Stop Supplement Restrictions in New York State

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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_

(http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=302591221 & url_num=1 & url=http\

://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.

Assemblyman Ortiz represents an area including Sunset Park in Brookly. His

district Office is at 404 55th Street,Brooklyn, local telephone 718-492-6334.

His Albany phone is 518-455-3821. 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 t_

(http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=302591221 & url_num=2 & url=http\

://www.democracyinaction.org/d

ia/organizationsORG/Citizens/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=6982) _ell your

legislators to vote " No " !_

(http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=302591221 & url_num=3 & url=http\

://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/Citize

ns/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=6982)

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:

* Create a completely unnecessary layer of bureaucracy at the state

level (attempting to usurp Federal powers)

* Limit consumers' access, and interfere with their right, to

important information about supplements

* 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!_

(http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=302591221 & url_num=4 & url=http\

://www.de

mocracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/Citizens/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=69

82)

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!_

(http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=302591221 & url_num=5 & url=http\

://www.democ

racyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/Citizens/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=6982)

 

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