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Durbin and Waxman renew call for Bush
administration to ban ephedra
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Letter cites bans on ephedra in California,
Illinois and New York
and removal of ephedra from shelves of major drug and discount stores
[OCT. 21, 2003]
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Two of
Congress' leading critics of the dietary supplement ephedra, U.S.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif.,
renewed their call on the Bush administration to take immediate
action to protect the public from the threat posed by ephedra-containing
dietary supplements. Durbin and Waxman's comments came on the
heels of California imposing a ban on the sale of over-the-counter
ephedra pills last week.
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In a letter to U.S. Secretary of Health
Tommy Thompson, the two lawmakers wrote: "Now, three of the most
populous states in the nation -- representing 65 million people --
and scores of counties and cities have acted to protect their
citizens from this dangerous product . . . Mr. Secretary, how many
states will have to enact legislation and how many stores will have
to pull this product before you use your authority to ban ephedra
and protect the rest of America?" This is the eighth letter Durbin
has written to Thompson since August 2002 urging him to take
meaningful action and suspend sales of the ephedra until it can be
proven to be safe.
When the new law goes into effect on
Jan. 1, 2004, California will become the third state in the nation
to ban the drug. Illinois and New York have also prohibited ephedra
from being sold within their borders.
Durbin and Waxman also noted that as of
Sept. 1 many of the nation's largest drug store and discount store
chains -- Walgreens, CVS, Eckerd, Rite Aid and Wal-Mart,
collectively representing more than 17,300 stores nationwide -- have
pulled all ephedra-containing dietary supplements from their
shelves. GNC, the largest specialty retailer of nutritional
supplements in the country, which has 5,300 stores nationwide,
pulled ephedra off its shelves in June.
"So far, we have seen a singular
unwillingness on the part of the Bush administration to act to
protect American consumers from this product, and I just can't
understand it. We have overwhelming evidence that this drug is
dangerous -- we have FDA reports that link ephedra to more than 117
deaths and 18,000 incidents of heart attacks, high blood pressure
and stroke; we have states telling manufacturers to peddle their
pills elsewhere; we have major drug stores and discount stores
pulling this product off their shelves. What more does it take? What
has to happen before this administration does the right thing and
stands up to the ephedra lobby?"
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Text of letter:
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October 20, 2003
The Honorable Tommy Thompson
Secretary
Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Ave., S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
Dear Secretary Thompson:
This week, California became the
third state to enact a ban on the sale of dietary supplements
containing the potent stimulant ephedra, following Illinois
and New York. Now, three of the most populous states in the
nation -- representing 65 million people -- and scores of
counties and cities have acted to protect their citizens from
this dangerous product.
Not only have a growing number
of states and local governments acknowledged the danger
ephedra poses to the public, but our nation's largest
drugstores have acted to protect their customers as well. As
of September 1, 2003, Walgreens, CVS, Eckerd, Rite Aid, and
Walmart, collectively representing more than 17,300 stores
nationwide, have pulled all ephedra-containing dietary
supplements from their shelves.
GNC, the largest specialty
retailer of nutritional supplements in the country, which has
5,300 stores nationwide, pulled ephedra off its shelves in
June.
Mr. Secretary, how many states
will have to enact legislation and how many stores will have
to pull this product before you use your authority to ban
ephedra and protect the rest of America?
On March 5, 2003, the FDA
reopened the comment period on the proposed rule on dietary
supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids. Since that time,
your Department has been absolutely silent on the issue.
Waiting any longer before taking
action is unnecessary and will prolong the public's exposure
to this dangerous product. We repeat our call to take
immediate action on this issue.
Sincerely,
Richard J. Durbin
Ranking Member
Senate Subcommittee on Oversight
of Government, Management, Federal Workforce & the District of
Columbia
Henry Waxman
Ranking Member
House
Committee on Government Reform |
[News release]
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