A California state senator initiated a bill Wednesday that will prohibit the sale of supplements containing the controversial herbal stimulant ephedra. Senator Jackie Speier introduced the law stating that the ban of ephedra was critical to protecting the health of California's 34 million residents. If approved, California will become the first state in the nation to ban dietary supplements containing ephedra.

Consumer interest groups and health officials are pressuring the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to immediately ban the substance due to its link to heart attacks, strokes and death. Last week, the FDA announced that supplements containing ephedra might soon be required to carry warning labels alerting consumers to the stimulant's dangerous side effects. Ephedra recently made headlines when it was linked to the death of Baltimore Orioles pitching prospect Steve Bechler.