Teens Have Access to Dangerous Drugs

They're selling teenaged girls a diet supplement so dangerous the government has had to ban it. It's called "yellow swarm," and it contains ephedra. They are yellow and black pills. The packaging is very clear. It's not to be sold to persons 17 years of age or under. But here in Burlington Township, New Jersey, several convenience stores are selling it to minors, putting them at risk.

14-Year-old Shannon Weaver says she's lucky to be alive. The Beverly resident bought it at a local store about four weeks ago. She said she took it to stay awake in class. "When I got to school I couldn't walk and felt really nauseous and my heart was pounding and I had to be rushed to JFK hospital."

It contains ephedra and it raises blood pressure. That can lead to heart trouble. Many teens buy it in area stores. NBC 10 investigated. They sent a 13-year-old daughter of an NBC 10 producer to several area convenience stores. One sold it to her, no questions asked.

Reporter, "It said you're not supposed to sell it to someone under 17. Can you tell us why you sold it?"

Clerk, "I thought she was 17."

Reporter, "You thought she was 17."

Clerk, "Yeah."

Reporter, "Did you ask her for ID?"

Clerk, "No."

Another store clerk didn't ask for her age or for ID. Reporter, "You sold the yellow swarm. Do you know it says that you can't sell it to under 17. Did you ask her for ID?"

Clerk, "No."

It's right there on the counter, where young kids can get it. It says on the front of the package, "Don't sell to 17 and under." But these small town stores, they don't care. They are looking for that profit.

Local leaders and law enforcement officials in Burlington Township are cracking down on "yellow swarm." They're educating consumers, mainly parents on the dangers of ephedra. The herbal supplement drew attention one year ago when die tirry supplements laced with ephedra lead to the death of Steve Bochtler. The FDA has banned the product. It's supposed to be off store shelves by April 12th.

You never know. Everybody's different and you might take them for a week, months but that one day, your body might have just enough and you'll go down like Shannon did.

Stores are supposed to pull ephedra-based products off the shelf by April 12th. That doesn't excuse "yellow swarm" or other products like it reportedly being sold. They're not supposed to be sold to people 17 years and under. That's illegal. Two state senators proposed legislation to increase fines from $1,000 to $2,000. So anyone caught selling this stuff to minors will face much stiffer penalties.

Another note: This stuff can be found on the internet.

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Author: NBC10