Regulating Ephedra
By Tony DeFazio

Dietary supplements containing ephedra have been in the news recently because of the deaths of several well-known athletes. Here's how the major sports organizations regulate its use:

MLB: NOT BANNED ­ Despite implementing a new drug policy in 2002, the league doesn't ban ephedra. One week following February's ephedra-related death of Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler, Major League Baseball banned the drug from use by all minor league players.

NBA: NOT BANNED ­ For players not accused of drug use or violations, the testing policy is relatively lax. Certain substances, such as cocaine and LSD, call for dismissal from the league, although players may apply for reinstatement after two years. The league only began testing for marijuana in 2000.

NCAA: BANNED ­ "Ephedrine (ephedra, ma huang)" is one of over 70 substances listed as banned under NCAA Bylaw 31.2.3.1. The bylaw begins with a note stating, "Nutritional supplements are not strictly regulated and may contain substances banned by the NCAA."

NFL: BANNED ­ All players under contract with an NFL club are tested once between April 20 and August 9. Rookies or veterans signing new contracts are also tested, and players who have violated the league's policy are subject to more stringent testing as part of an intervention stage. Before entering an intervention stage, players are tested for cocaine, marijuana, amphetamine and its analogues (including ephedra), opiates, PCP, and MDMA and its analogues.

NHL: NOT BANNED ­ The NHL does not ban ephedra, although in 2003 the league "strongly encouraged" players to avoid it and other like substances. The league plans to specifically review the drug during negotiations for their next collective bargaining agreement.