FDA Today (2-28-03): Ephedra Ban Possible

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

Headlines just out at usatoday.com read “FDA proposes warnings for ephedra; ban possible”. Check out the article by clicking here

The FDA will allow a 30 day public comment period starting at 3:30 p.m. today (2-28-03). If you want to comment click here

The docket number is 95N-0304 and wasn’t yet up on the site a few minutes ago, but should be shortly. Or, if you want, there is a link on that page to email, but it would be more effective to wait until the number shows up on the docket list (it may be there at this very moment) and go that route.

Let’s hit it folks.

2

Update: Since Hot-Rox sounds so promising, and I know I can’t wait to give it a try, I’ve decided that I actually don’t give a shit about the ephedra fight anymore. The ephedra posts never do seem to generate much interest anyway, so screw it.

So, my solemn promise is to never bring up this subject again (wild applause from the forum)!

Bring on the Hot-Rox!

3

I actually urge people to make reasonable, measured comments in favor of ephedra.

While it is an imperfect substance at best, it is used by 14 million Americans annually. These are primarily overweight / obese people who benefit strongly by the appetite-suppressing effects of ephedra as well as its energy boosting.

It’s utter imperfection as a “fat burner” doesn’t change the fact that ephedra is better as a “weight loss drug” for these people than anything the pharmaceutical industry has to offer. Phentermine, Xenical, Meridia are comically bad drugs that cost a bloody fortune and work for few people. Xenical, in particular, is beyond idiotic.

I would not recommend using words like idiotic with the FDA, I am just trying to make a point here. The fact is that big pharma hates ephedra because it basically works better than what they sell and big pharma encourages doctors to prescribe their borderline-useless drugs, which are not even safe.

They cite the horrible deaths and side effects from ephedra, but the reality is actually far, far different. Deaths among ephedra users that can actually be attributed to ephedra are far beneath 1 in 100,000 users. In fact, they may be as low as 1 in 1,000,000 users.

Did you know that cars killed 1 in 60,000 users in the U.S. last year? You certainly here no one discussing an automobile ban. Drinking is more fatal than driving per se (obviously, the mix is deadly). Smoking has a death rate that is 10-to-100 times greater than ephedra’s, provides no health benefits and costs us all a fortune. Are we discussing banning smoking? No!

Ephedra is an essential tool in a largely unfought war to combat America’s No. 1 health problem today – obesity.

Please express your support for it in calm, adult tones to the FDA. Many of us may not be obese and most of us are motivated to work out, but we are rare among Americans and our countrymen need our help and support.

Thank you,
Mark

4

Mamann could you update that link for me please I can’t find the docket I was looking for it wasn’t in there. Ill still fight for the cause of ephedrine cause it isn’t the fact that i care for ephedrine its that fact that its our rights and there being taken away. Please post the working link if you can, thanks bro.

Pugs

5

Its a damn shame the media blew this one up. SO many brilliant people in the world, and none of them are in any position of authority (except at t-mag). Looks like with the introduction of Hot Rox, Ephedra will go into the fat loss Smithsonian.

6

Great post, Mark. Actually, my last post was a little tongue-in-cheek.

My main concern was not just ephedra, but the fear that the proposed legislation would be the opening of the floodgates for future action against other supplements, which would really suck.

Pugs, I’m surprised the docket isn’t up yet on that site, which is a current FDA page.

On the FDA home page, they direct you there with a link. Until they update it, I’d just do as they suggest and click the link for the email using the docket number I provided above. Thanks!