Fix supplements law.

Byline: The Register-Guard

During spring training early last year, Steve Bechler, a 23-year-old pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles and a former Oregon prep standout, became dizzy during a workout. Less than 24 hours later, he was dead.

Bechler's death was linked to ephedra, the herbal weight-loss supplement that has now been connected to a total of 155 deaths and more than 16,000 serious illnesses.

Last week, the federal Food and Drug Administration finally ordered this dangerous diet supplement off the market. But Bechler and the many other victims might still be alive today if Congress hadn't done the bidding of the well-heeled supplement industry by passing a law that made it ludicrously easy to get dietary supplements on the market, and ludicrously hard to get them off.

FDA officials have been trying to restrict ephedra sales since 1997. Numerous studies have proven the supplement to be unsafe, and ephedra has been banned in the Olympic Games, the National Football League and most intercollegiate sports. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson reacted to Bechler's death by making this statement about ephedra: ``I wouldn't use it, would you?''

It's tempting to blame the FDA for moving too slowly to ban ephedra. But the real culprit is Congress, which in 1994 approved legislation allowing companies to market a broad spectrum of supplements without any screening. Since some supplements contain chemicals that are every bit as potent as those found in medicines, that's much like federal lawmakers lifting requirements for testing before cancer or heart drugs are put on the market.

Under the government's appalling trial-and-error approach, supplement manufacturers are not even required to report to the FDA when they acquire evidence that their products are unsafe, even lethal. And once the FDA suspects that a supplement may be dangerous, the law prevents the agency from intervening until it can be proven that there is a significant public risk.

Lawmakers, whose calloused consciences should feel the full weight of every one of the deaths linked to ephedra, should now move swiftly to empower the FDA to protect consumers by regulating the potentially dangerous chemicals that are found in dietary supplements.

Two bills pending in Congress deserve consideration. One, sponsored by Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., would require supplement makers to prove that their products are safe before they go on the market. Another, by Rep. Susan Davis, D-Calif., would require manufacturers and distributors to immediately report negative health effects to the FDA.

Meanwhile, consumers should think, and consult their physicians, before gulping down those dietary supplements. For most folks seeking to reduce their weight and improve their health, a brisk walk or short jog - and learning how to say no to those post-holiday cookies - is the best option.