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01/06/2004 Archived Entry: "Guess which substance gets banned?"

GUESS WHICH SUBSTANCE GETS BANNED.

Item A: Taken by by 12 to 17 million Americans a year. Even according the the most damning and pessimistic estimates, this substance causes few serious side effects and only about 1/8 as many deaths as aspirin.

Item B: This product, also used by millions, causes a 41 percent increase in strokes, a 29 percent increase in heart attacks and a 26 percent increase in breast cancer among those who consume it.

So which one gets banned?

Oh, one further datapoint. Item A is an over-the-counter supplement. Item B is a prescription drug made by a politically connected pharmaceutical giant.

Click for the answer.

BANNED SUBSTANCE:

Item A, of course. Ephedra.

UNBANNED SUBSTANCE:

Item B: Hormone-replacement therapy drugs for menopausal women (Premarin, Prempro, Premphase, etc.) produced by Wyeth.

Posted by Claire @ 08:02 AM CST
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