WHEREAS, the 2002 Hawaii Secondary Student Conference brought to the attention of the Legislature the many problems stemming from the use of ephedra, also known as ma huang, which is a common ingredient in weight loss supplements and athletic stimulants; and

WHEREAS, ephedra-containing stimulants, in the form of drinks and pills, can be found in supermarkets, drugstores, health stores, and fitness centers across the Unites States; and

WHEREAS, used as a stimulant for athletic purposes, ephedra has been known to have disastrous side effects, which include nervousness, dizziness, headaches, heart problems, and in severe cases, psychosis and death; and

WHEREAS, the Food and Drug Administration has received reports of more than one hundred deaths involving users of ephedra, as well as reports of heart attacks, seizures, strokes, and other health problems dating back since 1994; and

WHEREAS, like all herbal products, ephedra is classified as a dietary supplement and not as a drug. Consequently, it is relatively free of federal regulation; and

WHEREAS, ephedra sales have been banned in sixteen states, and its use is prohibited by the International Olympics Committee, the United States Olympics Committee, the National Football League, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and the United States armed forces; and

WHEREAS, an ephedra-containing stimulant is what took the life of Sean Riggins, a sixteen-year-old high school football player from Lincoln, Illinois; and

WHEREAS, closer to home, Biancha Yalung, a University of Hawaii student who took two tablets of ephedra at a dance, remembers that she was "unable to keep still" and was "always fidgety, even while sleeping." When the effects wore off completely, Yalung fell asleep for a solid twelve hours. "Once it wears out you can't even open your eyes," she was reported saying; and

WHEREAS, the Oahu Interscholastic League and the State of Hawaii have no regulations in place that prohibit the use of ephedra by student athletes; and

WHEREAS, there is a lack of a comprehensive knowledge base about ephedra and its effects on humans to guide policy-making in the State; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2003, that the Department of Health is requested to investigate and compile data on the use and effects of ephedra on humans; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested to report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2004; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Heath and the President of the Hawaii State Student Council.

Report Title:

DOH Study on Ephedra