FDA IS RIGHT TO BAN EPHEDRA

After as many as 155 deaths and 16,000 other "adverse reactions" --
such as strokes and heart attacks -- the FDA did the right and needed
thing by banning the "dietary supplement" ephedra.

Touted as a weight-loss aid, ephedra flies below the radar of
regulation by falling into the "dietary supplement" category of
substances. That basically seems to mean that its manufacturers and
sellers could make all kinds of claims about its supposed benefits so
long as they informed customers that none of these claims were proven
or sanctioned by the Food and Drug Administration.

They also didn't have to prove that the product is safe.

The government's action comes after three states had already banned
ephedra -- California, New York and Illinois -- and after it had been
banned by the International Olympic Committee, the National Football
League and college sports. Major League Baseball, notably, had failed
to ban the supplement, despite the fact it made big news this spring
when a pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles died during training camp
after taking it.

Makers of ephedra argue that the supplement is safe if taken
correctly, and they might be right. The problem is that it isn't
treated as a serious medical product but as a dietary supplement. The
message to consumers is that it must be OK because of the way it is
regulated and sold.

Today, people want everything to be easy and fast. If you can't lose
weight fast enough through controlling your diet and exercising,
taking a pill that promises quick, easy -- and safe -- results is
alluring. If it also promises to increase your energy level, so much
the better.

And of course with the prevalent American attitude that if one is
good, two must be better, people are quick to up the dosage.

But while eating two grapefruit might be better than eating one,
taking that course with ephedra can be a big mistake -- potentially a
fatal one.

The question of whether ephedra is safe when used properly should be
explored. After all, there are many products that can produce
beneficial effects if used wisely, but which if abused can harm
people. It reminds us of the reaction of an old-time politician to his
stand on alcoholic beverages.

He replied that if you are talking about that evil brew that wrecks
marriages, destroys health and robs man of his reason, he was against
it; but if you are talking about the magical libation that enhances
the appetite, smoothes social discourse and raises people's spirits,
he was all for it.

If ephedra has a useful and safe place in weight control or as an
energy enhancer, the FDA should determine what that roles is and then
apply the proper regulations to help consumers understand its uses as
well as its risks.

Other than breathing clean air, it's hard to think of anything that is
risk-free -- after all, you can choke on a glass of water. The weight
of evidence today is that ephedra carries more risks than its status
on our store shelves implies.

Until it is properly regulated, ephedra should be banned