Attention Mods Potential Trouble, Business Week Gear Article

Taken from the September 2, 2002 issue of Business Week, article title:

THE UNDERGROUND WEB

The easy availability of drugs on the web proved deadly for Eric Perrin. An avid bodybuilder, Perrin bought some dinitrophenol, or DNP, over the internet last summer because it was supposed to help him lose weight and get better muscle definition. While DNP is promoted on some fitness Web sites, its illegal to sell for human consumption. The chemical is legal only for use in industrial applications such as a coating on railroad ties to kill fungus. In humans, DNP can shut down the liver, kidney, and central nervous system. Last August, Perrin took DNP for several days. As his body temperature began to rise and his heart started to race, his mother, Barbara, grew concerned. “He told me, “Don’t worry, Mom, Ill be allright,” she says. “He was in a lot of pain.” Eric died on August 6, at a hospital near his home in Baldwin, N.Y. He was 22.

While the local U.S. Attorney is prosecuting the man who allegedly sold Eric Perrin the DNP, Barbara Perrinn thinks the dealer isn’t the real culprit. She places most the blame on the Internet and Elite Fitness, a New York company that runs the web site where her son read about the supposed benefits of DNP and got in touch with the dealer. She is convinced that without the web, her son would be alive today. “DNP is not something you find easily,” she says. Without the internet, “Eric may have gotten steroids, but not DNP.’

Even today , Elite fitness provides what appears to be a forum for people to meet who are interested in drugs. With a quick search of the site, Business Week found dozens of postings from bodybuilders promoting the benefits of DNP, explaining how to use the drug, and downplaying its health risks. Also a moderator posted ground rules for members to communicate in private so they could share information about “sources.” And members write that the best way to check out a source for restricted drugs is to e-mail a moderator.

The article continues, you all get the picture. Mothers can really rally the FEDS!!!!!!!
Any thoughts on how this will effect us???????????????????????????????????????

You can read the reply George gave to the magazine on elite but I don't know if it was printed. It is unfortunate but if you read the kids post he was into many recreational drugs as well. Most people need to find someone to blame when something like this happens and very few look to themselves or are able to have an objective view in a situation like this one. I wish his family the best and hope they can find the peace they need to move on in life.

I don't mean to sound disrespectful, or immoral, but we take chances everyday even when step out of our doors to go to work, to school or to a big game! This guy took a chance, with a product that appeared he didn't know how to use it, or his body couldn't handle it. I have heard of this thread and I know the guy who actually was involved, however, I will never rat this guy out. I do know that if it is the same guy who sold this person the stuff, he got off the hook for murder, and I know some good friends of mine who helped him with his case. I understand the need for revenge and my sympathy goes out to this guys family and friends. However, this should make everyone here aware of the importance of knowing what you are putting into your bodies, whether it be illegal drugs, or natural suppliments (yes, natural suppliments caused one guy to die of a heart attack right there on the basketball court).
Fact is, if people are going to be putting things into their bodies, it is always wise to know what the side effects are.
Give you a perfect example, my doc gave me some medication for a cold a few weeks back, and I broke out in hives all over my face, couldn't figure out what was the cause. Got on line and come to find out that was one of the symptoms of the medication, and I had to call my doctor and disconintue the product.
Knowing the risk of what you are taking, even if it is doctor prescribed, should be everyone's main concern. I had a doc give me vioxx a few weeks ago, come to find out there are people dying of heart attacks and blood clotting with those things, think I put that chit in my body... "hell no". Ultimately we are responsible for our own bodies, and what we choose to put into them. If and when the system realizes this, and stop tries to put the blame on someone else, then I think you will see a decline in the number of law suites and quite possibly a more educated society.

this is unfortunate this happened, but things could be blamed on other directions and probably will.the internet is certainly NOT to blame and neither are these sites. i believe something should be done about parenting , depression, stress ect...not prohobiting our rights.feds are up to date on all aspects of the internet especially since we are at WAR.i would hate to think terrorists are communicating through these boards and its nice to know we are protected.im sure they are fully aware what goes on here.steriods are legal in many countries.

Trying to blame the internet for this person's demise is like trying to blame automobiles for the deaths of everyone who drives to a bar to get drunk and dies driving home.

The internet was merely a medium for which a man sought his means. This becomes another clear example of the "responsibility crisis" we face in America. Why cannot this young man be held responsible for his own actions? The wheels of the media, the uninformed and always opinionated and outspoken American public has to be handed a scapegoat. The politics of our time dictate that someone or something has to be blamed for everything and every politician has to know the answer to stopping it or him. We cannot ever say that things just happen. Sometimes "shit happens". There is no way we'll ever know what this guy was really into. For all we know he had a genetic heart condition and would've died anyway. Maybe not that young but you get my point.

Is there truly cause for concern over what information can be obtained over the internet? Are these same people concerned about telephones since people could actually arrange a drug deal over them or order sex from an escort service in the yellow pages?

Good post hammerhead. My thoughts exactly.

Damn kid was 22, plenty old enough to make his own decisions...Has nothing to do with elite, his folks are just looking for some financial benefits...someones death is not something to take lightly but there is more to the story than we will ever know...

I wouldnt go so far as to claim that his parents are looking to make money by sueing elite, there just looking for answers for how this happened. Its easier for them to point their finger at the internet and elite than realize that their son had pre existing problems. Taking DNP at 22? Somethings wrong there. Im sure you guys remeber when you were 22 and you thought you knew everything and that you were invincible. This is one of those cases of what can happen when you get too greedy in this game. Everyone loses.

i agree with everyone on here .The kid was definitely old enough to make his own choices in life.i remember when i was 22 and the shit i pulled off where i should of probably died but got lucky and lived .Same thing.

I agree with the parents that the internet makes it alote easier then ever but at the same time the info is there to educate yourself as well now .When i was a kid people took all kinds of substances without knowing what will happen.

I will be doing my first cycle in a couple months and i have been reading for aprox 9 months.If something wrong were to go down it would only be one person's fault and that would be my own.I have done the research but nonetheless i made the choice knowing that nothing is garanteed.

I feel for this familly and this boy that died but the fact of the matter is even if the members told him not too or to read up on it alote before touching something like that as i have seen done many of times here on AR ,at 22 and definitely younger MOST of the time they dont listen .I am not saying this is what happened.

This is a good post as it helps the kids realize that the advice given to them by members are for their own good .And he wasnt really even a kid at 22. be careful .

too the 22 yr old boy--------------- RIP bro

I remember when elite fitness sent out a newsletter about this kid .. showed some of his posts .. I believe he was also an avid user of X, ghb, pot and a bunch of other rec drugs. They even wrote newsweek and showed them the records of his post ... this article is only one side of the story ..

bump

Does any one know what his cause of death was.. Did his body shut down because of "over heat" or did he have heart problems?