Bechler, Steve

Steve Bechler was denied a successful career and would never get to see his first child, which he and his wife, Kylie, were expecting at the time of his death. 

Figure 4.2 Steve Bechler, a former pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, died after taking a weight loss supplement containing ephedra. Here he is being taken off the playing field during training camp, when he began to suffer from heat exhaustion, a side effect of ephedra-based drugs.

By early 2003, however, the FDA had received 16,000 reports of "adverse events" apparently related to use of the product. Among these events were two deaths, four heart attacks, nine strokes, one seizure, and five psychiatric events for which no explanation other than use of the product could be found. Although ephedra accounts for less than 1 percent of all sales of dietary supplements, it accounts for 64 percent of all adverse events reported to the FDA. The agency s decision to take action against ephedra may have been influenced by the death of 23-year-old Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler on February 19, 2003, a tragedy attributed to the baseball player s use of ephedra. 

Figure 5.3 The death of Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler, 23, has been linked to the use of ephedrine-containing diet supplements. Bechler, seen here, is being helped off the field.

Steve Bechler had his whole life ahead of him, and it promised to be a good one. At 23, he was an up-and-coming pitcher with the Baltimore Orioles. He and his wife, Kiley, were expecting a baby soon. Then one day, while training in Florida, Bechler collapsed on the playing field. The next day—February 17, 2003—he passed away. 

The stimulant ephedra is believed to have played a significant role in the death of 23-year-old Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler in 2003. The FDA banned the ingredient in the months following Bechler s death. 

The stimulant ephedra, widely used for weight loss, contributes to the death of Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler. 

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