Ephedra-ban bill passes House committee

The rush to outlaw the pep pill ephedra got a boost Thursday when an Illinois House panel voted to advance the measure.

Kevin Riggins, the father of Sean Riggins, 16, the Lincoln teenager whose use of ephedra to enhance his athletic abilities has been linked to his death in September, testified before the House Criminal Judicial Committee.

“I wanted to put a face on this; I wanted them to know it’s not an ‘anecdotal incident,’ as the industry calls it,” Riggins said.

Riggins said he does not know how much ephedra his son used.

Michelle Skinlo of Mattoon, Ill., testified that her daughter, Hillary Spitz, 29, took a small number of diet pills containing ephedra over several days and experienced a prolonged seizure that still affects her memory.

The measure would ban the sale or offering of products containing the herbal stimulant and its derivatives. Its possession and use still would be allowed. The proposal would not affect medications containing ephedra.

The stimulant, also known as ephedrine or ma huang, still could be purchased in states surrounding Illinois and over the Internet.

Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, who sponsored the legislation, said 21 states have laws regulating the stimulant.

The Ephedra Education Council, a group that promotes the responsible use of the drug for combating obesity, said it already is regulated for quality.

“Ephedra has a long history of safe, nonprescription use,” Wes Siegner, a lawyer for the council, said in a statement on the council’s Web site EphedraFacts.com.

The measure, also known as the Ephedra Prohibition Act, passed the committee, 12-0.