, as an aid to help with weight loss.

“Our aim is to reach the young people – many of them students – who are most at risk of being tempted to use DNP, with the message that this is a potential killer.”

Richard Walsh, Surrey County Council’s cabinet member for localities and community Wellbeing, said: “Our priority is to help people stay safe, which is why we are highlighting the dangers of this potentially deadly drug.

“Students are among those most at risk of being drawn into taking DNP and we want to warn off as many as possible.”