Pubdate: Sat, 23 Nov 2002 Source: Pueblo Chieftain (CO) Copyright: 2002 The Star-Journal Publishing Corp. Contact: http://www.chieftain.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1613 Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n2104/a10.html Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing) NFL, UNION WORKING ON SUPPLEMENT ISSUE NEW YORK (AP) - The NFL and its union are trying to find a single source of dietary supplements so players know exactly what they're taking. ''We want someone to certify that what's in the bottle is what's in the bottle,'' Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFL Players Association, said Tuesday. ''If we do that and a player tests positive, he didn't take our stuff.'' Upshaw spoke informally Tuesday with Harold Henderson, the NFL's vice president for player relations. He said they agreed to meet later to discuss the issue. The potential new policy, Upshaw said, has nothing to do with the case of Carolina Panthers rookie Julius Peppers, who leads the NFL in sacks. Peppers' agent, Marvin Demoff, said the league told him his client tested positive for a banned substance in a dietary supplement. The NFL has yet to confirm Peppers' suspension. Upshaw said a better analogy would be the case of Kansas City linebacker Lew Bush, suspended for four games two weeks ago for taking a banned substance. Upshaw said Bush took the same supplement twice - the first time it did not contain any of the substances on the NFL's illegal list; the second time it did, and that's when he tested positive. ''It's not fair to kick a guy out and have him lose a quarter of his salary when he did something that was inadvertent,'' Upshaw said. Last summer, the NFL banned ephedrine, a stimulant often found in food supplements, after determining it can cause seizures, strokes or even death. The ban, in part, stemmed from the heat stroke death of Minnesota offensive lineman Korey Stringer in training camp in the summer of 2001. An amphetaminelike stimulant, ephedrine is sold in a few over-the-counter asthma medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration A first positive test carries an automatic four-game suspension, a stronger penalty than testing positive for illegal drugs, such as cocaine or marijuana. A player who tests positive once for those substances goes into the league's drug program and can be randomly tested, but isn't subject to discipline until the second violation. ''It seems a little strange to have more tolerance for illegal drugs,'' Upshaw said. The ban on ephedrine comes under the steroid policy, which is zero tolerance. Upshaw said he has no problem with a ''no tolerance'' ban for players using steroids because they give players a competitive advantage. But he said because some banned stimulants are found in everything from cold medicine to supplements, ''It makes things less clear.'' He noted trainers and doctors can give players medicines that wouldn't contain substances on the NFL banned list. Upshaw said he and Henderson would meet again with other officials, including Dr. John Lombardo, the league's chief adviser on steroids. He said the main aim would be to find a single company to provide dietary supplements that would be without substances on the NFL's banned list. ''If we can do that, then players will know what they're taking,'' he said. ''Everything they get will be certified to be clean. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D