Congress Threatens Your Access to Supplements… Again

Congress Threatens Your Access to SupplementsThree months ago I sounded the alarm about dangerous calls in the media to repeal the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA). I explained then how the DSHEA actually protects our rights as consumers and why supplements should not be regulated in the same fashion as prescription drugs.

Now, Senator McCain (R-AZ) and Senator Dorgan (D-ND) have introduced a bill called the Dietary Supplement Safety Act (DSSA) which dismantles key provisions of the DSHEA.

If passed, the FDA would be granted broad new powers to curtail the sale of vitamins, minerals, herbs, fish oils and other supplements along with the potency of those sold. In fact, many supplements already available would suddenly become illegal to purchase.

How’s that? The new legislation mandates all dietary supplements must undergo a new process of governmental review just to stay on the market. Just imagine having your glucosamine and chondroitin supplement suddenly pulled off the shelves simply because the FDA wishes to run it through the same multi-million or even billion dollar review process prescription drugs undergo.

Would it be fair to place supplements under the same testing restrictions as drugs? Not at all. Prescription drug companies can afford this costly process as their products are patent protected. Supplements, derived from food and other natural sources, don’t enjoy that luxury. This cost prohibitive requirement would cause supplements you rely upon to keep you healthy to either disappear or become much more costly.

The existing law already provides for supplement safety. Most supplement ingredients have already stood the test of time – in many cases, centuries of use. Supplements with any new ingredient must be reported to the FDA with scientific proofs before product release. The current DSHEA law strikes the right balance between product safety and the consumer’s right to choose the supplements that can improve their health.

Don’t confuse the mislabeled Dietary Supplement Safety Act with real safety. If passed, the new DSSA bill would interfere with your right to safe and affordable health supplements and should be vigorously opposed. Your health just may depend on it.

Filed Under: Supplements
Written By:  Updated:
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Jesse Cannone, CFT, CPRS, MFT

Jesse is the co-founder and visionary CEO of The Healthy Back Institute®, the world-leading source of natural back pain solutions. His mission as a former back pain sufferer is to help others live pain free without surgery and pharmaceuticals.

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4 thoughts on “Congress Threatens Your Access to Supplements… Again”

  1. Mike Schiffer says:

    How can we all get together and organize to let
    the senators know the bill is misguided ?

    If they don’t hear from tens of thousands of us, I
    fear the new prohibition will pass.

    This kind of regulation is totally without merit.

  2. Marisu Terry says:

    How can Mc Cain and Dorgan possibly feel that they are qualified to make that judgement to outlaw supplements? They are trying to invoke dictatorial laws on the American people regarding something they obviously know little about.

  3. Mildred Post says:

    They should quit passing laws that aren’t needed and especially ones that don’t benefit us. Our health is much better since we have been taking supplements. We haven’t gotten colds or the flu and we use alternative health care instead of drugs with all the side effects. We don’t need Congress telling us what to do for our health and we don’t need the new expensive health care bill passed. There are things that need to be reformed but they can be done one at a time instead of a big bill that very few know what is in it.

  4. Karen Mata says:

    The pharmaceutical industry wants to quash their competitors.

    Big money talks.

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