Herbal drugs to be outlawed as evidence of health risk mounts
by Michael Prescott Chief Political Correspondent

HERBS used in a range of alternative health remedies and in legal
"versions" of the drugs cannabis and ecstasy are to be outlawed this week.

Ministers are alarmed at mounting evidence that the substances are
dangerous, and are to make those who supply them liable to up to two years
in jail, an unlimited fine, or both.

Products with names such as Druids' Fantasy, Skull Cap, Herbal Ecstasy,
Purples and Road Runners are widely sold in new age shops, by traders at
rock festivals and by mail order in youth magazines. Vendors promise they
will provide a legal "herbal high".

The ingredients in the drugs are khat, yohimbine, ipomoea and ephedrine.
Some, particularly ephedrine, are also used in alternative health cures.

However, reports circulating in the Department of Health claim that at
least 15 deaths in America in the past year have been associated with
products containing ephedra, based on ephedrine. Khat is said to cause a
form of psychosis and yohimbine can be dangerous if taken with drugs found
in cold and cough remedies.

Alan Milburn, health minister, will announce on Wednesday that the
government now regards the substances as medicines, covered by the
Medicines Act. As such, trading in them will be illegal unless
manufacturers or vendors obtain a government licence for the products.

Licences are awarded by the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) only if a firm
conducts extensive clinical trials and can prove a product is safe. Such
trials are thought to be too long and costly for those who sell the "herbal
highs" and alternative cures.

After Milburn's announcement, MCA officers will make spot checks on traders
in herbal drugs. They will concentrate on those selling "herbal highs", but
a government source confirmed yesterday that Labour also intends to stamp
out trade in alternative cures based on the herbs. "The evidence that these
ingredients are dangerous is growing," the source said.

The crackdown comes amid mounting concern about falseclaims made for many
alternative and herbal medicines.

Copyright 1997 The Times Newspapers Limited