Fwd: Stop Bill to control supplement distribution

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XXXXXX

Tuesday, July 08, 2003 10:19 AM

IMPORTANT INFO

 

 

Dear Friends,

 

The following information was given to me today. If you care about this

issue, as I think you do, you will need to take action very soon.

 

NOW FOODS says:

The bill, introduced by Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, would give FDA broad

sweeping regulatory power, require adverse event reporting, and would

authorize the FDA to prevent the sale of any supplement for which an adverse

event was reported. Burden of proof of safety would be on the Dietary

Supplement industry, which would effectively overturn DSHEA (the current law

passed in 1994). Durbin is misinforming his colleagues in the Senate by

claiming that dietary supplements are dangerous and FDA does not currently

have adequate regulatory authority. Both allegations are false.

 

Durbin has become our chief antagonist and was instrumental in getting

ephedra banned in Illinois. Senator Orrin Hatch said at the NNFA Show ((a

show the supplement retailers attend)) that Durbin is a slick political

operative who may try to attach this legislation to another bill to sneak it

through passage in the Senate and the House. So we could be at the greatest

stage of regulatory crisis since 1994 (pre-DSHEA).

 

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP DEFEAT THIS BILL?

1. Print copies of the letter to your senator that follows and distribute

them to your family and friends.

 

2. Send this information to your family and friends and encourage them to

oppose this legislation.

 

DON'T DELAY. This bill has the potential to radically amend one of this

country's most important and beneficial laws, the DSHEA (Dietary Supplement

Health and Education Act of 1994).

 

Take Action! S.722 is Expected to be Voted on in the Next Two Weeks

(Posted 6.30.03)

 

 

PROTECT YOUR ACCESS TO DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS!

S.722 (Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2003)

http://www.nnfa.org/services/government/pdf/s722.pdf could be added to

existing Senate legislation at any time. We need you to take two vital steps

to immediately let your Senators know you oppose this bill -- Call or E-mail

your senators today!

 

 

CALL YOUR SENATORS

Call your Senators now. To reach your Senators' offices, call them either

through the Capitol Hill switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or directly at their

Washington, D.C. or local offices. To find contact information for your

elected officials, simply : Call Senators

<http://capwiz.com/nnfa/dbq/officials> . When you reach your Senator's

office, ask to speak with the staff member in charge of health-related

issues and give them this simple message:

 

 

As your constituent, I urge you to oppose any efforts by your fellow

Senators to pass S. 722, the so-called Dietary Supplement " Safety " Act,

recently introduced by Senator Richard Durbin. I am deeply concerned that

rather than passing this new act - which would unnecessarily expand the

authority of the Food and Drug Administration - Congress should instead

investigate and oversee ways in which the Food and Drug Administration can

make full use of its current and more-than-adequate authority as granted by

the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994.

 

 

E-MAIL YOUR SENATORS

E-mail your Senators now. Simply enter your ZIP code in the " Take Action

Now " button on this webpage: Click Here

<http://capwiz.com/nnfa/issues/alert/?alertid=2103491>Â to locate your

senators and representatives, make any changes you feel necessary to the

sample letter, and click " submit. " A copy of your letter will be sent to the

two U.S. Senators from your state. A copy of the letter will also be sent to

you confirming which Senators received the letter.

 

 

DON'T LET CONGRESS OVERTURN THE HARD-FOUGHT VICTORY OF THE DIETARY

SUPPLEMENT HEALTH AND EDUCATION ACT OF 1994.

Don't delay - this bill has the potential to radically amend one of this

country's most important and beneficial laws, the Dietary Supplement Health

and Education Act of 1994. To view S.722 in its entirety, Read

S.722 http://www.nnfa.org/services/government/pdf/s722.pdf

 

 

A new bill called the " Dietary Supplement Safety " Act (S.722) has been

introduced in the U.S. Senate. This bill, introduced by IL Senator Dick

Durbin, would significantly undermine many of the freedoms that American

consumers of dietary supplements hold dear.

 

 

It would give the FDA broad sweeping regulatory power, require adverse event

reporting, and would authorize the FDA to prevent the sale of any supplement

for which an adverse event was reported. Burden of proof of safety would be

on the Dietary Supplement industry, which would effectively overturn DSHEA.

Durbin is misinforming his colleagues in the Senate by claiming that dietary

supplements are dangerous and the FDA does not currently have adequate

regulatory authority. Both allegations are false!

 

 

Durbin has become our chief antagonist and was instrumental in getting

ephedra banned in Illinois. Senator Orrin Hatch has said that Durbin is a

slick political operative who may try to attach this legislation to another

bill to sneak it through passage in the Senate and the House. So we could be

at the greatest stage of regulatory crisis since 1994 (pre-DSHEA ).

 

 

OPPOSE THIS LEGISLATION!

The Food and Drug Administration must not be granted new and unprecedented

authority to subject safe and beneficial products to additional and

unnecessary scrutiny. This bill would subject nearly all vitamins, minerals,

herbal products and other supplements to a level of scrutiny that is both

unwarranted and unnecessary. Products that have been used safely for

hundreds - and in some cases, thousands - of years would be subject to

clinical evaluation using standards that are at the complete discretion of

the FDA.

 

 

The government must not be allowed to limit the freedom of choice of

American consumers when it comes to their health. By questioning the safety

of any dietary supplement that receives even one complaint, hundreds of

products that have been safely and beneficially used could be removed from

the marketplace. Under this new legislation, the FDA has complete discretion

to make this determination, regardless of whether the product was used under

conditions cautioned against by the manufacturer on the label.

 

 

The government must not be allowed to single-out dietary supplements. By

almost every measure, and by a wide margin, dietary supplements can be used

more safely than conventional foods and OTC drugs. Yet this legislation

exempts foods in these product categories from being classified as

stimulants. Specifically, the bill unfairly excludes the most common

" stimulant " ingredient in foods - caffeine.

 

 

The sample letter below is also from Now Foods. Another source of

information about this legislation and other pending legislation is:

www.citizens.org

Source: NOW FOODS

--------------------------

 

Dear Senator _____________________:

 

As your constituent, I urge you to oppose any efforts by your fellow

Senators to pass S. 722, the so-called Dietary Supplement " Safety " Act,

recently introduced by Senator Richard Durbin. I am deeply concerned that

rather than passing this new act--which would unnecessarily expand the

authority of the Food and Drug Administration - Congress should instead

investigate and oversee ways in which the Food and Drug Administration can

make full use of its current and more-than-adequate authority as granted by

the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994.

 

I have read that the Durbin bill, despite its title, would allow no more

consumer protection than current law provides. It does, however, contain

new and discretionary enforcement powers that would significantly undermine

many of the freedoms that American consumers of dietary supplements - like

myself - hold dear.

 

If adopted, this bill would subject nearly all vitamins, minerals, herbal

products and other supplements to a level of scrutiny that is both

unwarranted and unnecessary. Products that have been used safely and

beneficially for hundreds - and in some cases, thousands - of years would be

subject to clinical evaluation using standards that are at the complete

discretion of the FDA.

 

I am concerned that this bill, by questioning the safety of any dietary

supplement that receives even one complaint, will result in potentially

hundreds of products being removed from the marketplace. Under this new

legislation, the FDA has complete discretion to make this determination,

regardless of whether the product was used under conditions cautioned

against by the manufacturer on the label.

 

By almost every measure, and by a wide margin, dietary supplements can be

used more safely than conventional foods and Over the Counter drugs. Yet

this legislation exempts foods in these product categories from being

classified as stimulants. Specifically, the bill unfairly excludes the most

common " stimulant " ingredient in foods - caffeine.

 

I ask you to oppose this extreme and unnecessary legislation and instead

take the opportunity to encourage and support the FDA in fully utilizing its

enforcement powers as granted by DSHEA.

 

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this important matter.

 

 

 

___________

Signature Name (please print)

 

________

Address

 

_________________________

City, State

 

 

__________________

 

Zip

 

 

 

Signed:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

@

 

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