Ephedra Banned in Illinois

SPRINGFIELD, Ill.--On May 15, a bill that would ban the sale of any product containing ephedra or ephedrine alkaloids in the state of Illinois was passed by the state's House by a vote of 117 to 0. The bill had previously been unanimously approved by the Senate. Now, the bill heads off to Gov. Rod Blagojevich to be signed into law, which is a surety; Blagojevich had been the one to urge the state's legislature to pass the ban.

"This drug is a risk to anyone who uses it," Blagojevich stated in a press release. "The only way we can protect the people of Illinois from the harm of this supplement is to take it off the shelves and educate consumers of its possible dangers. The bottom line is, there is no safe amount of ephedra. ... Our children need to know a healthy diet and exercise is always a better alternative--especially to a supplement that may kill them." In his speech, Blagojevich said the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) RAND report and the 2002 death of a 16-year-old Illinois boy--allegedly caused by ephedra--factored into his decision.

The "Ephedra Prohibition Act," sponsored by Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-12th District) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-13th District), bans the sale of all dietary supplements containing ephedra or ephedrine alkaloids to purchasers, regardless of age. This would not affect products that have been approved as safe and effective under FDA's Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Violating this soon-to-be-law the first time would be classified as a misdemeanor, and violators would be fined up to $5,000 and be subject to one year in prison. For subsequent violations, the act would be considered a Class 3 felony, subject to five years in prison or a fine of up to $20,000.

Although the sale of ephedra-containing products would become illegal, possession would not. Illinois consumers can still buy the products via the Internet and across state borders.

Ephedra giant Metabolife International voiced its opinion about this latest battle. "It would be a travesty if consumers were robbed of their right to choose valuable weight loss products that help them lose weight and improve their health, particularly now that being overweight is recognized by the government as a serious threat to the public health of Americans," said Jan Strode, Metabolife spokesperson, in a company statement. "Metabolife stands by the substantial body of scientific evidence supporting that ephedra-caffeine combinations are safe and effective tools when used as directed for weight control."