Health Canada turns to border inspectors to keep out diet drug

Health Canada wants shipments of a potentially dangerous health product that is supposed to help burn fat to be stopped at the border.

Thermonex is touted for weight loss and body building.

Thermonex contains synephrine and caffeine, a combination that may drive up the heart rate and blood pressure. Heart attack, stroke and death could result.

The combination resembles diet drugs containing ephedra. After 16,000 adverse reactions were reported, ephedra diet drugs were banned in the U.S. and restricted in Canada.

The newest over-the-counter diet drugs containing synephrine are likely no safer, according to Joe Schwarcz, a chemistry professor at McGill University in Montreal.

"Whatever problems we had with ephedrine likely are going to surface with this particular item as well," he said.

Health Canada said the combination of synephrine and caffeine has been associated with adverse reactions but a causal link hasn't been established yet.

The department acted on early warning signs of a potential problem, issuing a customs alert to prevent shipments of the capsules from entering Canada.

Keeping it out of the hands of Canadians may not be easy. A CBC reporter successfully received an order placed over the internet.

"The warning had said that it would be stopped at the border, but it arrived, no problem at all within a week," said CBC Radio reporter Pauline Dakin in Halifax. "The label on the outside said it was vitamins."

The ban is aimed at stopping commercial shipments, not personal supply, said Phil Waddington, director general for Natural Health Products Directorate in Ottawa.

"If somebody was trying to import a product for personal use and the product was not a prescription product and was not a banned substance then they are allowed to import it for personal use, as long as they only bring in a three month supply," said Waddington.

Health Canada has only limited abilities to check what is being sold on store shelves. It is counting on border inspections to keep out the large shipments and is asking Canadians to let them know if they see Thermonex for sale.