Ephedrine use claimed teen’s life

[OCT. 10, 2002]  The inquest jurors were mute when Logan County Coroner Chuck Fricke concluded his presentation of facts and witnesses in the death of a 16-year-old Lincoln youth, Sean M. Riggins. Sean died of a heart attack on Sept. 3.

Sean’s father, Kevin Riggins, described his son as a healthy, adventurous athlete who loved life. He said Sean would never knowingly have put anything into his body that he thought would harm him. Fricke said toxicology results bore that out.

Yet, this apparently healthy, young athlete did die, and he died from something he put into his body.

What came to light during the testimonies was shocking. The revealed activities of other young, healthy, energetic students was something no one — not law enforcement, not school authorities, not coaches and especially not parents — were prepared for. The rampant use of dangerous over-the-counter drugs is sweeping our local youth. Our high school students have been heavily involved in the use of ephedrine products, both as athletic enhancers and for recreational use.

Students eventually reported that several ephedrine products were being passed around on bus trips while en route to athletic events. Some young people were using them during recreation times as well. The particular products being used produce effects much like amphetamine street drugs. Students were using ephedrine products and spiking them with high caffeine drinks. The students liked the benefits and sensations produced and were using them as stimulants for both athletic purposes and recreational pleasure.

The chemical constituents of ephedrine are said not to be toxic by themselves. It is when combined with additional drugs, such as caffeine, which increases the amount and speed that it is delivered into the circulatory system, that ephedrine products become dangerous. The quantity of active ingredients in each capsule and the packaging and labeling of the products is regulated by the FDA. However, to gain the desired effects students often joint the products with high caffeine drinks.

Fricke gave a chronology of his investigation and then called forth three witnesses. On Wednesday, Sept. 4, the day after Sean’s death, he received a call from the mother of a girl suffering symptoms similar to those Sean experienced. The girl had been to Clinton Lake just as Sean had on the Saturday before. The mother was concerned that maybe there was something wrong with the water there. Through a series of events including contacting the public health departments and schools, a nurse finally broke the cloud of mystery: "The kids were yellow jacketing and jointing."

This was the first Fricke had heard of such a thing. He began researching. He found a number of different products readily available containing the key ingredient in Yellow Jackets, ephedrine, readily available for anyone to purchase in local stores. He purchased a couple, a package of 3/$1.50 Yellow Jackets and a bottle containing 60 Ephedrin. The label on a package of Yellow Jackets says that it is "An herbal dietary supplement and an extreme energizer. Not to be sold to minors, which is prohibited."

Fricke contacted the Lincoln Police Department and asked for their assistance in the investigation. Detective Michael Harberts worked with Detective John Bunner on the case.

Harberts said that he had not heard of Yellow Jackets jointing previously. They began by speaking with Sean’s parents. Sean’s parents also had never heard of this. They went to Lincoln Community High School and spoke with Superintendent Fred Plese, head football coach John Oaks and athletic director Darrell Hanslow. All of them were "totally unaware" of any students or athletes using these products or yellow jacketing. "They were shocked," Harberts said.

A friend and teammate to Sean eventually came forth and broke the silence. He told the detectives that the day before Sean died (Monday) they had a football game against Olympia. "Most of the football players were taking Yellow Jackets on the bus going there and after they got to the stadium. Some of the kids became ill, nauseated. Sean had become nauseated and couldn’t play in the game." The coaches thought it was just the heat. It was in the upper 90s that day.

Bunner believes the students were taking it with the intent of athletic enhancement just the way people drink coffee to be more alert. It made them more energetic.

Bunner also explained that Illinois does not restrict the sale of these products. He read a label, "Abuse of this product could be fatal. Do not sell to minors. Distribution of this product requires a DEA license." The warning is a self-regulating measure by the manufacturer. A DEA license is not known to anyone, including former DEA agent, Sen. Dick Durbin. Which, Fricke suggests, indicates that some of these products are mislabeled or misleading.

Sgt. Ken Greenslate, who works with youth, was asked to assist with the investigation. He interviewed students, trying to narrow down how much ephedra Sean was taking in the days before his death. During his interviews with students no one could say just how much he was taking. Friends recalled that Sean had nausea and dry heaves on Saturday. They said he felt tired or puny on Sunday. Another teammate said that on Monday, Sean was feeling poorly and he was unable to play in the game.

[to top of second column in this article]

Students said that it was not just one person passing products, and not just one ephedra product was being passed around. No one actually saw anyone give product to Sean. Nor did anyone see him taking product, but several knew that he had taken it.

Sean’s parents, Kevin and Debbie, spoke with his friends and tried to convey to them the importance of knowing just how much and how Sean had taken the ephedrine products. They wanted to know just what had killed their son and hopefully prevent it from happening to any other family.

Eventually they received 14 handwritten letters from Sean’s friends documenting the use of the products, including Yellow Jackets, Stacker 2 and some others. The students documented that they used them for several reasons — for weight loss, to get pumped for football games; and some said they enjoyed the thrill of feeling their heart beat real fast, and it gave them a buzz or rush.

The Rigginses were left with the clear impression that students did not know anything about the product. Kevin Riggins added, "I know how my son was. He was not a drug user, didn’t smoke, nothing of that sort. If he had known what this stuff could do, he would not have taken it."

The forensic pathologists’ portion of the investigation determined the manner of death. The autopsy was performed by Dr. Michael A. Markey and Dr. Kent Harshbarger at Memorial Medical Center, Springfield. Following postmortem examination and various laboratory tests, they gave an opinion that Riggins died of acute myocardial infarction. The heart was mildly enlarged with diffuse mottling of the myocardium. Other notable findings included an enlarged congested spleen, fatty change of the liver, small nodules at the periphery of the lungs. Toxicology results of the urine revealed ephedrine and/or pseudo-ephedrine product.

Their report stated, "Ephedra alkaloids, including ephedrine, have significant physiological effects on the cardiovascular system. These effects include elevation of blood pressure and cardiac stimulation. A variety of deaths have been attributed to ephedrine and include cases of acute myocardial infarction, likely due to its vaso constriction properties. It is our opinion that Sean’s heart attack is consistent with the effects of ephedrine. There were no other abnormalities of the coronary arteries."

Sean’s father gave an account of Sean’s last few days alive. Saturday he seemed fine at home. He ate like normal. He went with his friends out to Clinton Lake. His parents had no idea that he had been sick that day when he went to stay the night at his friend’s house. Sunday he took off to play with his friends. He was the type of kid that if he wanted to do something he wouldn’t say if he didn’t feel well.

On Monday Sean complained of his stomach hurting and headache. He was tired. His father attributed it to a busy weekend. He’d spent the night at his friend’s house twice, been to the lake twice, had football practice Saturday — a typical weekend for Sean.

He rested all day but still went to his football game. Sean said he was "feeling a little iffy."

Tuesday morning he got up and told his mother, Debbie, that he didn’t feel like going to school. A little later he asked to go to the doctor. He was diagnosed, by the doctor, with bronchitis. He was given a shot of Pancof for his nausea, cough medication and antibiotics. He went home and rested.

Fricke interjected that ephedrine is often used as an asthma medication. The effect of ephedrine as a bronchial dilator would present to a doctor as bronchitis.

Sean’s mother kept check on him. While he was sleeping he began to mumble in his sleep. She went over to him, and he had stopped breathing. She began CPR and called for help.

He was taken by rescue personnel to ALMH. They began testing for a heart attack. His treponin was almost 100. Normal ranges are one or two. A mild heart attack is four to five.

The cause of death, heart attack, given by the forensic pathologists was determined from medical, toxicology and autopsy evidences.

After hearing the overwhelming evidence from the toxicology report and the testimony of witnesses, the jurors had no questions before retiring to make their decision as to the manner of his death. They came back in a few short minutes having determined his death as "accidental but avoidable."

[Jan Youngquist]

[OCT. 10, 2002]  WASHINGTON, D.C. — At a Senate subcomittee hearing chaired Tuesday by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the Illinois senator renewed his call to the Bush Administration and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to take immediate action to protect the public from the threat posed by ephedra-containing dietary supplements.

The hearing, held by the Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight of Governmental Management, Restructuring, and the District of Columbia, focused on what government agencies and private organizations are doing to protect consumers from harm from ephedra-containing dietary supplements and contrasted the U.S. approach with the approach taken by other countries. This was the second major hearing on dietary supplements chaired by Durbin in the past six months.

Durbin said the list of problems associated with ephedra is growing and the federal government must act.

"Today I am again asking the secretary of health and the FDA to take meaningful action to address the public health threat posed by the dietary supplement ephedra, and to use their authority to suspend the sales of the product in the U.S. until we can ensure that it is safe," said Durbin.

"So far, we have seen a reluctance on the part of this administration to act to protect American consumers from this product, and I just can’t understand it. We have mountains of evidence that this drug is not safe, and these manufacturers are being irresponsible about their marketing practices. We have a dead child in Illinois; we have FDA reports that link ephedra to 81 deaths and 1,400 incidents of heart attacks, high blood pressure and stroke; we have companies marketing this ‘natural product’ as an alternative to cocaine and speed. What more does it take? How many more kids do we have to bury before we say ‘enough is enough’?"

Testifying at the hearing were Kevin and Debbie Riggins, parents of a 16-year-old Illinois teen who died after consuming an ephedra product, and Chuck Fricke, the county coroner who investigated. Sean Riggins, a high school student from Lincoln, Ill., died of heart failure after consuming a dietary supplement product known as Yellow Jacket. The Logan County coroner testified that the death was directly related to consumption of this product. Riggins, who was on both the high school football team and wrestling team, had no pre-existing heart conditions and had passed a physical just one month prior to his death.

"It is so hard to come to grips with the death of our son," said Debbie Riggins. "In what way do these companies differ from drug peddlers? Contract killers? They are making a product, packaging it, wholesaling it, distributing it, having others sell it for them so you don’t see their faces; so the common man doesn’t know where to go if he has a question or needs help. The only difference that I see is how the law is written, or rather no law is in place."

On Tuesday, the FDA requested a search warrant for the New Jersey facilities of NVE Pharmaceuticals, producers of Yellow Jackets. The Food and Drug Administration has also reported that they are stopping the imports of these pills. The FDA has contacted a Dutch company that is advertising the pills over the Internet as alternatives to cocaine and other street drugs, informing the company that this kind of advertising is illegal.

[to top of second column in this article]

FDA Acting Commissioner Lester Crawford warned, "Consumers should not purchase or use these or similar products available through the Internet or elsewhere."

The issue with Yellow Jackets themselves is separate, focusing on illegal advertising rather than ephedra’s safety.

The ephedra hearing also examined the current voluntary adverse event reporting system — AER — for dietary supplements and whether this system is adequate to protect public health. As part of this analysis, the Senate and House oversight committees reviewed 13,000 AERs received by Metabolife, the largest manufacturer of ephedra-containing dietary supplements in the U.S.

The committee found that Metabolife records include nearly 2,000 reports of significant adverse reactions to Metabolife products. The company had previously claimed that fewer than 80 of the AERs they submitted to the FDA could be classified as serious.

The adverse events reported to Metabolife by consumers of its products include three deaths, 20 heart attacks, 24 strokes, 40 seizures, 465 episodes of chest pains and 966 reports of heart rhythm disturbances. In addition, the reports contain hundreds of consumer complaints of high blood pressure and disturbing psychiatric symptoms, such as anxiety, mood changes or psychosis. In at least 46 instances, consumers reported that they required hospitalization following use of Metabolife products, and in at least 82 additional instances, consumers reported that they required emergency room care.

The committee analysis of the Metabolife records indicate that many of the significant adverse events involve consumers who were young, in good health and taking recommended dosages. Metabolife has asserted that adverse events do not occur when healthy individuals follow Metabolife’s recommended dosages. The actual adverse event reports, however, include many reports of significant health effects in healthy consumers taking recommended dosages. Among the most significant adverse event reports (those involving heart attacks, seizures, strokes and psychosis), over 90 percent of the reports where dosage information is noted involve consumers who were taking the dosage recommended by Metabolife.

Also testifying at the hearing were Howard Beales, director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the Federal Trade Commission; Bill Jeffery of the Center for Science in the Public Interest—Canada; Dr. Ron Davis, of the board of trustees of the American Medical Association; Dr. Sid Wolfe, director of the Public Citizen Health Research Group; Frank Uryasz, of the National Collegiate Athletic Association; a representative from Metabolife International; and Dr. Lester Crawford, acting commissioner with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

[Press release from U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin; LDN]

Chamber prepares for Christmas parade

[OCT. 10, 2002]  Lincoln’s annual Christmas parade downtown will be on Thursday, Dec. 5, at 7 p.m. "Let Your Spirits Soar" is the theme for this year’s parade, co-sponsored by the Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce and the city.

The chamber is accepting entries from businesses, industry, governmental agencies, schools, civic and not-for-profit groups, and religious, youth and charitable organizations. Let your imaginations soar to new heights with expressive interpretations of the parade theme. There is no charge to enter, and cash prizes will be awarded.

The evening parade features marching bands, lighted floats and vehicles, and military marching units. Groups are encouraged to use motorized vehicles in an attempt to reduce the number of walking entries.

"We’re also looking for a business or a group to sponsor the Santa Claus float," says Bobbi Abbott, chamber director. "The parade’s final entry is the Santa float, and it needs to be impressive!"

Interested participants may call 735-2385 or e-mail chamber@lincolnillinois.com for an entry form or further information.

[Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce
press release]

Illinois commemorative
quarter design chosen

[OCT. 10, 2002]  CHICAGO — The design for the Illinois commemorative quarter has been made public. Gov. George Ryan announced the design on Tuesday at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. The Illinois quarter, first in the 50 State Quarters Program to be released in 2003, will pay tribute to Illinois’ heritage and to the state’s past, present and future role as a leader in agriculture and industry.

"The Illinois commemorative quarter will encourage the youth of the United States to explore Illinois, its history and geography, as well as the rich diversity of our heritage," said Gov. Ryan. "I am proud that Lincoln is standing boldly in the center of the design. His resolve and example mean a great deal to people in Illinois and throughout the world."

The design incorporates a farm setting and the Chicago skyline, along with a young Abraham Lincoln superimposed on an outline of the state. Also included is the state slogan, "Land of Lincoln," as well as 21 stars and the inscription "21st State/21st Century." The design was inspired by artwork submitted to the governor by Thom Cicchelli of Chicago.

The image of Lincoln in the design is from "The Resolute Lincoln," a sculpture by Avard Fairbanks that depicts Lincoln at a pivotal time in his development. The work by Fairbanks is meant to reflect a turning point in Lincoln’s career and the changes that Lincoln went through during the six years he spent in New Salem, as he resolves to put down the ax and pick up the book. The statue, dedicated in 1954 as a gift to the state from the National Society of the Sons of Utah Pioneers, is located at the New Salem State Historic Site.

The "Land of Lincoln" slogan was adopted in 1955 by the General Assembly. In that same year, the U.S. Congress passed a special act granting Illinois a copyright for exclusive use of the "Land of Lincoln" insignia. The inscription "21st State/21st Century" describes Illinois’ historical role as the 21st state to ratify the Constitution and the state’s present and future role in the Union.

"Illinois is recognized internationally as a leader in agriculture and industry, and we have worked hard for decades to build the best cities, farms and schools to support our leadership role," said Gov. Ryan. "I can think of no better design to illustrate the accomplishments of past, present and future generations."

[to top of second column in this article]

In January 2001, Gov. Ryan announced a public input period, sponsored a statewide quarter design program for students and adults, and launched a website to help facilitate the design selection process for the commemorative quarter. He also formed a review committee comprised of educators, state personnel and numismatists. In addition, first lady Lura Lynn Ryan invited 14 teenagers to serve on a Futures for Kids review panel.

The governor received over 6,000 ideas for the Illinois quarter via mail and e-mail. Based on recommendations from the quarter committee and youth panel, he forwarded five themes to the U.S. Mint in April 2001. The Mint created candidate designs based on the themes and recently presented them to the governor and first lady for their final selection.

The commemorative quarters program is a 10-year initiative, beginning in 1999 and concluding in 2008, commemorating each of the 50 United States. Quarters are issued in the order in which the states ratified the Constitution and joined the Union. Illinois will be honored in 2003, along with Alabama, Maine, Missouri and Arkansas. State designs are displayed on the reverse of the quarters. The obverse of the quarters will continue to display the image of George Washington.

For more information on the Illinois commemorative quarter, visit http://www.state.il.us/state/quarter/default.htm.

[Illinois Government News Network
press release]

Return to current Top Stories page

Back to top