Fwd: NEWS: Supplements Threatened in Congress - Take Action!

[Guest guest]

Brian Carter

NEWS: Supplements Threatened in Congress - Take Action!

Sat, 11 Oct 2003 08:26:57 +0000

 

Try this link:

http://capwiz.com/nnfa/issues/alert/?alertid=3098131 & type=CO

 

If that doesn't work, go here:

http://capwiz.com/nnfa/home/

and click on " Support S. 1538 and Oppose S. 722 Protect Your Access to

Dietary Supplements Click Here. "

 

Action Alert

 

Support S. 1538 and Oppose S. 722

Protect Your Access to Dietary Supplements

 

Don't Let Congress Overturn the Dietary Supplement Health and Education

Act of 1994

 

Because the Food and Drug Administration has failed to fully uphold the

law, Congress is looking into making changes that will undermine many of

the freedoms that American consumers of dietary supplements hold dear.

 

SUPPORT S. 1538

 

No more excuses from the Food and Drug Administration! Give the FDA the

resources it needs to implement DSHEA!

This bill will eliminate the Food and Drug Administration's favorite

excuses that it doesn't have enought staff, money or power to regulate

supplements. The FDA has fallen short when it comes to enforcing the

law.

 

Support research that validates the safety, effectiveness and quality of

dietary supplements.

Because dietary supplements come from natural ingredients, they can't be

patented. While this insures that these products are readily—and

affordably — available, it takes away the ability of manufacturers to

recoup research costs. The bill doubles the funding given to the Office

of Dietary Supplements to expand research and consumer information about

these products.

 

Hold the government accountable for its actions.

This bill will require the FDA to file annual reports to Congress about

how they're regulating dietary supplements. If they fail in their

responsibilities to fully implement the law, they'll be held

accountable.

 

OPPOSE S. 722

 

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. Click here to view S. 722.

 

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.

 

TAKE ACTION NOW!

 

This bill could be added to existing Senate legislation at any time. We

need you to take two vital steps: 1) immediately let your Senators know

that you support S. 1538 and ask them to co-sponsor the bill, and 2) ask

them to oppose S. 722.

 

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 click on the Elected

Officials link above. When you reach your Senator's office, ask to speak

with the staff member in charge of health-related issues.

 

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

Now " button above to locate your senators, 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.

 

 

 

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