He spends his spare time prowling stores for ephedrine, crusading to get it banned or controlled. If it's powerful enough to make methamphetamine, it can't be good for you. Yet, people who want to lose weight take it. So do bodybuilders who want a better workout. So do students wanting to stay awake in class and also athletes looking for that extra edge.
Ephedrine comes from a plant, an herb known as ma huang.
There's the implication because it's natural, it's harmless. The implications of that could be deadly. If you undergo anesthesia and ephedrine is in your system, it could react with the anesthetic drugs. These patients can become almost catatonic, confused, agitated. Doctors say it can kill you.