California ephedrine

Assembly bill No. 2294, introduced Feb. 24 by Susan Davis (D), would prohibit the sale or distribution of dietary supplements containing ephedrine unless labeling warns about potential adverse reactions and contraindications and states people under 18 should not take the product. The bill also would require labeling bear a toll-free number consumers could call to report adverse effects to the State Department of Health Services. The bill's introduction follows a February "informational" hearing chaired by Davis, whose district is in San Diego, where Metabolife International, manufacturer of the ephedra supplement Metabolife 356, is located. Similar measures are being considered by Texas and New York City; comments on the Texas proposed regs are due by April 4 (1"The Tan Sheet" Feb. 28, In Brief)