WASHINGTON — The Bush administration finalized its ban of ephedra Friday, moving to get the herbal stimulant off store shelves by early April.
It is the government's first-ever ban of a dietary supplement. Ephedra has been linked to 155 deaths and dozens of heart attacks and strokes.
In December, the Food and Drug Administration warned consumers to stop using the amphetamine-like stimulant immediately, saying it was working to ban sales by early this year.
On Friday, the FDA issued a regulation formally setting that ban in motion. The law requires a 60-day phase-in period after the regulation is published next Wednesday, so all sales must cease by April 12.
Until then, "FDA reiterates its warning to consumers: Do not take these products. They are simply too risky," said FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan.
Ephedra once was hugely popular for weight loss and body building. But it can cause life-threatening side effects even in seemingly healthy people who take the recommended doses, because the amphetamine-like stimulant speeds heart rate and constricts blood vessels. It is particularly risky for anyone with heart disease or high blood pressure or people engaging in strenuous exercise.
The ban comes eight years after the FDA began receiving reports of the herb's dangers. Sales already have plummeted because of publicity about the risks, which peaked after the ephedra-related death of Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler a year ago. Three states — New York, Illinois and California — have passed bans.
But the FDA says it couldn't have acted faster because of a federal law that allows dietary supplements to sell without first providing proof of safety. That law requires the FDA to prove harm before it can force a supplement off the market, a hurdle the agency calls very steep.
The FDA also is monitoring new ingredients that are replacing ephedra in supplements being touted for energy and weight loss. Top of that list is bitter orange, an ephedra mimic that some studies show can interact dangerously with certain medications.