New York governor George Pataki this week signed into law a ban on the sale of most ephedra products in New York state. New York is the third state to ban ephedra.
The law, effective immediately, does not affect prescription drugs containing the herbal.
Ephedra has been linked to the death of baseball player Steve Bechler and the herbal supplement, taken both to boost performance and for weight loss, has been implicated in numerous other adverse events, leading to lawsuits for ephedra manufacturers such as Metabolife.
The House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a two-day hearing in July to assess the reports and the Food and Drug Administration could end by banning the herbal outright.
The Ephedra Education Council has however maintained that the supplement is safe when used correctly. The group also said there is no clinical study that shows any adverse effect.
"Across the nation, dietary supplements containing ephedra have been implicated in serious health problems, yet few consumers are aware of the danger," said Pataki. "By banning the sale of most ephedra products in New York state, this important new public safety measure will help to prevent the tragic deaths of young athletes like Steve Bechler."
OTC ephedra has also been banned in California, beginning in January, and Illinois. Florida, New Jersey and California have all bannded ephedra sales to minors. The industry is still waiting for an FDA decision on the herbal.