Should Ephedra be Banned?

Ephedra has been used by many so called "magical diets", and body-builders have combined it with caffeine and sometimes aspirin pills in what is referred to as a "Stack" to get lean muscles and increase their power levels and enhance metabolism. Ephedra products are known to speed heart rate and constrict blood vessels. They are also known to open up lungs and they are sometimes used in inhalers for flue and to relieve congestion. They are used in some cough medicines. So, if you see a guy getting a load of cough medicine, he is probably going for the ephedra in it ;) On the other hand, ephedra products have been linked to numerous heart attack or stroke-related deaths and injuries. Its herbal cousin, ephedrine, the chemical used in the manufacture of the illegal street drug methamphetamine (speed, x, and others) is banned in the U.S. but not some other countries!