Build Date: Fri Jul 11 13:20:54 2025 UTC
I have seen the violence inherent in the system, and it's ME.
-- Negative Nancy
Rare Deaths Prompt Federal Restrictions on Miracle Herbal Drug
2003-07-24 01:15:05
It was a hot, humid day in Fort Lauderdale last February when Steve Bechler, a pitching prospect for the Baltimore Orioles, collapsed and later died of complications stemming from heatstroke. Despite reports that Bechler suffered from a host of health problems, some are blaming the death on his use of ephedrine, and using it as justification to regulate herbal stimulants.
Some of the details surrounding Steve Bechler's death remain unclear, but what is known is that during a particularly intense spring training workout his body temperature rose to 108 degrees. He died less than 24 hours later from multiple organ failure.
When, the day after Bechler's death, the Broward County medical examiner announced to the media that Bechler's use of ephedrine had contributed to the pitcher's demise, he was basing his conclusion not on the results of blood tests or a thorough autopsy, but merely gleaning the "facts" of the case from a series of interviews conducted with Bechler's family and teammates. The examiner wasn't happy merely blaming ephedrine for the death of the 23-year-old rising star, but spent much of his press conference telling the press that ephedrine was unsafe and should be banned.
Today, Bechler's mother testified before Congress. Close to tears, she proclaimed "We need to get this off the market." Rep Billy Tauzin, R-Louisiana, was one of the congressman pushing for this new restriction on herbal ephedrine, which is commonly used in weight-loss preparations, pep pills, and decongestants. Tauzin wants to start with a warning label on ephedra-containing products, but it's easy to see this issue snowballing into a full ban on ephedra products.
Deaths from ephedra are very rare. Researchers who have pored through the adverse reaction reports have found less than a dozen deaths where ephedra was the only extenuating circumstance. According to reports, Bechler was taking three ephedrine-containing pills every morning. Tests conducted by the staff of the Pigdog Journal confirmed that dosages of more than three times that amount daily produced no long-term ill effects in the test subjects. So what happened to Bechler?
Perhaps it wasn't the ephedra at all. The medical examiner also reported that Bechler had a history of high blood pressure and undiagnosed liver abnormalities. In addition, the 6'2", 245-pound Bechler had been on a crash diet and had not consumed much solid food in two days. It is not known how these other factors may have contributed, and we will never really know what killed Steve Bechler.
Unfortunately, Bechler's death, whether or not it was caused by ephedra, may be just the thing that conservatives need to add ephedra to a growing list of fun, useful, illegal drugs.
If you're one of the estimated 14 million Americans who love ephedrine, you might just want to stock up.
T O P S T O R I E S
California Glory Hole attracts huge crowds
A glory hole at Napa's Lake Berryessa is drawing huge crowds. According to Chris Lee, the general manager for the Solano County Water Agency, the glory hole hasn't been active since 2019, and only restarted operations on Feb 4. (More...)
Republican State Senator busted after soliciting a teenage girl
Republican State Senator Justin Eichorn of Minnesota was arrested for soliciting a teen girl on Monday just hours after he introduced a bill proposing "Trump derangement syndrome" (TDS) as a form of mental illness. (More...)
Parents claim measles is not that bad after having only one child die
The parents of a Texas girl who died from the measles are defending their decision not to vaccinate their daughter. "She says they would still say 'Don't do the shots,'" an unidentified translator for the parents said. "They think it’s not as bad as the media is making it out to be." (More...)
Delusional rich man tries to fire town staff
"I'm mayor now" said write-in mayoral candidate and founder of Pirate’s Booty Snacks Robert Ehrlich after losing the election for Mayor of Sea Cliff, NY. Then he tried to take over the Village Hall and fire everyone. (More...)
Musk claims Xitter security is staffed by idiots
Earlier this month Xitter experienced a massive outage. In an interview, Musk told Fox Business that he believes the attack came from "IP addresses originating in the Ukraine area." (More...)
The Future Ain't What It Used To Be
Ideas have taken horrifying shape and rooted into our modern reality. (More...)
C L A S S I C P I G D O G
I just came across this coolio essay by Pigdog Journal Science Editor binky wedged between two staves in the back corner of the submissions barrel. It's on the origin of the cyberbilly and is definitely de rigeur for any serious student of this fascinating sociological movement. (More...)
A Day in the Life of a Beverotologist
It was starting to look like a very boring Saturday, trapped as I was in the suburban wastelands of the outer Bay Area, so I called my Able Assistant (AA) and proposed that we perform some Spocktail field tests. For some time I've been working on creating the quintessential cinematic beverage and even tho' SMRL does most of its testing during nocturnal hours, this seemed an opportune time to roll up the sleeves of our labcoats and get some science done. While the beverotology creation tested this day (The Neurotoxin) must be deemed a success, this article focuses more the journey of the experimenters, rather then the science of beverotology. (More...)
My experiment is a failure. Rockstar-and-Robitussin tastes like day-after-Halloween bile. I'm trying to choke down enough to discover the effects, but no matter what those are one thing is certain at the outset: what I have discovered is not a Beverage, but a pale green and angry iced abomination.
You were right: science is not for the weak of will nor stomach. (More...)
Suru and I were at the local supermarket recently when we found ourselves in the booze isle, surrounded by rum. Banana rum, coconut rum, vanilla rum, unfiltered run, Jamaican rum, rum, rum, and more rum. We bought one of each and started experimenting... (More...)
A Nobel Prize-Winning Author Describes Liquor
Curled up cozy with a good book? All warm and snuggly and thinking about friends far away? So am I, reading the greatest story by the greatest writer -- when he suddenly starts waxing philosophical about liquor! (More...)
What the hell is going on with Sony?
Is anyone else as confused as I am with what's happening with the Sony Playstation network hack? (More...)