Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Tom Harkin (D-IA), both supporters of natural health and supplements, plan to introduce new legislation, the Dietary Supplement Full Implementation and Enforcement Act of 2010, within the coming weeks. The bill will fully fund FDA implementation of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), the legislation that governs the regulation of dietary supplements.
At the present time, opponents of dietary supplements and natural health make false claims that supplements are not regulated and therefore unsafe.
We completely disagree. In the first place, federal regulation does not ensure safety. Second, supplement producers are currently regulated by DSHEA, mandated to report adverse events, and required to comply with Good Manufacturing Practice regulations. The Dietary Supplement Full Implementation and Enforcement Act of 2010 is intended to fund all DSHEA regulatory provisions and therefore rebut the argument by supplement opponents that the supplement industry is not really regulated due to a lack of funding.
Will this work as intended? No one can say for sure. It is possible that the FDA will misuse the funds to persecute supplements. On the other hand, this funding means that, for the first time, some FDA employees will see their jobs as being funded by supplements and likely to disappear if supplements disappear. Perhaps that will work to the advantage of natural health. Only time will tell. In the meantime, the bill will effectively rebut those who keep claiming, falsely, that supplements are unregulated.
Important note: the bill is likely to include some provisions drafted by Senator John McCain (R-AZ). McCain might even end up as a bill sponsor. But this does not worry us. One of the two McCain provisions requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to notify the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) if a new supplement ( so-called New Dietary Ingredient or NDI) may contain anabolic steroids. This is not an objectionable provision.
The second McCain provision that may be included in the bill will attempt to clarify the New Dietary Ingredient Process. This is the process whereby supplement manufacturers may petition the FDA to sell substances not sold prior to 1994, the year DSHEA passed. This is a very sensitive area for natural health supporters because of the recent tendency of drug companies to try to convert supplements not sold prior to 1994 into exclusive prescription drugs. We are confident that any provision agreed to by Senators Harkin and Hatch will protect natural health and supplements. But we will have to wait for the particular language. We will report back to you as soon as we have more particulars.
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I am assuming that John McCains bill was thrown out?
Thank you SO much for watching these developments and keeping us abreast of them!
Thanks, Alliance for Health, in keeping us updated about this bill! I will support it IF it is something that will help protect the availablity of our whole food supplements and not end up funding the FDA to further abuse natural supplements. The pharmacuetical synthetic supplements are never in any beaurocratic harm — it’s the all natural whole foods supplements the FDA will attack instead.
This year has been the year for major changes–brought upon us by the Democratic party. They should go one step further and make some major anti-greed changes in the pharmaceutical industry and FDA — now that would be REAL change!
I have a suggestion about this:
Why not push for language REQUIRING the FDA to use the new funds as intended, to enforce DSHEA, and to keep public records of exactly how this is accomplished?!
Congressional oversight can also be included.
The FDA should be eliminated it is a useless organization that has failed to protect consumers from deadly drugs that they themselves gave their blessing. They are more concerned about attacking Cheerios and Cheeries. this organization is a joke.
Dietary supplement should be left alone.
Please stay on top of this. Were it not for supplements I would have been dead in my early 30’s. Will soon be 77 and still take the supplements that saved my life.
If you all have any influence with Senators Hatch and Harkin, is there any way that you can ask them to include HR 4913, the Free Speech About Science Act, and HR 3394, the Freedom of Health Speech Act, and HR 3395, the Health Freedom Act, into this legislation?
Thank you for keeping us informed! It is greatly appreciated!
I’m reminded of the federal takeover of organics. The result was that federal regulations, fees and charges drove the small grower from the market, thus beginning the CSA effort. Organic may still mean something, but I’m not sure what.
Supplements need some kind of regulatory control, but what group or government entity can be trusted not to act in favor of big pharma? This has been a long time coming, and I hope it won’t result in endless, costly paperwork and bureaucratic meddling that will drive the smaller companies from the market, leaving a few behind that will be nice lap dogs for big pharma and the feds. If this happens, then local herbalists may well start supplying the need on a small scale, perhaps working along with CSA’s. We’ll see.
I believe that the following information is critical for health freedom and I agree with it.
Gina Liberti
Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Tom Harkin (D-IA), both supporters of natural health and supplements, plan to introduce new legislation, the Dietary Supplement Full Implementation and Enforcement Act of 2010, within the coming weeks. The bill will fully fund FDA implementation of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), the legislation that governs the regulation of dietary supplements.
At the present time, opponents of dietary supplements and natural health make false claims that supplements are not regulated and therefore unsafe.
We completely disagree. In the first place, federal regulation does not ensure safety. Second, supplement producers are currently regulated by DSHEA, mandated to report adverse events, and required to comply with Good Manufacturing Practice regulations. The Dietary Supplement Full Implementation and Enforcement Act of 2010 is intended to fund all DSHEA regulatory provisions and therefore rebut the argument by supplement opponents that the supplement industry is not really regulated due to a lack of funding.
Will this work as intended? No one can say for sure. It is possible that the FDA will misuse the funds to persecute supplements. On the other hand, this funding means that, for the first time, some FDA employees will see their jobs as being funded by supplements and likely to disappear if supplements disappear. Perhaps that will work to the advantage of natural health. Only time will tell. In the meantime, the bill will effectively rebut those who keep claiming, falsely, that supplements are unregulated.
Important note: the bill is likely to include some provisions drafted by Senator John McCain (R-AZ). McCain might even end up as a bill sponsor. But this does not worry us. One of the two McCain provisions requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to notify the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) if a new supplement ( so-called New Dietary Ingredient or NDI) may contain anabolic steroids. This is not an objectionable provision.
The second McCain provision that may be included in the bill will attempt to clarify the New Dietary Ingredient Process. This is the process whereby supplement manufacturers may petition the FDA to sell substances not sold prior to 1994, the year DSHEA passed. This is a very sensitive area for natural health supporters because of the recent tendency of drug companies to try to convert supplements not sold prior to 1994 into exclusive prescription drugs. We are confident that any provision agreed to by Senators Harkin and Hatch will protect natural health and supplements. But we will have to wait for the particular language. We will report back to you as soon as we have more particulars.
This is a subject of utmost importance to me and my family. We do not take drugs and prefer to heal with food and supplements. Should supplements ever be considered drugs and regulated as such by the FDA we would not be able to afford them. Thanks so much for keeping us posted.
What is going on?
Does the US Government just HATE the American people?
I currently have an income of $830 per month, and I spend about $100 of that on supplements. They keep me healthy, and some were recommended by my doctor.
None of this is covered by my prescription insurance, and the only drug I take also isn’t covered.
If I can’t afford to buy these supplements, I’ll need PLENTY of government money and support just to continue living. Or is the idea that you WANT to kill us?
Without the American people, there will BE no US government!
Wake up and help the PEOPLE, not the DRUG COMPANIES! Forget the bribes they’re giving you and help the people who elected you, for a change!
Please vote against this bill! The FDA is completely uneducated and uninformed about dietary supplement regulation procedures. It has been shown time and again that Federal regulations do not ensure safety nor informed decisions in this matter. Please reconsider!
I just joined ANH-USA, but after reading the above article am already concerned that you are just another fake “natural health” group fronting for the medical bureaucrats and working to get increased bureaucratic regulation implemented, under the guise of “reasonableness.”
After armed FDA raids on the clinics of supplement-providing doctors…merciless attacks on perfectly safe nutritional supplements…ridiculous attempts to suppress information on the health benefits of simple foods like cherries or walnuts…destruction of careers and businesses of natural health providers…WHAT ON GOD’S GREEN EARTH COULD POSSIBLY MAKE YOU THINK GIVING THESE BASTARDS MORE TAXPAYER MONIES MIGHT BE A GOOD THING?
Until I see you willing to take a more forthright and bold stand against further bureaucratic regulation of the supplement community, I will have no choice but to refrain from passing your articles along to my 60,000 readers, and will indeed have to voice my skeptism instead.
You have to decide which side you’re on. There’s no middle ground.
Does anyone else besides me see that the government is very busy shutting all the doors to free choice, to responsible living, to independence?
I support Hatch and Harkin bill supporting protection of supplements…Will look at the wording carefully before fully supporting this bill.
BOY, I SEE SOME POTENTIAL HAZARDS WITH THIS LEGISLATION BUT, AS YOU HAVE SAID, WE REALLY NEED TO SEE WHAT IS REALLY IN IT. I DO NOT TRUST THE FDA AND THEY HAVE A LONG TRACK RECORD THAT MAKES MY POINT. DON’T EXPECT TO SEE A CHANGE IN THE DECADES LONG EMBEDDED CULTURE AT FDA. AMONG A WHOLE LIST OF POTENTIAL MISCHIEF MAKING IS WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO LABEL AS AN ANABOLIC STEROID, NAMELY DHEA. BE DILIGENT. VERY DILIGENT.
PS. ISN’T THERE A POTENTIAL STRONG HEAD OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, MAYBE A FUTURE PRESIDENT, CONGRESSIONAL PERSON OR COALITION THAT HAS THE WILLINGNESS AND POWER AND AUTHORITY TO COMPLETELY BRING ABOUT TOTAL TRANFORMATION OF THIS OUT OF CONTROL GOVERNMENT AGENCY? (FDA). IDEALLY, A NEW SYSTEM OF INTEGRATIVE FREE MARKET, COST EFFECTIVE HEALTHCARE WITH AN EMPHASIS ON WELLNESS RATHER THAN SICKNESS WOULD REALLY BE A CHANGE I COULD BELIEVE IN. ONE CAN ONLY HOPE.
Dear Sir I respectfully disagree totallly that the FDA should regulate anything concerning natural supplements made from foods or herbs or minerals. These are not drugs and therefore should be left to the open market as they are now. Give the FDA a nose in the tent and soon they will take over the tent.
I applaude Senators Hatch and Harkin for support natural supplements. One would have to wonder WHO is behind trying to control supplements. I suspect that the pharmaceuticals would be very happy to remove supplements, like red yeast rice, and so many others, that have helped people without being forced to pay a fortune for prescription drugs or to take drugs that cause more serious side effects than healings. This business has become some corrupt and I’m “very” inclinded to think the FDA is very much involved. Count the deaths related to prescriptions and compare them to the deaths caused by supplements. I would be curious to see the difference.
Noone is pushing supplements down anyone’s throat the way congress pushed Obanacare down our throats. What are they trying to prove? Aren’t American citizens allowed to think for themselves about anything anymore? The Pill Czar will tell us what to do.
Why don’t they admit the truth..They want to make money off these popular supplements which will then raise the prices having NOTHING to do with anything but their pocketbooks.
Thank you so very much for doing the work and keeping us informed. I’m so glad that there are people like you, and legislators as well, who want this supplement bill to pass. Supplements have improved my life immensely with no side effects, none. I feel very confident in taking what my doctor has suggested to me. jan
I understand that the Dietary Supplement Full Implementation and Enforcement Act of 2010, will come before you in the next few weeks. I implore you to do your homework about supplements. Most of the companies I am familiar with, do an enormous amount of testing and use high quality ingredients.
If you take a look at prescription drugs, which are regulated by the FDA, you will see that many people have tremendous side effects, including death. I believe that because the FDA regulates something, doesn’t necessarily make it safe for us.
Praise God for two Senators who do their homework and understand the value and importance of supplements for the health of americans.
Thank you Senators Hatch and Harkin for your continued attention and work for the american people!
This is great news. And a truly helpful update and explanation.
We do not need this legislation. Now we have to worry about Republicans taking away our freedoms. Does it never stop. Well, if that is the case we can also vote you out.
can this potentially force the FDA to release estriol and pyridoxamine back to the public?
And block any future “Citizens’ Petitions” by the Pharm producers?
I depend on your group to watch all this legislation carefully. I will depend on your decisions to protect the supplements that keep I and my husband healthy so that we can use our Medicare carefully and frugally—almost not at all. We are 72 and 71, are free of diabetes, are on one medication each, and lead a healthy lifestyle, using the Wii for strength exercises as well as yoga and their new balance/brain exercises. We thank the more natural, preventive medicine interests of the naturopathic professionals. Our son left the medical profession because physicians were more and more being used by drug companies to prescribe their medications. Instead, he teaches violin in another country. His special talent was diagnosing patients. He is a loss to the medical profession.
Leave natural supplements alone and just continue using the process that’s been used for so many years.
In regard to food suppements, I trust Sen. Orrin Hatch- anything that McCain gets his hands on, I will be extemely wary!
This bill is very DANGEROUS for true Health Freedom. The FDA abused its power with the 1994 DSHEA bill, doing the EXACT OPPOSITE of what Congress intended to accomplish. Instead of educating the public on the correlation between diseases and poor nutrition, the FDA began to prohibit the disseminating of true cures and of information which would eradicate most diseases. They have been using taxpayers money to keep America sick–It is a New World Order plan. It doesn’t matter what the health bill says–by giving the FDA more power, they will increasingly prosecute companies which have cutting edge supplements that cure diseases. Already, they have either chased companies with cancer successes out of this country, or pressed legal cases against them–hoxsey, cancel/cantron, cansema, Dr. Burzynski, etc. They brought a legal case against True Health Inc. for 2 years until the company promised it wouldn’t mention its success treating AIDS and HIV. (Some became HIV negative.) They went after Sea Silver until the owner quit because of legaln expenses, etc.
It appears that this bill is channeling McCain’s hysteria about steroids tainting supplements away from the potentially dangerous and problematic Dietary Supplement Safety Act (DSSA) toward a more protective bill. But I remain concerned since McCain is being incorporated into the drafting despite his lack of understanding about steroids, derivatives of testosterone, or prohormones like DHEA (a steroid, though not as anabolic/androgenic as testosterone). McCain tried to ban DHEA before; what ensures that this bill does not allow for him (or the FDA) to try this again? Moreover, the supposed issue of “tainting” with steroids – i.e. putting testosterone or its derivatives among iron supplements- should be resolved by conforming with GMP certification and related regulations. We don’t need overly broad language (which could reduce the freedom/access of supplement users) when a specific rule will suffice.
As always I want to thank you for keeping us up to date on any new developments regarding our freedoms/rights to choose the drug free way to health! Bravo and I await your next newsletter regarding what direction this bill takes! Hopefully Senators Harkin and Hatch along with Senator McCain will make a positive impact on our supplementation freedoms!
Thanks again for your up to the minute reports and information!!
2009 in review: A year of FDA censorship, Big Pharma crimes and celebrity drug deaths
http://www.naturalnews.com/027851_health_news_Big_Pharma.html
2009 has been a crazy year for health and medicine. It was the year that Congress rammed through a mandatory health “reform” bill that violates the U.S. Constitution in forcing all Americans to buy government-mandated products and services from greedy corporations. Although it hasn’t been signed into law yet, the very fact that it has been passed by both the House and the Senate is alarming: America is just one signature away from becoming a medical dictatorship.
America Does Not Have A Shortage of Doctors; It Has An Excess of Disease
http://www.naturalnews.com/028577_doctors_shortage.html
Doctors Warn: Avoid Jew Monsanto Genetically Modified Food
http://www.responsibletechnology.org/utility/showArticle/?objectID=2989
Big Pharma: Exposing the Global Healthcare Agenda
http://www.naturalnews.com/np/Big_Pharma.html
Billions of People Expected to Die Under Current Codex Alimentarius Guidelines
http://www.naturalnews.com/026663_CODEX_food_health.html
Your right to eat healthy food and use supplements of your choice is rapidly vanishing, but every effort has been made to keep you in the dark about the coming nutricide. Codex Alimentarius is scheduled for full global implementation on December 31, 2009, and not a word has been spoken in main stream media about this threat to humanity.
Consumers Stop Big Pharma Supplements Takeover – For Now
Rima E. Laibow, MD
Medical Director – Natural Solutions Foundation – 5-4-7
http://www.rense.com/general76/consumer.htm
Doctors Now Leading Cause Of Death In US
Death by Medicine
Gary Null PhD, Carolyn Dean MD ND, Martin Feldman MD
Debora Rasio MD, Dorothy Smith PhD
http://www.nutritioninstituteofamerica.net/research/DeathByMedicine/DeathByMedicine1.htm
Regarding health care supplements, more and more physicians are telling patients to obtain particular ones, i.e. fish oil for eyes and B6 for lungs which have been compromised by exposure to TB, calcium & D for bones, etc. Please make sure dietary supplements are not overly taxed as they are expensive as is and are needed for health. These are not covered by health savings or flexible spending. Those of us on social security and medicare have problems making ends meet and are the most probable to need these supplements. Thank you for your consideration.
The FDA so far, has not been able to protect the public from pharmaceutical drugs that kill thousands of people and cause major health risks. How do they think they can protect the public from supplements?
I posted this to Facebook. I think enough is enough. I am tired of “officials” in bed with Big Pharma telling us that chemical drugs are going to save us.
Everyone needs to share this with all social media! The FDA already told Blue Diamond that they couldn’t post known scientific facts about walnuts being good for your heart and brain. All because according to them, only drugs can cure disease. Give me a break! Is this the world you want to live in?
I saw a box of cereal called eating right. Right on the front, it says Natural and Artificial Flavors and in the ingredients is partially hydrogenated sunflower oil and high fructose corn syrup.
Yep, that’s eating right!!!
I started in 1957 with dr. fraulo in the very early day’s of talking vitamins for health’s sake !!!!!!!! Two year’r later he sent me to ” The brain bio center ” in Prlncton n.j. for blood & urine test’s . I was talking 3000 mgs of vitamin c & 3000 mgs of niacin which now it’s known for good heart health which the f.d.a. did not want known so drug company’s could sell expensive drug’s whiich are harmull stopping vitamin’s &mineral’s for me is like pulling the exicution switch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!thank you
McCain, in my opinion is a total douchebag, His douchebaggery leaves me completely breathless. After 27 years in healthcare watching the status quo evsicerate the public, my stance on modern medicine is to STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM IT. Statistics support my stance. Keep up your assualt on the health freedom movement & you will hear a great deal more from. me… I who am on the frontline of healthcare watching you kill the masses.
Since when does more regulation solve ANYTHING? Don’t we have WAY more than plenty of laws on the books? Even the best intentioned laws will not protect the consumer from themself. Only personal responsibility can do that. Likewise only electing true statesmen can preserve a nation from oppressive government.
God Bless Senators Hatch and Harkin! God Bless their bill they are proposing. I am praying it will pass so we will have a “choice”. Thank you Senators!
repeal this new bill and repeal the McCain bill also.
Stop.
This is insane. How many people die each year of supplements? Over 100,000 die each year from prescriptions. Get the prescriptions right! Don’t mess with supplements.
Larry Bolgar
I am against the FDA regulating and controlling supplements! That is already happening in Argentina, and valuable supplements are disappearing from health food and drug store shelves! The public should know about these government maneuvers and take immediate action. Thank you ANH!
I appreciate the fact that supplements will be recognized by our government as something of which requires regulation – how it will ultimately affect our Wellness business practices, & the actual outcome for our overall health does remain to be seen.
We are not completely in favor of this, FDA Could possibly control ,afraid it will stop some of our good uses of supplements, or completely take them away? James I.
McCain should worry more about all the tons of hormones injected in U.S. food supply each year and not in supplements.
Keep the FDA out of it as they are nothing more than extension of the drug industry and use funding for the drug company interests, not the people. Government is corrupt with its corporate partners. Show men what they have done that is efficent and its works as intended originally. I rest my case.
Individuals who rely on dietary supplements need to know that the supplements they take daily to improve their health may be impacted by this law. If we want to make our stance known on this issue, should we write to our local congressmen, contact Senators Orrin & Hatch, or is there someone else we should contact? How should we make our voices heard? I’ve posted information about this legislation on my website, but would love to let my readers know who they should contact to express their opinion about their stance on this issue. http://www.livingbetterfeelingbetter.typepad.com/blog/
Thanks for the informative article. This bill initially sounds like good legislation, and Sen. Hatch has been very supportive of the supplements industry in the past. Of course, with Big Pharma working behind the scenes to derail the supplements industry, one has to wonder what kind of rider clauses will end up in the final version of the bill, or if it will ever even see the light of day.
Regrettably, a few “bad apples” in the supplements industry have helped to generate a lot of negative press about supplements in recent months, (or else it has been funded and promoted by the pharmaceutical industry), and yet millions of Americans benefit from taking quality dietary supplements, and many doctors recommend supplements to their patients. Plus, the vast majority of manufacturers and retailers follow the rules and guidelines and sell only quality products.
Ultimately, Americans deserve to have a choice, when it comes to their health, as to whether they want to take a supplement, or a more expensive prescription drug. This is the essence of Health Freedom.
Who says the gov’t wants us to have ANY freedoms? We are too stupid to run our own lives according to our “infallible” politicians who are walking blunders at this point.
I pray Senator Hatch is truly on our side, but knowing those in gov’t these days, there seems no one to trust. Just keep all of their fingers out of our business!
The FDA has maded so many errors on drugs of late, if they can not get it right with drugs, do tell me how they are going to get it right with supplements?
I say a hearty Hear, Hear to Billy’s comments. I work for a supplement company and our co owner Bill Faloon continually keeps his eye on the FDA and expoxes their INCOMPETENCIES. Mind you the word is plural. So many widows out there will tell you their doctor gave this husband an FDA approved durg and the poor husband died because the drug ate out his liver or shut down his kidney or caused him to become a diabetic, which caused his death.
I am hoping at this point in the history of our contry that everyone has made it to the 5th grade and can read. Barring that, there is now way we need some paid goon on Capital Hill to regulate, watch over and/or protect me from my supplements. I CAN READ. I also know that those supplements will go into my mouth and into my stomach. For goodness sake. Leave off already Captial Hill/FDA and their paid cronies.
I am concerned about the above report stating the FDA (They work in conjunction with the Drug Companies) may be funded tto regulate food aupplements. The reason they are attempting to get control of the food supplements is because millions of people use them and have good results. I for one do and I will be 87 in June, take many food supplements, work out, and lead a very active life.
Food supplemets cannot be patented and they know there would be more money for the Drug Companies.
Good organic food supplements are healing many illnesses that drug medicines do not. The word is getting out and more and more people are taking responsibility for their own health. /we are living longer in a healthy body so get involved in volunteer work which helps others learn how to become healthier and stay that way.
Please do not pass the Dietary Supplement Full Enforcement Act of of 2010. The cost of these natural supplements will go up tremendously, medical insurance does not cover supplements, and millions of people will not be able to purchase them. Thank you considering the people’s desires for a change.
Jeane says
I agree. No politician can be trusted implicitly. They may use language that seems to support our rights. Then they suddenly side with Big Pharma ostensibly to “protect consumers”! We are expected to believe that a drug manufacturer is interested in taking our rights to our own bodies because it wants to protect us? Gimmie a braak!!!
I received a response from Congressman, Bennet of Colorado. He told me that the move to take P5P from me and give my right to the Medicure company was to PROTECT me. Does he think that I’ll just say:”Okay, you know best”? Is he an idiot or what? Do these congress people have pharma stock? Is it disclosed? Or are these people terminally gullible .
One thing is clear: we can’t be fooled. Taken further, this anti-supplement fervor will make growing carrots illegal because carrots contain “too much beta carotene. I am not joking.
Juliana Hill
I support natural health and supplements.
Dear Alliance for Natural Health,
I do not think it is a good idea to give government bureaucrats more power/money esp. the FDA who from their past history are pro drugs and anti nutritional supplements–I smell a rat. Thank you.
I tend to agree with Danielle…despite the good reputations of Senators Hatch & Harkin ….I dislike the idea of giving the FDA more money… so they might feel indebted to the supplements industry…that sounds like a bribe, at our expense. Instead Senators Hatch & Harkin should be cosponsoring a Senate bill that corresponds to the Free Speech about Science Act (H.R. 4913). Please, Alliance for Natural Health, tell us about the progress of HR 4913….and the positions of Senators Hatch & Harkin on that.
I so agree with you. Everything regarding food that government even gets close to turns to garbage. Just look at the pull Monsanto has in the U.S. They feed us that sub-quality trash they call food. They managed to get every company to add GMO soybean oil in everything from canned Tuna Fish, to Dove liquid bath soap. So, when it comes to supplements, I don’t trust government as far as I can spit…and that isn’t very far.
I have to agree, I something is not right with this. Not to mention they have their paws in to much of our business as it is.
Digestive enzymes have now been pulled from open public purchase and have been converted to prescription substances. This is absurd. Its time for the FDA to be abolished and the key employees prosecuted for their criminal activities. The FDA serves the pharmaceutical industry at the expense of the health of American citizens. It is one of the most corrupt of all the government agencies.
So absurd. Come on, Life Extension Foundation, again step up and counter this ruthless, profit-driven FDA. I agree with what Carmi Hazen has declared one hundred per cent.
Of course the demons who are fomenting this are not listening to us – they only care for their profits.
Where would I find that Digestive Enzymes have been pulled from the market?
What kind of supplements I take, and in what dosages should only be UP TO ME!!
I don’t want the government to tell me that I cannot buy, say Vitamin C in the 1000mg dosage. I know what my body needs.
And, pharmaceutical companies do not care about my health, only their profits…so anything for which they obtain a patent, means it will cost at least 10 times what it would cost, if left as a supplement.
It just amazes me that they are trying to take away our supplements because they think they may be harmful!! You mean to tell me that if I go to a health store I might be getting something harmful, but I could go across the street and buy a pack of cigarettes because there sure isn’t any harmful ingredients in them????? If they want to regulate something, try regulating that!! This is not rocket science. Amazes me the mentality of people.
It’s only greed. Profit-driven greed.
Of course these senators want to step in and regulate supplements. The pharmaceutical companies who OWN said senators don’t want any kind of health aide that does not enrich them (which would subsequently not enrich the senators). I am coming to the end of my rope. Congress is broken. The Republicans are self-serving idiots and the democrats are afraid to do anything.
Thank you for the concern , in this area. It is defenitely needed. When I see Sen. Hatchs’ name on a bill I would know it would be for the right reaston. Thanks, Ida
Thank you for the concern , in this area. It is defenitely needed. When I see Sen. Hatchs’ name on a bill I would know it would be for the right reaston. Thanks, Ida
Thank you for the concern , in this area. It is defenitely needed. When I see Sen. Hatchs’ name on a bill I would know it would be for the right reaston. Thanks, Ida
Thank you for the concern , in this area. It is defenitely needed. When I see Sen. Hatchs’ name on a bill I would know it would be for the right reaston. Thanks, Ida
Thank you for the concern , in this area. It is defenitely needed. When I see Sen. Hatchs’ name on a bill I would know it would be for the right reaston. Thanks, Ida
Thank you for the concern , in this area. It is defenitely needed. When I see Sen. Hatchs’ name on a bill I would know it would be for the right reaston. Thanks, Ida
Thank you for the concern , in this area. It is defenitely needed. When I see Sen. Hatchs’ name on a bill I would know it would be for the right reaston. Thanks, Ida
Let the GAMES begin!
don’t trust them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am so glad Senators Orrin Hatch and Tom Harkin are introducing a viable rebuttal of the false claims of suppliment opponents whom I’m sure haven’t even bothered to search out the truth. It’s so good to know they are taking an offensive position to those false claims. Federal regulation definitely does not ensure safety, as has been proven time and time again by the countless deaths from toxic drugs they have approved. I can’t help but take this personally, and feel like it’s some kind of conspiracy against the American people and that it’s motivated by greed. I look forward to future developments.
This report is very much appreciated. Time for a counter-attack on CODEX. Verbal torpedos needed. Satire works well.
Yes, well put.
Thank you Senators Hatch and Harkin. It seems that you are the only heavy hitters who know that public health is the fundamental building block upon which all American values, all aspirations and all successes are built. Sick people don’t create jobs or build a future. Healthy people do. Healthy people choose clean food, clean herbs and clean supplements to augment the God-given gifts of life and vitality. Let’s give health a chance.
ANH-USA I did totally trust your organization until you wrote this article. Now I totally will NEVER trust anything you say ever again! You must either truly be on the side against supplements and a fake organization or you have lost your minds. Like the previous poster said: you have to choose a side. There is no middle ground especially with the history we have with the FDA. DSHEA already regulates (and protects) supplements. I do not hear all this supposed outcry about the safety and unfunded regulation of supplements. If it exists, it surely is coming from Big Pharma and no where else. And your organization is cowering due to that source?? We who take supplements are perfectly happy with the safety and only FEAR the choice being taken away. Which is ALL every one of these bills is trying to do with baby steps. I’m glad the McCain part “does not worry” you but it scares the hell out of me. That man is my state senator so I know how totally bought by big money he is…and how totally uninformed on the subject matter. Get real. Do not support this bill even if these 2 supportive legislators are behind it. I also smell a rat.
Susan
You should read this article again. Trust the NHA. In the first part of the article, it says this…. “The bill will fully fund FDA implementation of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), the legislation that governs the regulation of dietary supplements.”
That means the FDA will be funded to do what the original bill dictates. DSHEA, as you noted, is regulation enough for the supplement industry. This new bill appears to simply fund the FDA so that they can do their work in regards to DSHEA. We know we do not need any new legislation, but there is too much money thrown at the Senators by Big Pharma, and any legislation that helps us is good. We need as much support as possible from influential Senators. We could not ask for better men than Orrin Hatch or Tom Harkin to help us.
Ok, I read the article again and still feel the same way. The article even implies that we have a 50-50 chance that the FDA will “misuse the funds to persecute supplements”. In the same paragraph it says “perhaps” this legislation will work to our advantage. Perhaps??? That is a big maybe when it comes to the FDA. The FDA is not our friend, even if Hatch and Harkin are. I do not trust the FDA and from past experience using substances they have persecuted with no reason other than the fact that it was competition to big pharma products. I fear they will take control of supplements with the help of this bill and try and turn them into “drugs”. They are doing it now and have already done it with Vitamin B6.
I belive Senators Harkin & Hatch are trying to help the supplememt industry. But to trust it to the FDA . Look at there track record. There must be another way.
I believe it was Senator HATCH who helped pass DSHEA for supplements some years ago, when they were (as usual) under attack by the drug industry. It may gave been another senator (Arlen Specter?), but it was definitely a solid Republican/Conservative who blocked the mandating of prescriptions for food supplements. Health claims could not be made without a disclaimer that they were not approved by the FDA for those purposes. But the supplements remained available and UNprescribed.
I agree that our government gets more corrupt, if possible, with every passing day–especially in the areas of food and energy (as per “Food, Inc.” re Monsanto). I also wonder if this might not be what it purports to be. But I think it may be a good step: FDA need not always be headed by drug industry supporters, and meanwhile, funding of the act will solidify its bureaucratic status as a regulated area.
WE CAN ALL WRITE TO SENATORS HARKIN AND HATCH, as well as OUR OWN SENATORS, to voice our concern that this not be used to restrict the sale of supplements, so that they KNOW WE ARE WATCHING THEM. They really do care about what we think; just not enough people write to their reps.
AMENDMENT tto my prior comment: Sorry it definitely was Sen.Hatch, and this time Senator Harkin and not Daschle, my mistake!
Site says my comment is “awaiting moderation”, but I can’t seem to get to it to moderate. Any suggestions? I don’t do this often.
Anyway, look under “Campaigns” on this site and write to oppose DSSA, sponsored by McCain, which really will be harmful.
This is a positive step by Hatch and Harkin, the health our nation depends on us as individuals being proactive about our health. Prevention is not taught in this country and needs to be at the forefront. Over 62% of Americans seek alternative health in this country, they’re not just looking for the government to take care of the them with healthcare or what some call sick care. People want a safe natural approach. Our food is our fuel, but our food is so processed, not to be left out green harvest, soil depletion, chemical fertilizers and I could go on. Supplementation fills the gaps lacking in our modern day diet.
There are a few great companies doing it that way. Certified by GMP’s and NSF. ” Anyway shouldn’t it be a goal of intelligent nations to protect and enhance the health of its people”…I agree with Mike Adams! I do hope this is legit and not an end run! I still believe we need to keep our guard up and be ready just in case…Trust a big factor!!!
Amen
I’ll believe it when I see it- there’s always a hidden motivation, no matter who the senator is!
We all need to keep on top of this. I for one as many people I know depend on Supplementation!
The only way for our health to improve is by improving our Lifestyles in the form of prevention, that is what health care is all about.
Since we are not getting everything we need from our food, Supplementation is a necessity!
Prevention is the key! and pharmaceutical drugs do not provide us with prevention.
The government should never be given more power to regulate supplements. They will always take more if you give them an inch. This will only lead to more and more restrictions down the road. Especially with the communist islamic radical in the white house.
One thing I disagree with is the anabolic steroids provision. The reason is because this has been extended to natural testosterone boosters. Back when they banned supplements like androstendiol – a safe and effective alternative to anabolic steroids – they only increased the black market demand for real steroids (since the safer alternatives because just as illegal).
Androstendiol, methyl-one-testosterone and similar steroid analogs were powerful and safe, and were sold over the counter until Bush decided they needed to be outlawed because of the danger of teenagers using them (never mind that most health food stores kept them locked up, only sold them to adults and even the warning labels said “not for use by anyone under the age of 21”). Nanny law will forever be nothing more than nanny law and this whole drug war nonsense needs to come to an end.
I agree with Susan and others – you cannot trust the FDA to ‘protect” our access to supplements. ANH-USA needs to work towards reining in the FDA. Big PHARMA, Big AGRI, have great influence over these government agencies and politicians who create and fund the agencies. They make no profit from healthy people.
Support Rep. Dr. Ron Paul’s efforts, please.
If you are in support of this bill then you must be in big pharma’s pockets. Supplements are already regulated BY DSHEA and any funding should NOT NEVER EVER be given to the FDA but should go to them!!!
You were a site I visited often. Now you are on the never again list — as well as any of your “Partners”!
The government needs to stay out of this – at this point it has become a matter of life and death. The American Medical Association have prevented cancer cures from coming to the forefront of the news and public education – in favor of drugs that KILL healthy cells… Cancer cures are real but no one is permitted to make the claim.
It is not a coinsidence that the government wants to get involved now that supplementation is becoming big business, despite government intervention that real information about supplements could not be released. The government has not cared about supplements previously when it was just a few hippy-types involved. Government GREED is out of control… This is all about pharmaceutical companies lobbying for government involvement, before the entire country is aware of how supplements are more effective and beneficial than the frauds of the medical and pharmacy industries.
The government does not have any expertise or business in supplementation. PLEASE take a look at the film “Food, Inc.” and find out what the government has done to the food supply… If they cut off our access to good companies providing good products/supplements we are surely doomed and I for one will relocate out of this country.
Food Inc. That was a great documentry film ! anyone care for some chicken !
WHAT A DISASTER IN THE MAKING!
Hatch and Harkin have proven in the past to be great supporters of the dietary supplement industry. This current act will be a major mistake. The bill will fully fund FDA IMPLEMENTATION of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), the legislation that governs the regulation of dietary supplements. DSHEA in conjunction with the various Codes of Federal Regulation (CFR)passed by the FDA clearly state that only drugs can be said to cure, treat, mitigate, prevent and diagnose diseases. Dietary supplements can only refer to support of NORMAL structure and function. Absolutely no disease claims, expressed or implied can be made. Fully funding FDA implementation of these regulations means that the money will be available to hire people to scrutinize every dietary supplement company and or private individual websites and their products being marketed to decide if they comply with DSHEA and CFR regulations. Believe me when I say a very high percentage WILL NOT meet the DSHEA and FDA regulations
I suppose the many dietary supplement companies and individuals (e.g. Dr. Weil and Dr. Mercola) that have already gotten warning letters from the FDA will at least not feel as picked on since the supplement marketing playing field will be more leveled by the vastly increased numbers of FDA warning letters that will be going out – paid for by our tax dollars by the way. Hatch and Harkin with this legislation may finally help the FDA accomplish their dream of major CONTROL of the supplement industry. I will definitely urge my legislators to not support this one.
I’m assuming you’re not the quarterback. What are you a doctor of? This is a cutting perspective. I don’t trust Congress, the FDA, or any of them, for that matter! We citizens need to VOTE OUT every Congressman, EVERYTIME. NO EXCEPTIONS.
If we get healthier in this country, and stop going to the doctor, and stop buying their poison…they won’t have any control over us. I’m 56 years old…I’m on no medications…and I’m healthier than when I was 30.
I like Dr Mercola…don’t like Weil (he’s a sell-out and a fool). My email is : [email protected] Let’s talk!
no different from hitler & anti nutrient people
There is a bill S3002
Greetings to all supplement consumers and proponents,
In September of ’09, there was a congressional hearing co-chaired by Sens. Specter and Hatch that examined the issue of whether the legislative teeth in DSHEA was sufficient to protect the public (yes, any longtime consumer of dietary supplements recognizes this notion as bordering on insanity; after all, the safety profile of dietary supplements has been documented time and again as being peerless). During the hearing, both senators were unequivocal in their determination that there was more than ample legislative muscle in DSHEA to protect the public from the occasional unscrupulous company, and concluded that absolutely no additional legislation or alteration was needed for DSHEA. However, they clearly noted that the problem was one of enforcement of DSHEA, and it was widely agreed on in the hearing that there wasn’t enough funding to carry out the enforcement mechanism in the act (DSHEA). So, in sum, both Sens. Hatch and Harkin – as robust supporters of supplements as any in congress, and the supposed authors of the yet-to-be-introduced bill – seem to be putting forth a way to provide the resources for DSHEA enforcement, and by dint of that precluding any additional legislation such as that written by congressman Waxman.
Both Hatch and Harkin know what they’re doing, and with the McCain legislation that was pulled (by all accounts, thanks to prodding by Sen. Hatch) providing a wake-up call as to the precarious position of the supplement industry, and by extension all of us supplement consumers, both senators have acted to help protect our supplements.
It’s not so much “government” that wants to rob us of our freedom: it’s Wall Street, mega-banks and global korporations that want to make everyone on the planet their slaves. These moneyed interests have bought and paid for our so-called “representatives” so they no longer represent our interests.
The korporate goal – to kill as many of us as possible, impoverish all the rest and keep that korporate jackboot firmly on humanity’s neck so they may live in luxury while everyone else claws for bare survival on a dying planet. This is FASCISM, pure and simple.
How LONG will it take the American people to wake up and realize that Wall Street and the global financial korporate elite will stop at NOTHING to destroy them?
I hope ANH will lobby Senators Hatch & Harkin to question Elena Kagan (Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court) on her opinions regarding the FDA doctrine that only drugs approved by them, can make claims about treating or curing disease AND how that conflicts or does not conflict with freedom of speech. ANH says these 2 senators are our friends…there is no better time to prove it, than now… by questioning her and putting the public spotlight on her and Obama…with regards to the suppression of Freedom of Speech
There is something I don’t understand. I’m a advocate for natural health and nutritionial supplementation. Belive me they work. What I don’t understand is that natural supplements can’t be pantented. The new diabetic drug Lovenza utilizes natural form of fish oil (omega 3) combined with a senthictic drug to lower fat in the blood. Is this legal? Just rencently this site informed me that a drug company submitted a form to ban the natural subtance P5P ( a form of vitamin B-6) from retail sale so that it could be combined with another synthectic drug to make another pantenated drug. Is this not an indirect acknowledgement by big Pharma of the benifits of Natural subtances? Seems to me that big pharma are running out of ideals for sythectic drugs, so now they want to incorparate natural sustances. IN MY OPINION THIS IS ILLEGAL!! AND NEEDS TO BE STOPPED. CAN SOMEONE OUT THERE EXPLAIN THIS TO ME
A problem with WWII was that in order to win, we and others needed to adopt many of the NAZI operations, especially including NAZI intelligence operations. This has become a winning strategy for government takeovers: Force opponents to become like their worst adversaries in order to win, and the adversaries then win by default, later if not sooner. (The brilliance of the ‘James Bond’ movies was in recognizing what would happen: with mega-corporations becoming the world’s arch-villains.) Our intelligence operations today are very anti-democracy, and during the Bush Junior administration gained the audacity to contradict our Constitution and legitimize torture and other draconian measures in order to better protect us. We also now have a very powerful military industrial complex, federal rights to wage pre-emptive (invasionary) wars with or without actual Congressional approval (as long as there is Congressionally approved funding). We have a failed dysfunctional FDA that supports corporate interests (e.g., GMO foods, no responsibility in regulating food quality and allowing metabolic toxins to be incorporated in foods, and outlaws health claims with natural health foods and supplements). We have several other failed dysfunctional federal government organizations.
The problem is that corporations effectively own and control Congress. The public pays their bloated salaries and expenses, but corporations are able to control who gets elected, and has been able to then provide various bribes and perks and donations to maintain their lapdog obedience.
We no longer have a democracy. We like in a Soviet-styled corporate oligarchy. In the former Soviet Union, politicians controlled industry. Here, corporations control politicians. Same equasion formula. The military industrial complex demonstrated that our government could be owned and controlled, and then other industries moved-in to share in the control and profits.
If we ever want to regain democracy, we need to establish publicly funded elections, and outlaw bribery and pseudo-bribery by U.S. and foreign corporations of politicians and election processes. Until we do this, we will remain a corporate oligarchy that places corporate interests and corporate profiteering above the interests of the public, and installs politicians who routinely sell-out the American public for their own practical concerns and professional career interests.
We need to fundamentally reorganize the FDA, but this can’t happen as long as Congress is owned and controlled by corporations and their lobbyists and publicists.
We know that there are many deaths caused by hospitals (e.g., anti-biotic resistant bacteria, drug complications, etc.), and we know that PHARMA drugs are a leading (number 6) cause of death in seniors, and we know that many processed food additives cause or promote chronic health problems, but the alleged claims of people being harmed by vitamins, herbs and nutritional supplements are essentially unfounded and mere superstitions or myths being promoted by the PHARMA corporations and their government lackeys. This need for supplement regulations is a phony problem that does not exist. The goal is to prevent access to these low-cost and free health benefits in order to force people to use expensive prescription drugs.
There are reactionary problems between various herbs and natural health foods with prescription drugs. The herbs, vitamins and supplements are generally most effective in preventing chronic disease problems, and once a person goes onto prescription drugs, this is comparable to a lifetime addiction, and conflicting herbs and natural foods must be eliminated from one’s diet. A smart government health program would emphatically promote means for preventing chronic diseases.
In my opinion I would not trust any one.i have been using supplements for many years vs taking perscription drugs which has many side effects.Im afraid we can,t trust the government or the FDA.Its all about the all mighty dollar. Remember you can not serve two Gods.And seems to me this country is all about making money and could careless about the people.This is as clear as night and day.Our foods are being altered to a point it doesn’t even taste like food .New drugs on the market that are killing people.It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see this now does it?We need to stick together and fight for what is right.Natural is the best way to go.