Three female actresses were given suspended jail sentences on Monday for recreationally abusing propofol, an anesthetic used in surgeries.

The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Jang Mi-in-ae, Lee Seung-yeon and Park Shi-yeon to eight months in jail, suspended for two years.

The judge said they have been excessively addicted to the drug for years and exerted negative influence as public figures.

Actresses have been indicted by the prosecution for illegally injecting the drug hundreds of times at various hospitals even though they were not undergoing any type of surgery.

Propofol is known as a sedative used mostly during cosmetic procedures, but the report showed that men were no exception.

A total of 107 people have been rounded up by the police for illegal use of propofol for last three years, according to government data released by Rep. Kim Han-pyo of the ruling Saenuri Party.

The police apprehended 47 in 2011, 31 in 2012 and 29 as of October this year. Of the total, eight were arrested and the rest were booked without detention, the lawmaker said citing data submitted by the Korea National Police Agency.

Forty-three men, or nearly 40 percent of the total, were apprehended by police. The number of men using propofol outnumbered women starting in 2012 by 16-to-14 and 16-to-7 this year. By age, people in their 30s accounted for nearly half of all users, followed by people in their 40s and 20s.

“The illegal use of psychotropic drugs such as propofol is on the rise because they are easy to get than other existing types of drugs,” Rep. Kim said.

“The police need to clamp down (on the drug) because it could lead people to other type of crimes,” he added.

Propofol has been classified as a psychotropic drug since 2011 in Korea as an increasing number of people have become addicted to it. Experts say it causes hallucinations and may lead to death if taken in excessive doses.

The drug was blamed for the death of pop star Michael Jackson three years ago.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)