Posted on 11/17/2006 1:48:30 PM PST by shield
The Dietary Supplement and Non-Prescription Consumer Protection Act, (S.3546 & H.R.6168), by its title appears to benefit American consumers, but this is far from the truth. Anti-supplement and anti-health freedom proponents, particularly Durbin, using the good name Hatch has garnered over past years, will aggressively try to fast track this legislation through during the Lame Duck session beginning November 13th and possibly lasting at least a week. Big Pharma wants this legislation passed, and interestingly enough, we understand that they generously contributed to Orrin Hatch's election fund, most probably hoping to ensure future favors. Let your representatives know that you want this legislation STOPPED NOW!
This extremely flawed legislation will mandate needless FDA regulations that will treat supplements like drugs (repealing DSHEA), raise the price of supplements to consumers, and obligate supplement manufacturers, packers and distributors to notify the FDA of serious adverse events reports (AERs) associated with the use of a dietary supplement that result in death, a life-threatening experience, inpatient hospitalization, persistent or significant disability, congenital abnormality or birth defect, or an event that requires a medical or surgical intervention to prevent such outcomes. The bill's use of the words "associated with" rather than the words "caused by" could result in "guilt by association", whereby any serious adverse event experienced by any one of the 70% of Americans who consume dietary supplements could be attributed to their supplements rather than to their cigarette or alcohol use, prescription drug use, poor dietary habits, etc. As such, this bill could potentially destroy the availability of effective dietary supplements in America by associating their usage with serious health events.
We can defeat this legislation in the Lame Duck session by bombarding our Congressional leaders, both in the House and the Senate with our protests. This must be done by phone, letters, and e-mails, this upcoming week, and we encourage that you do all three. We must here and now, set the tone for our strong consumer voice in opposition of congressional efforts to undermine health freedom in the months to come. This is one of the tactics that NHF members do best, so we are counting on you and all others who want the freedom to choose their health options now, and in the future without government restrictions.
Don't let politicians do Big Pharma's dirty work and help eliminate your basic health rights. Fight back along with the National Health Federation to retain DSHEA rights before its too late. Help the NHF protect your rights to buy and use supplements.
(Go to http://www.thenhf.com/S3546_sample_petition_letter_2.htmto easily fill in the action form input boxes provided below.)
http://www.usalone.com/cgi-bin/petition.cgi?pnum=546
Thank you.
When they outlaw Gensing, only outlaws will have Gensing....
Medicines which have been purified and demonstrated to be at least somewhat effective currently must undergo years of testing and development, before they are permitted on the market, and then frequently must be sold by presription only for decades.
Quackery made popular by urban legend and paranoia is sold unregulated until enough hundreds of people die that regulation is implemented to stem lawsuits.
This is sane?
DSHEA rights = snake oil.
OH come on...
This law should be passed. Most of the "supplements" on the market are no better than the snake oil of old, benefitting only the manufacturers and sellers. I'd like someone to tell me what "supports" means, as in "supports prostate health." Sheer quackery. Sorry, gang.
You're trusting the wrong sources of information. Sorry, guy.
>> OH come on... <<
Well, that's about as thoughtful and reasoned of a response as I could have hoped for. "Herbal Supplements": Darwin's answer to the Medicare crisis.
Ain't that the truth...
>>You're trusting the wrong sources of information. Sorry, guy. <<
And you're taking medical advice from the sorts of people who think that the Skull & Bones fraternity blew up the World Trade Center?
B.S.... and even my husbands Urologist told him that tests have proven SawPalmetto works for both BPH and elevated PSA levels....he advised my husband to take it and it did lower his PSA significantly.
Nonsense.
Ephedra worked so well it got banned.
Creatine works.
How about multi-vitamins? Branch Chain Aminos? All proven to work.
... for the record, I am not denying the efficacy of all "natural supplements." In fact, I take taurine for ADD, and have taken SAM-e for mood regulation. (When I switched from Amphetamines to Taurine, I didn't need mood regulators anymore!) What I am criticizing is the paranoid shadow-medical industry.
Ephedra was a perfectly fine drug, which got banned because its improper use by alternative-medicine crazies resulted in scores of deaths. If anything the Ephedra incident is damning to alternative medicine, not mainstream medicine.
My brain's dysfunction is the result of severe hemmorhaging due to a fractured skull. I do find avoiding sugar improves its function, but the taurine helps compensate for poor flow of fluids into badly bruised regions.
Incidentally, the SAM-e had less effect than Effexor, despite costing four times as much... and that's withOUT medical insurance! I now use neither.
I put my Lupus into complete remission over ten years ago using a healthy diet and supplements. I based this on a book written by an MD who became frustrated trying to treat Lupus with the only other alternative, steroids. I have never looked back and I don't take steroids.
My mother "had" chronic serum hepatitis and the doctors said she was dying, she started taking supplements, specifacally formulated for healing the liver and immune system. Her doctor laughed at her and said it won't kill you... well, it not only didn't kill her, she got better. When their drugs had not helped at all, resulting in withdrawal of the drugs and telling her they had done all they could and she was dying. When she started improving they did a new liver biopsy and the doctor came into her room and asked what book she read, her liver had totally regenerated. That was 30 years ago. She is still alive and she has never relapsed.
So... Dick Durbin can take a leap off the nearest bridge IMO....
Yeah, let's keep the Snake-Oil salesmen in business.
SAM-E has to be taken with a good balanced B COmplex. Were you taking them together?
"Ephedra was a perfectly fine drug, which got banned because its improper use by alternative-medicine crazies resulted in scores of deaths."
Hardly, the few deaths I recall that arguably linked to ephedra were kids with pre-existing heart conditions --- that misued it by taking too many and working out in the hot Sun with no water.
This is just more nanny-statism.
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