Ephedra Council defends drug in light of scrutiny

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos called on major league baseball to ban ephedrine, a stimulant that may have contributed to the death of pitcher Steve Bechler.

Bechler, an Orioles pitching prospect, died Monday, a day after he was unable to complete a workout. Xenadrine, which contains ephedrine, was found in his locker.

"Unfortunately, we're all human and don't move until something very grim and very tragic like this occurs," Angelos said Wednesday. "Hopefully, if anything positive can come from this tragedy, it will be that we'll get the kind of movement we need in these circumstances."

The Ephedra Education Council said Thursday that Bechler's death should not automatically be linked to the dietary supplement.

"So far, I have trouble believing ephedra played a role in this tragedy," Dr. Carlon Colker, CEO and medical director of Peak Wellness Inc., said Thursday on a conference call arranged by the council. "This was clearly a case of heat stroke. Taking ephedra as directed does not lead to heat stroke."

Ephedra is banned by the NFL, the NCAA and IOC but not by major league baseball. The Food and Drug Administration has reports of at least 100 deaths linked to the supplement, which is used in weight loss programs.

Attorney Wes Siegner, a spokesman for the Council, added that "at this point there is no solid evidence he consumed ephedra or if he did that it contributed to his death. Over 55 clinical studies testify to the safety of ephedra. It is popular because it works and people need help losing weight."

In Washington, Rep. John Sweeney, R-N.Y., asked the Food and Drug Administration to halt all sales of ephedra products until Congress holds hearings, and Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., called on Congress to investigate the safety of the dietary supplement.

Major league baseball has delayed a decision about ephedra until more is known about the circumstances of Bechler's death.

The 6-foot-2 Bechler had battled a weight problem since joining the Orioles organization in 1998 as a third round pick out of South Medford (Ore.) High School. He weighed 249 pounds last Friday, 10 pounds above his listed weight.

Also:

--Bechler's father, Ernie, said his first son died 20 years ago from an aneurysm while playing baseball in Arizona. "I lost my oldest son the same way," Ernie Bechler told The (Baltimore) Sun. The son, Ernest, was about 19 or 20, Ernie Bechler said.

--Toronto catcher Ken Huckaby threw out his supply of ephedrine. "Personally I never felt anything from it," Huckaby said. "I knew the dangers of it, just like anybody who researches stuff. For me, personally, it accomplished what I wanted to accomplish, it kept me at the weight I wanted to be at. For me it was just an offseason supplement."

--Cincinnati Reds players are making a donation to Bechler's wife, who is expecting the couple's first child in April.