Money Talks Yet Once Again. With 2003 estimated sales in excess of $1.2 Billion US Dollars, a dietary supplement purported to be responsible for numerous deaths, is now back on

market. The FDA, following concerns raised by

medical community, over

deaths of several athletic individuals using

supplement, not just “couch potatoes” gallantly attempting to return to a more active and fit lifestyle, passed motion to ban

“diet miracle” fat burner. The 2003 death of 23-year-old Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler, resulted in a slew of negative publicity that lead to declining sales of diet and sports supplements containing

compound. Based on data collected from several poison control centers, a group of California based researchers had claimed

compound to be

most dangerous herbal product on

market. Because it is an herb, it was not subject to regulations governing pharmaceutical drugs and could be sold over-the-counter. This is still

case today. The government's decision to ban

supplement actually came late in 2003. According to

Public Citizen's Health Research Group in Washington, D.C., More than 150 deaths have been linked to

use of

compound in recent years. Tommy Thompson, Health and Human Services Secretary at

time, said

government had enough evidence to confirm

supplement was so powerful it quite readily caused heart attacks. Thompson announced a "Consumer Alert" warning against

use of all products containing

herb in any form, further stating

agency had notified manufacturers of its intent to publish a final rule banning

sale of supplements containing

compound. The ban followed

government review of more than 16,000 reports of adverse events, Thompson said. The actual ban was issued in February 2004.