Massachusetts yesterday asked for a voluntary recall of alcohol-based products containing ginseng , a popular herbal remedy, following an incident in which an 11-year-old boy reportedly suffered chest pains and palpitations after downing a 99-cent vial of Dr. Chan's High Potency Ginseng . New York state took similar action earlier this month.
Massachusetts' interest was sparked after a Beverly boy, Christopher Ofiesh, stopped at his local Li'l Peach convenience store in May and bought the ginseng preparation because, he said, the saleswoman told him "it would be like a Power Bar or a cup of coffee." He had a gym class in school that day and figured "a little energy couldn't hurt."
Six hours later he reportedly developed chest pains, shortness of breath and heart palpitations. "It felt like somebody reached into my chest and was squeezing my heart. It was very painful. I was having trouble breathing," Ofiesh said yesterday.
He made it home after stopping at a motorcycle shop for a glass of water. His mother, Brenda Ofiesh, 29, a nursing student at Salem State College, listened to his heart through a stethoscope, called a nurse and made him lie down until he felt better. She then notified local authorities.
The voluntary recall was announced by the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission, which claimed jurisdiction on the grounds that a number of ginseng products contain between 2 and 24 percent alcohol. The state Department of Public Health also participated in the investigation.
The state is still conducting an investigation of alcohol in ginseng products, but the ABCC chairman, Walter J. Sullivan Jr., said in a telephone interview that studies of the same brands in New York state revealed high alcohol content.
The Dr. Chan's ginseng that Ofiesh reportedly drank -- he had drunk one other vial the week before with no adverse effects -- appears to be marketed to appeal to children. Sullivan said there was no mention of alcohol content oon thee product label.
The product was "perceived as something for kids, as a snack item," said John Ransom, president of the L'il Peach chain. "I don't know where Dr. Chan's comes from," he continued, adding that "if the product is questionable and the ABCC wants it voluntarily removed from the shelves, we will comply."
"What was most disturbing about this investigation was that these vials were mostly located at the point of purchase area of the stores next to candy and gum. In some instances, the vials contain more alcohol than a beer or wine cooler and yet they were in reach for a child," said Michael T. Duffy,
Consumer Affairs director, in a prepared statement. George Stricklin, vice president of Pavalor Merchandising Inc. in Abita Springs, La., which makes Dr. Chan products, said, "We had a problem, but we have reformulated the whole product."
Investigators found that Dr. Chan's contained 8.3 to 8.5 percent alcohol, depending on the flavor, but Stricklin said his firm has reduced the alcohol content to 4.9 percent and that the product now says that on the label. He insisted that "it's a very safe product" and said his plant had been inspected by numerous officials.
While the state is concerned about the alcohol that remains in some ginseng products from the manufacturing process, it is still unclear what in the product, if anything, caused Ofiesh's cardiac symptoms.
Ginseng is a stimulant that can increase levels of the stress hormone adrenalin, though it is believed to be less powerful than caffeine, said Mark Blumenthal, executive director of the American Botanical Council, a nonprofit herbal research and education organization in Austin, Texas.
Of about 400 ginseng products on the market, 15 to 20 percent -- those sold as liquids -- may contain alcohol, Blumenthal added. Ginseng is also sold as tea, capsules or tablets. "The overwhelming lesson from history is that ginseng is a safe tonic for adults to take, usually, but it is nnot usually appropriate for small children," he said.
Christopher Ofiesh had similar advice yesterday for kids: "It's not good to use ginseng . You can really get hurt."
- BY: Judy Foreman, Globe Staff
- SOURCE: The Boston Globe1997.08.09
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