New bill affects Ephedrine usage

by Rebecca Cooper
Staff Writer

On Sept. 27, Gov. Gray Davis signed into law a bill that will affect the labeling and sales of diet aids containing the ephedrine alkaloids or steroid hormone precursors, such as androstenedione.

Ephedrine is an amphetamine-like chemical that acts as a stimulant. It increases the heart rate, metabolic rate and blood pressure. It is used in products to treat asthma, colds, allergies, increase energy, weight loss and appetite suppression pills.

"Ephedrine is a drug," said Paul Alvarez, professor of movement and sports science. "It is a very powerful stimulant that is very easily marketable to the average person. The empirical evidence shows that it does not provide a significant improvement in performance, and it's not a very safe thing to be messing around with."

The bill, SB 1884, requires these products to include warning statements regarding content, the adverse effects of using the product and a phone number to report adverse effects.

Ephedrine products have been suspected in a number of deaths of high school, college and professional athletes around the country, Alvarez said.

"It's usually not as big of a problem for the average person who takes it and just sits around, but there's no way of knowing unless they have a congenital condition," he said. "For athletes and active people, though, it artificially jacks up the blood pressure and heart rate that are already significantly increased. This can cause some extreme side effects including stroke or even death."

Alvarez is currently studying the effects of energy drinks, which are thought to contain minor ephedrine, and other supplements containing significant amounts of ephedrine.

"Prior to this, supplements containing ephedrine were not regulated to state percentages of ephedrine or even that they contained ephedrine," Alvarez said. "Because it's a naturally occurring product, as long as they made no medical claims, no one was doing any wrong and no one was monitoring."

It can cause many adverse effects, including rapid heart beat, dizziness, severe headaches, shortness of breath, heart attack, brain hemorrhages, depression, fever, vomiting, coma, convulsions and, in extreme cases, death. The Federal Drug Administration has received reports of 140 deaths and injuries related to ephedrine use, but experts say it is severely under reported.

The bill also makes it a misdemeanor to sell dietary supplements containing ephedrine group alkaloids or steroid hormone precursors to minors.

College students have made ephedrine one of the hottest drug trends. It is easily available at gas stations, drug stores and dietary supplement stores. Students use the drug as a sort of "herbal speed" for pulling allnighters, to stay awake during classes, to stay out all night partying or as a tool for weight loss or appetite suppressant.

"This is a really popular topic right now, because there are so many questions and some very colored opinions about products containing ephedrine," said Marilyn Oliver, professor of movement and sports science. "Ephedrine products are not regulated by the FDA, and most people are not aware of the side effects or all the products containing ephedrine, including energy drinks, food supplements and various prescription drugs."