Imagine if you could take a pill that would give you energy or help you lose weight. Imagine if this pill was easy to buy, easy to take and had no side effects. Sounds too good to be true? Well, it is.

There are many drugs on the market such as Metabolife and Xenadrine. These drugs contain the ingredient Ephedra. Ephedra may seem like a “miracle drug” but it could kill you.

These drugs containing Ephedra are easy to purchase because they’re over-the-counter, so many people don’t think much of the risks. Don’t think that Ephedra could hurt you? It is banned within the Olympic Committee, NFL and the NCAA. The risks must be pretty serious.

If you take the drug for weight loss, you may become addicted to it. Do you really want to be dependent on something just for the sake of looking good?

If you need to take a drug to boost energy or lose weight, then you are doing something very unnatural to your body. Putting your body through that may have negative consequences.

There are so many things that people do to themselves that hurt their bodies such as over-eating, under-eating, smoking, excessive tanning and drinking too much. Taking drugs is at the top of that list.

People our age think nothing bad is ever going to happen to them. They think they can control everything and that they’re not going to be another statistic. Harm from Ephedra could happen to you or someone your age. Recently Prospective Baltimore Orioles Pitcher Steve Bechler tragically died due to complications of Ephedra. He was only 23-years-old. His death could have easily been avoided had he not taken the drug.

What makes young adults think they are so invincible? If you take a drug, your body could suffer the consequences. It could happen. Why would you want to do that to yourself? Value yourself and your body. No matter what benefits you get from taking Ephedra, it is not worth your health or your life.

If you need more energy, get more sleep. If you want to lose weight, eat right and exercise. There are healthy ways of getting the same benefits as Ephedra.

This drug is probably not going to go away anytime soon. Athletes still use it and many avid exercisers will probably still continue to use it, as well.

The decision is ultimately up to each individual. Do you want take something that could harm your body or not?