Consumers Union Praises FDA Move To Ban Ephedra
click here to read the press release (12-30-03)

Ephedra is an herb used in dietary supplements that purport to help people lose weight and boost energy. Ephedra has been associated with serious health problems, including hypertension, stroke, heart attack, seizure, cardiac arrhythmia, and over 100 deaths. ...read more about the dangers of ephedra.

The February 17, 2003 death of Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler has focused new attention on the dangers of ephedra. Bechler, 23, died of heatstroke after a spring-training practice. He had been taking an ephedra product (Xenadrine RFA-1) which was later confirmed by medical examiners and toxicology tests to be a contributor to the pitcher's death.

Consumers Union is working on a number of fronts, nationwide, to raise awareness about the need for more stringent regulation of ephedra and of dietary supplements, in general. We have asked the FDA to ban the sale of ephedra and to require pre-market safety testing of dietary supplements.

• FDA - The FDA should immediately ban ephedra
  
• Congress - Support S772, The Dietary Supplement Safety Act
  
• California - Speier Bill Barring Ephedra Supplements From Store Shelves Sent To Governor
  
• Illinois/New York - New York and Illinois Ban Ephedra