New Yorkers' Access to Supplements Under Attack!

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NY Bills Threaten Consumer Access - A Danger to All Americans

 

New Yorkers' Access to Supplements Under Attack!

 

For release: March 15, 2007

 

March, 2007 - In the March issue of Nutrition Industry Executive magazine

(www.niemagazine.com), James Gormley reports that there are four new bills

in New York State that have been introduced by NY State Assemblyman Felix

Ortiz (D-51st District) - six if you count two companion bills in the NY

Senate. These bills take aim at consumers by targeting all supplement

companies that sell into New York, which is virtually every manufacturer

that exists. Click here to tell your legislators to vote " No " !

 

The following is a list of the bills and what they entail:

 

Bill A3944 would require " that anyone selling dietary supplements that make

health or appearance claims possess competent and scientific evidence

substantiating those claims " ; it would also require a warning statement on

the product label or " handout " if the product claim is not approved by the

US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

 

Bill A4014 would prevent school employees, especially coaches, from

recommending dietary supplements to students and would require schools to

warn students of the risks of supplements.

 

Bill A3357 would establish a dietary supplements safety committee that

would, apparently, create " adequate standards and enforcement for

manufacturing, safety and effectiveness " of dietary supplements.

 

Bill A2068 would require labeling to indicate which products have been

tested by the FDA for " purity. "

 

If enacted, these bills would:

 

a.. Create a completely unnecessary layer of bureaucracy at the state

level (attempting to usurp Federal powers)

b.. Limit consumers' access, and interfere with their right, to important

information about supplements

c.. Place an unnecessary economic burden on the nutritional and dietary

supplement industry and its customers without providing any additional value

to consumers.

These bills are not just bad for consumers of natural products---they are

bad for the state of New York.

 

Click here and act now to preserve your access to supplements!

 

For example, A3944 would promote a different, unwarranted, and unnecessary

double standard for dietary supplement makers who sell products in New York.

The costs of compliance would drive up the costs of products for the

millions of consumers statewide who depend upon inherently safe supplements

for health and well-being. It would also force many manufacturers to

relocate to other states, while those who remain would pass their greater

costs on down to consumers, forcing those same consumers to, in turn, look

to other states for the supplements upon which they depend.

 

We at Citizens for Health join with the National Nutritional Foods

Association-East in strongly opposing these bills, and urge you to do the

same. At best, they are unnecessary because sufficient regulations,

enforcement and oversight already exist at the Federal level, like the

Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA).

 

At worst and realistically, the bills are burdensome and have the potential

to create a confusing and unfairly hostile environment for supplements in

New York State that would be used as a precedent for the establishment of

similar regulations across the country.

 

Click here to make your voice heard - stop these bills now!

 

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