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The Ephedra Education Council Responds to Canada's Request for a Voluntary Recall of Ephedra Products

Washington, DC (January 11, 2002) ‚ Health Canada's voluntary recall of Ephedra products has no bearing on the safety of these dietary supplements that are marketed in the United States with appropriate standards, including comprehensive directions and warnings. The Ephedra Education Council released the following statement today:

"Health Canada's voluntary recall is an over-reaction to unsubstantiated and unscientific adverse event reports (AERs). This action mirrors the mistakes that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration made five years ago in its attempt to restrict Ephedra products in the United States. In 1999, an investigation by the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) found the FDA at fault for using AERs as scientific data even though the reports contained no evidence of any causal link between Ephedra and the adverse reactions about which FDA said it was concerned. The GAOs findings forced the FDA to withdraw its proposed regulations and admit lack of scientific evidence.

"The EEC welcomes all health authorities who wish to seriously discuss the herbal supplement Ephedra and appropriate regulatory actions. However, the fact remains that the existing data from clinical research all support the safety of Ephedra when used as directed. These products are backed by a wealth of clinical data as well as expert assessments, including an in-depth review of the clinical data by an internationally-renowned scientific consulting firm, Cantox Health Sciences International, located in Toronto, Canada, that show that these products are safe and beneficial when consumed as directed on the product labels.

"After a four-year evaluation of its regulatory laws concerning Natural Health Products (i.e. herbs, vitamins and minerals), including Ephedra, Canadian health officials concluded that their own regulatory system needs to be changed to give the millions of its citizens access to Natural Health Products like Ephedra. Canada is in the process of moving jurisdiction over natural products to a new Directorate that will be charged with the evaluation of safety and benefits according to specific scientific review standards. Once these changes are in place, the EEC is confident that dietary supplements containing Ephedra will receive an objective review and will be as widely available in Canada as they are in the United States."

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