Herbal Stimulants Give Kicks Around World

July 1 -- It's a leaf in East Africa, a nut in the Far East, and in the United States, a fine powder mixed into a drink.

By differing degrees, they keep the eyes of the world open. Chewed, smoked or chugged, the kick is similar.

They give soldiers, diplomats and housewives alike the energy to make it through a long day and night.

They are a generation removed from the world's most frequently prescribed medications, and distant relatives to its most outlawed drugs. Herbal stimulants represent one of the largest trends in the legal and illegal drug market worldwide.

Caffeine and nicotine are the most common. Cocaine and methamphetamines are the most illicit. And between the two extremes is a group of herbal stimulants — ephedra, khat, betel nuts — that are gaining in popularity around the world and raising debate about the tolls of their use.

Last year, the NFL became the first professional sports league to ban ephedra. As of today, any player who fails the random testing for the stimulant will face a four-game suspension.

The Drug Enforcement Administration this week is expected to release a comprehensive statement on khat and its place in North America, echoing the longtime concerns of countries like Ethiopia, where it is commonly chewed.

And health officials in South Asia are beginning to describe a new cancer epidemic among consumers of betel nuts.

It's a crackdown on a product once common, now controversial, and it's happening to similar stimulants across the globe.

The Ephedra Debate

Taken from an evergreen plant found in Central Asia and used for centuries to treat the region's asthmatics, ephedra is now a major ingredient in dozens of sport drinks and dietary supplements produced in the United States.

Manufacturers of drinks containing ephedra say they can help the consumer reach "a new level of muscle blasting workout intensity," build "lean muscle mass quicker and faster," and enhance "mental acuity."

Though drinks and supplements featuring the herbal stimulant have only boomed in the United States in the last decade, Americans have been depending on ephedra in one form or another since the early 20th century.

Today, athletes looking for a quick jolt of energy can pick up drinks like Ripped Fuel or Ultimate Orange, both of which contain ephedra, before they hit the field, to get a kick from an ancient Chinese formula.

Of course, that's as long as they aren't playing in the NFL, the Olympics or collegiate athletics.

Since 1997, the NCAA has barred its member athletes from consuming ephedra. A survey of athletes in 2001 showed an increase in the supplement's use. The Olympics has banned ephedra's use for more than a decade. Until last year, NFL players were endorsing sports drinks with ephedra, and its use remains widespread in Major League Baseball.

In a May news release, the NFL said it banned ephedra after experts said it "can cause seizures, strokes and even death."