Fwd: Congress Seeking to Undermine Your Health Freedom

[Guest guest]

" luckypig "

Wed, 22 Oct 2003 10:30:13 -0400

Congress Seeking to Undermine Your Health Freedom

 

http://capwiz.com/nnfa/issues/alert/?alertid=3098131 & type=CO%20

 

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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