It often takes a single dishearteningly tragic event to ignite a public outcry against various social ailments. The sports world is no different, with examples running the gamut from drug use in the National Basketball Association (NBA) to so-called "voluntary off-season training programs" at big-time Division I college football schools.In June, 1986, the unexpected death by cocaine overdose of University of Maryland All-American basketball player Len Bias -- just three days after he was selected by the Boston Celtics with the second overall pick in the NBA draft -- forced the league to crack down on substance abuse.

At Northwestern University in early August 2001, 22 year-old Wildcats football star Rashidi Wheeler collapsed and died of apparent heatstroke during an intense off-season workout session.

The incident gained national acclaim when the Rev. Jesse Jackson helped the Wheeler family conduct an investigation into Rashidi's sudden death. One-time O.J. Simpson defender and world-renowned defense attorney Johnnie Cochran Jr. soon entered the fray, formally representing the family in their civil case against the University.

Northwestern later disclosed that Wheeler and a few teammates were taking a popular dietary supplement called Ultimate Orange, a drug that contains a small concentration of Ephedrine.

Ephedrine remained an obscure supplement until roughly one week ago. On Monday, 23 year-old Baltimore Orioles pitching prospect Steve Bechler died from complications related to heatstroke and multiple organ failure at the Orioles' spring training complex in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Broward County medical examiner Dr. Joshua Perper explained that Bechler had been taking a weight-loss supplement that contained Ephedra.

Ephedra, or "Ephedrine" as it sometimes known, is a drug naturally present in plants of Ephedra genus that was introduced into Western medicine in 1924 (it had been used in China for thousands of years). Ephedrine, which is available over-the-counter in cold products, allergy relief medications and supplements, is not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The NCAA, United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and National Football League have all established rules limiting or prohibiting substances with a concentration of Ephedra that exceeds 10 micrograms per milliliter of urine tests. Major League Baseball (MLB), however, has yet to denounce the supplement in similarly explicit terms.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig has heard the argument against performance-enhancing drugs before, particularly during the 1998 home-run competition between Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire. While McGwire ultimately shattered Roger Maris' long-standing single-season homer mark, his feat was tainted by the revelation that the St. Louis Cardinals slugger had used Androstenedione to boost his stamina in the weight room.

Andro, which is an androgen and not a steroid, is a natural chemical found in the body that produces testosterone. First seen in capsule form in the United States in the 1990s, it claims to increase lean muscle mass by 300 percent. Though Andro can stunt growth in adolescents and foster the spread of the female hormone estrogen, it is sold over-the-counter and not controlled by the FDA.

According to Dr. David L. Black, who publishes an on-line medical journal that tracks instances of Ephedra-related sports deaths, Ephedra "possesses stimulant properties and is referred to technically as a sympathomimetic anine, a classification that includes Amphetamine and Methamphetamine."

Not surprisingly, Bechler's untimely death has initiated a widespread debate over the growing popularity of Ephedra, which Dr. Black also notes "may cause tremor and lead to elevated blood pressure and heart rate." According to a Feb. 20 espn.com report, Ephedra has also been linked to heart attacks, strokes and seizures.

Despite the fact that Brandeis athletes are not drug tested unless they reach an NCAA D-III championship event and the trips our baseball and softball teams take to Florida in early March, Athletic Director Jeff Cohen insists the proper safeguards are in place to avoid an equally disastrous incident. "Ephedra is an NCAA banned substance," said Cohen, "Our trainers work very hard to educate our athletes as to the banned drugs and communicate with coaches and athletes in this regard."

"They are quite vigilant," Cohen continued, "If our students are abusing these drugs, and should we become aware of this, they would not be allowed to compete for us and would be placed in a mandatory drug education program. Please do not assume that because our teams travel that they are using banned substances or emulating their idols in this or any other inappropriate way."

Brandeis baseball Co-captain Mike Parissi is almost certain that none of his fellow Judges feel pressure to take the type of supplements that may include Ephedra. "I know that Ephedra is a widely-used supplement," he said, "but speaking as a captain of the baseball team, I don't know of anyone who uses it on our team. It is a dietary supplement that increases the heart rate in order to lose weight, and Steve Bechler entered spring training 10 to 15 pounds overweight."

"Coach Varney is not a big advocate of weight-lifting, because he rarely did it as a college and professional player, so therefore he doesn't speak of any rules or restrictions he has with players who choose to lift weights," added Parissi. "He feels that a player should work on baseball weight programs such as swinging a weighted bat more often than they should lift weights."

"Some players who lift weights do use supplements such as weight gainers and creatine, but Ephedra is not a supplement that is used. The NCAA does not prohibit these supplements (creatine), but I feel that most players here are aware of their dangers, Parissi said.