dietary supplement legislation supported by USA football

the Coalition for Anabolic Steroid Precursor and Ephedra Regulation (CASPER)

USA Football has joined with a group of the nation's leading public health, medical and sports organizations to support legislation that relates to the regulation of dietary supplements that contain steroid precursors like ephedra.

As well as USA Football, the Coalition for Anabolic Steroid Precursor and Ephedra Regulation (CASPER) includes the NFL, NCAA, U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, U.S. Olympic Committee, American Medical Association, and other major organizations.

CASPER was first founded to support The Anabolic Steroid Precursor Control and Health Education Act (H.R. 207), which was co-sponsored by Rep. John Sweeney (R-NY) and Rep. Tom Osborne (R-NE).

"USA Football is pleased to support the vital efforts of CASPER," said Dave Ogrean, USA Football's executive director. "Our goal is to help make the Steroid Control Act of 2003 a reality. The dangers and health risks due to the presence of anabolic steroid precursors and ephedra in dietary supplements are a major concern for all Americans. 

Steroid precursors are substances that are converted by the body into steroids which have an anabolic effect. The steroid precursors are in themselves steroids. In most cases, the substances formed in the body from steroid precursors that are responsible for their advertised actions are scheduled under the Controlled Substances Act. Ephedra use in a small but significant number of otherwise healthy people has been associated with heart attack, stroke, and psychoses. In specific situations, it has been linked with death. The increased use of these substances augments the risk that normally healthy individuals will have an adverse medical event.