RECENT EPHEDRA DEVELOPMENTS
American Heart Association is urging ephedra to be removed from
the over the counter market
April 3, 2003
The American Heart Association (AHA) is urging ephedra to be removed
from the over the counter market in its entirety. The AMA points not
only to the extreme dangers of ephedra but the ineffectiveness of
the supplement. In addition to the reports of mainly cardiovascular
events, ephedra users suffered instances of high blood pressure, stroke,
heart attacks, and death. The ephedra-containing product manufacturers
claim that using the supplements will allow for an enhanced athletic
performance, as well as weight loss. The AHA says, “There is
no such thing as a magic weight loss pill” and the lack of standards
for ephedra use is the reason consumers are unaware of the actual
amount of ephedra contained in the supplements.
April 3, 2003
One of the largest sponsors of NASCAR, the ephedra-containing product
sponsor has led the sport to the center of controversy. NASCAR has
one of the toughest drug policies amongst professional sports but
has continued to allow ephedra-products to be used.
April 3, 2003
The House Energy and Commerce Committee sent letters to the commissioner
of baseball, Bud Selig and the union head Donald Fehr. The committee
wanted 
documents
about ephedra use in baseball and requested to receive it by April 16,
2003. The coroner for the MLB pitcher Steve Bechler said ephedra was
in fact in a contributor to his death. The union has been criticized
for resisting ephedra bans in the past. Similar requests are expected
from the NFL, NBA, and NASCAR. The congressional hearings will be held
on ephedra later in the spring of 2003. Fehr said reports from the FDA
and other Washington agencies were expected soon.
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April 1, 2003
Massachusetts’s lawmakers began to debate a bill to ban ephedra-containing
products. If the ephedra bill passes the state will be able to confiscate
all ephedra-containing products from stores. A vote on the ephedra bill
will occur late April or in May. A Harvard nutrition medicine professor
testified in support of the ban and stated that, “there are no
long-term studies assessing the effects of these supplements on weight
loss”. Ephedra has been linked to at least 100 recent deaths.
For
more information on the dangers of ephedra contact us to confer with
an ephedra attorney.
March 31, 2003
There is a growing concern that doctors are considering financial gains
over patient safety in regards to prescribing ephedra. Practices that
have been promoting ephedra-containing products have found there have
been financial rewards that go alongside it. Especially in a time of
rising malpractice insurance premiums, doctors are happy to welcome
an aspect to their practices that will allow them to become a high volume
office. While selling ephedra is not illegal, many questions why medical
professionals would prescribe a dietary supplement that has been linked
to instances of high blood pressure, stroke, heart attacks, and death.
Dr. Leonard Morse, chairman of the American Medical Association’s
council commented that, “you can’t exploit the patient for
your own financial interest.” The American Medical Association
is trying to have ephedra removed from the market.
March 28, 2003
The Missouri Attorney General is suing an ephedra-containing dietary
supplement maker because the company has failed to disclose health risks
in addition to making false claims about its effectiveness. Both the
FDA and the Federal Trade Commission are trying to decide what to do
about allowing ephedra to remain on the market as the controversial
subject continues to heat up.
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FDA changing rules
on dietary supplements
March 8, 2003 The FDA has finally responded to the dangers of
dietary supplements, including ephedra. The agency has been highly criticized
for the lack of response to the dangerous and long overdue changes.
Advocates have been pushing for stricter regulations on dietary supplements
and the recent death of baseball player Steve Bechler only created more
questions as to why the FDA has failed to make changes thus far. The
FDA has claimed that due to the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education
Act that did not allow them to regulate natural remedies it must be
proven that supplements like ephedra must be shown to have deadly or
dangerous effects.
Although the FDA has failed to enforce new rules on ephedra,
the International Olympic Committee, NFL, and the NCAA have already
banned its use due to the deaths and risk of injury linked to ephedra.
The FDA announcement to impose new rules on dietary supplements was
made on March 7, 2003 to force manufacturers to make clean and accurately
labeled products. This ephedra ruling is moving in a positive direction,
however many consumer groups and activists still feel the change is
in adequate. Changes have been made in response to instances of contaminants
that have been found in supplements, but there have been no changes
issues as of yet to require manufacturers show ephedra and other supplements
are safe or effective.
For
more information on the dangers of ephedra contact us to confer with
an ephedra attorney.
February 28,
2003
David Wells claims that up to 40% of all major league baseball players
use steroids and that amphetamines are available for use in clubhouses.
Wells wrote an autobiography which will be released in a month and included
in the book is saying amphetamine use is so common that if you “stand
in the middle of your clubhouse and walk 10 feet in any direction, chances
are you’ll find what you need” and that the use of substances
are continuing to rise amongst ball players. Included in pills that
Wells wrote were stockpiled over the season was Ripped Fuel and other
ephedra containing supplements.
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February 28, 2003
The federal government announced they would begin to take steps on further
restricting ephedra. The so-called “steps” was not strong
enough according to many groups, including the American Medical Association
who recommended a ban be put into place.
The secretary of health and human services, Tommy Thompson
said he would call for new ephedra labeling warnings, however these
steps are considered inadequate by many, including consumer advocacy
group Public Citizen who issues a statement regarding ephedra. Certain
members of Congress also voiced their disagreement with the government’s
failure to immediately ban ephedra, including Senator Dick Durban who
has investigated reports linking ephedra to death, as well as strokes,
heatstroke, heart arrythmias, and psychotic episodes.
So far, the FDA has received over 1,400 reports of ephedra
adverse effects. Officials claim if concluding ephedra fails to meet
the imminent hazard standard they might ask Congress to rewrite the
Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994.
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February 28, 2003
Public Citizen issues a press release “concerning FDA’s
failure to ban ephedra.” The director of Public Citizen’s
Health Research Group, Dr. Sidney Wolfe, made the statement alleging
Commissioner Mark McClellan has violated a principal of the Hippocratic
Oath he swore to in the past with the theory “First, Do No Harm”
by failing to ban ephedra despite over 100 FDA received reports of ephedra
deaths.
McClellan’s lack of ephedra ruling demonstrated
a lack of ethics that should not allow to be the FDA Commissioner any
longer according to Wolfe, and should be forced out of office alongside
the HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson who has failed to utilize his authority
to enforce an ephedra ban. Public Citizen first petitioned the FDA to
ban ephedra-containing products in September 2001 and said they are
now seriously considering a lawsuit against the FDA/HHS in order to
force an ephedra ban.
February 27, 2003
Baseball has announced ephedra is no longer allowed in the minor leagues.
The recent death of Steve Bechler led up to the decision since ephedra
has not yet been able to be banned in the major league. Commissioner
Bud Selig made the ephedra decision on February 24, 2003.
February
24, 2003
Fitness experts renew warnings regarding dietary supplements containing
ephedra in response to the death of Steve Bechler.
February 24, 2003
The baseball player’s union is waiting results from toxicology
tests from the death of Steve Bechler prior to deciding if ephedra should
be banned. Baseball player union head Donald Fehr said that taking a
stand on banning ephedra would still be premature.
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February 22, 2003
The MLB Commissioner Bud Selig has asked ephedra be banned from the
league in light of the recent death of Steve Bechler.
February 21, 2003
Waxman sends additional letters to the Major League Baseball Players
Association, NHL, and NBA questioning why ephedra has not yet been banned.
February 21, 2003
Baseball management and baseball players’ union received a letter
from two lawmakers, Rep. John E. Sweeney (R-N.Y.) and Sen. Richard J.
Durbin (D-Ill.), containing aggressive words regarding their disagreement
with the continuation to risk deadly and serious effects to occur to
players due to the lack of ephedrine stance the league has taken. Sweeney
was quoted as saying the MLB has done “too little, too late”
and the MLB’s allowance of ephedra to be used by players “in
my view, irresponsible and negligent”.
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February 21, 2003
Selig issues a statement saying the league office and team officials
will meet with the players union regarding the use of ephedrine and
other potentially dangerous dietary and nutritional supplements.
February 21, 2003
Senator Orrin Hatch issued a statement saying the federal government
has the power to ban ephedra and if they are planning on taking such
action immediate decisions should
be made. In the past Hatch has been a supporter of the dietary supplement
industry so his statement was a change from previous ones made. Hatch
has received $137,000 in campaign contributions from supplement makers
according to reports from
the
Center for Responsive Politics.
February
20, 2003
The FDA is investigating whether to ban ephedra in response to the most
recent death of Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler. Since the FDA
is unable to regulate herbal supplements, the agency must prove clear
dangers is present before it is able to ban sales. The FDA commissioner
feels that the dangers of ephedra would be immediately evaluated so
that the agency can take appropriate steps.
February 19,
2003
Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif) has been one of the most vocal critics
of ephedrine products and wrote to MLB Commissioner Bud Selig and demanded
to know why the MLB has still not prohibited the use of ephedra. The
NFL, International Olympic Committee, and the NCAA have all banned ephedra
use already and the death of Steve Bechler may be the final incident
to force the MLB to make changes. Waxman requested Selig answer six
questions regarding the sport’s policy
on drugs to be answered by March 1, 2003.
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