I think if you look up the definition of Empty Suit you will see a
picture of Tommy Thompson. Below is an exerpt of an interview held by
CNN. My question is how as Secretary of Health and Human Services can
you not know that Ephedra is in OTC Asthma medications. Yeah this guy
is real qualified to making decisions on issues concerning our
health.(LOL)
Exerpt from CNN Interview
LIN: All right. Mr. Secretary, we've got Sally on the telephone from
California. Sally, what's your question?
CALLER: My question is, what are you going to do about all of the
people that have asthma that are taking ephedra now? And the ephedra
is the only drug that works on my asthma.
THOMPSON: We haven't got any scientific basis whatsoever that ephedra
helps asthma patients. And we have looked at all of the conditions,
all of the pronouncements, and we haven't found anything. The only
thing we have found -- and that was that for a short period of time --
you do have short-term weight loss. But at the same time, you have an
increase of palpitations of the heart and high blood pressure, which
to me is a bad trade-off for the public health.
So we don't think that ephedra helps you in your asthma. I'm sorry to
disagree with you. And we feel it's unsafe to the consuming public.