Banning ephedrine
When 16-year-old Sean, a high-school football player, began taking a product called Yellow Jackets he obviously never knew the drug's fatal effects. Yet, as he sat on the bench doubled over with stomach pain and a headache, he knew something was wrong. His doctor diagnosed Sean with bronchitis and sent him home for rest. Shortly after he went into convulsions and stopped breathing. The hospital claimed Sean had a heart attack. Logan County Illinois coroner blames his death on ephedrine. Ephedrine is a stimulant derived from the ephedra plant. Also known as Ma Haung, it is used as an ingredient in diet pills, illegal recreational drugs and over the counter medications to treat asthma and congestion. Although it has been used in China for thousands of years for medicinal purposes, the Food and Drug Administration has linked ephedra to 81 deaths and 1400 incidents of heart attacks, high blood pressure, and stroke. While the FDA does require labels on products containing ephedrine, warning of possible serious effects, there is little regulation. In fact, products containing ephedra are so easy to get that they are sold in gas stations, with large, flashy displays, across the United States. Many people are buyin
One example of an ephedrine user, who did not exceed the recommended dosage, is that of a 35-year-old woman who began using a dietary supplement to aid in weight loss. She was taking the ephedrine-based drug for 30 days, when she awoke one night to an onset of severe chest pain, which led to her left arm and shoulder. She experienced numbness on her left side and a shortness of breath. At the hospital she was treated with morphine and received an electrocardiogram test that showed normal coronary functions and no cardiovascular risk factors. She was advised to stop using ephedra products, and Numerous other similar reports have been documented as the FDA struggles to ban products containing ephedrine. While there is no "proof" ephedrine is the direct cause of these deaths, there were no other causes to explain their conditions. Canada has noticed these risks and has banned the product. The government has classified it as a "Class 1" health risk, and stated that it is "beyond dispute that ephedrine has triggered heart attacks and death." Advancements have been made in the fight to ban the drug in the U.S. The Armed Forces have removed the drug from their military stores, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association banned the use by student athletes. Like steroids, they now test for the drug to enforce the ban. However, ephedrine also causes tremors, irritability and dangerous rises in blood pressure. It has also be
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Approximate Word count = 967
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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