How Big Pharma is Targeting Your Supplements!

The nutritional supplement industry has a lot of big competitors, and they aren’t the kind that prioritize health and wellness. Big Tobacco, for example, heavily invested in the cannabis market, and is seeking to enact provisions that would separate cannabis from other botanicals, greatly increasing oversight and regulations for cannabis companies that would favor the largest companies. The new bill would force cannabis companies to put warning labels on their products similar to the warnings on cigarettes.

Clearly, this would be a big boost to the takeover of the cannabis supplement market, under the rationale of creating a safer market. But as we have highlighted in other articles, there are plenty of regulations and FDA oversight already; the problem is that they are not properly followed or enforced for the greatest offenders, while small mom and pops get targeted for providing safe products like raw milk and unpasteurized beer. It's clear that the FDA is thoroughly compromised by conflicts of interest. 

A New Jersey bill will ban the sale of any dietary supplement to persons under 18 including amino acids and other health and nutrition products if are used for muscle building. The bill writes that: ‘Dietary supplement for muscle building” means a dietary supplement sold for or used with the intent to build muscle, but shall not include protein powders, protein drinks, and foods marketed as containing protein unless the protein powders, drinks, and foods contain one or more ingredients, other than protein which would, considered alone, constitute a diet supplement for muscle building.” (1)

The rationale is that allowing minors access to these kinds of supplements makes them more at risk of developing eating disorders. However, as noted by the Council for Responsible Nutrition, writes that there is no credible “scientific data that products identified in this bill lead to or cause body dysmorphia, eating disorders, or other mental health issues….so restricting these products will have no effect on solving the problem.”

The president of the Natural Products Association, Daniel Fabricant, PhD, also commented that “once again, state legislators are ignoring science and common sense.” (2).

Herb Conaway, is the name of the representative who sponsored the bill.  

How You Can Help

If you live in New Jersey, you can use this sample letter from the Natural Products Association to your congressional district representative:

Sample letter to send to Congress:

“Selling dietary supplements should not be made criminal. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the FDA regulate nutritional supplements under several laws. The FTC is the primary party responsible for advertising claims. Under the FDA, supplements are regulated under several laws, including the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 and the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA). DSHEA allows the FDA to test products on the market and initiate recalls. Both agencies have an extensive history of taking enforcement action against manufacturers, ad agencies, distributors, retailers, catalog companies, and others involved in deceptive practices. Additionally, according to the FDA, the chief regulator of dietary supplements, there is no correlation between any dietary supplements and eating disorders. If there were, the FDA would be required to remove the product from the market.”

The Natural Products Association led the fight against states restricting and prohibiting access to dietary supplements. From Massachusetts to California NPA and its grassroots advocates have sent thousands of emails and phone calls fighting against rogue legislators who’ve attempted to restrict access to dietary supplements.

Over the last ten years, the organization has defeated similar proposals in Colorado, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maryland, Missouri, and Illinois.

NPA’s testimony can be viewed here and to write your member of the New Jersey legislature urging their opposition to A1848 click here.

Click here to take action now!

Click here to take action now!

Click here to take action now!

 

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