US Goverment bans dietary supplement ephedra!

[fractious]

Just saw it as breaking news on CNN.COM.. more details to follow.

[fractious]

(CNN) -- Federal officials are moving to ban the sale of the herbal supplement ephedra because of continued health concerns about the product.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson and Mark McClellan, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, are expected to announce steps leading to a ban on ephedra at an 11:30 a.m. ET news conference.

Illinois and New York already have banned the sale of products containing ephedra, and Florida banned ephedra sales to minors in May.

Ephedra is an herbal supplement that is found in many over-the-counter products designed to help people lose weight or increase their energy, and has long been the subject of criticism.

In February, a medical examiner said an ephedra supplement was linked to the death of Baltimore Orioles pitching prospect Steve Bechler.

A study commissioned by the National Institutes of Health also called into safety the use of ephedra, saying it was associated with higher risks of heart palpitations, tremors and insomnia.

Other studies have also suggested links to health problems.

The Annals of Internal Medicine reported this year that, although products with ephedra make up less than 1 percent of dietary supplement sales, it has accounted for 64 percent of the serious side effects that have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in association with dietary supplements.

A second study published in the journal Neurology found that the rate of strokes among ephedra users was higher than in nonusers. The supplement users in the study took more than 32 milligrams a day; some ephedra labels recommend almost 100 milligrams daily.

In October 2002, members of the American Medical Association testified before Congress on the dangers of ephedra, and the group has urged the FDA to ban the diet aid.

The AMA said ephedra use is linked to heart attacks, strokes and seizures, among other conditions.

Supporters of ephedra say the supplement is safe when taken as directed. Earlier this year, the Ephedra Education Council told the FDA in a statement that under the FDA's current definition, "There is no question that ephedra supplements that meet current industry standards are safe and provide significant public health benefits for consumers who need to lose weight."

[muscledoc]

Another brilliant move by our FDA. FAct is there are more ER vists per year for OD of aspirin than any supplement by far. Ephedrine comes in something like 20th. jUSt another case of the government having to protect a very stupid public from themselves I suppose.

[spidey]

No biggie I guess. It's not like we won't be able to get it just like we get everything else that is illegal, LOL.

[LARGELI]

i knew tomorrow will be the last day you can legally buy it in cali, but i didnt know it was gonna be the whole country!

[woodard]

Originally posted by spidey
No biggie I guess. It's not like we won't be able to get it just like we get everything else that is illegal, LOL.

About the only thing these assholes are gonna accomplish is making us pay a little more for it on the black market.:cursin:

[hitmansb]

I can see it now....me in a boat during the summer, zipping across the St. Lawrence River with boxes of ephedrine destined for the U.S. shore. We were there for you during Prohibition (Rum Runners), and I'm sure Canada will be there for you now.

[BuddyBoy]

Im gonna get so fat.

[RUI-Products]

powernutrition.com Will have a large stock ........order now

[fractious]

Yeah I think you should just buy up as much as you can.. I wonder what the shelf life if ephedra is?

[muscledoc]

Spidey is right. Just like everything else "illegal" it can be had.

[fractious]

Maybe but the prices are gonna shoot through the roof. Imagine paying $50 for a bottle of ephedrine?

[woodard]

Originally posted by hitmansb
I can see it now....me in a boat during the summer, zipping across the St. Lawrence River with boxes of ephedrine destined for the U.S. shore. We were there for you during Prohibition (Rum Runners), and I'm sure Canada will be there for you now.

Good lookin out there Hitmansb!:D

[spidey]

I just bought like a year's supply, LOL.

[Murtle]

You'll still find it around, it would probably cost a bit more.

Murtle