Topic: Nutritional Supplements
A friend of mine emailed this to me the other day and asked me to pass it on. Maybe it will interest some of you.
A matter that needs your urgent attention immediately is a bill before congress that threatens our legal right to use nutritional supplements.
The "Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2003" or Senate Bill 722 was written to amend the "Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994" or DSHEA. If passed into law, SB 722 will restrict your freedom to use nutritional supplements, potentially cripple the nutritional supplement industry, and endanger your health and that of your clients.
The bill was created in a reaction to fears about ephedra and was brought forth by Richard Durbin (D-Il) and co-sponsored by Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Charles Schumer (D-NY). A companion version is in the House of Representatives, titled the "Dietary Supplement Access and Awareness Act" (H.R. 3377). The intent of H.R. 3377 is to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to dietary supplements and is sponsored by Susan A. Davis (CA-53).
Dr. Julian Whitaker writes on his website, "Some of you might remember the pre-DSHEA days when the FDA was completely out of control. They raided the offices of nutritional physicians like Jonathan Wright, MD, of Kent, Washington. They barged into manufacturing facilities and seized natural substances such as stevia and GLA. They authorized the removal of coenzyme Q-10 and other supplements from health food stores, claiming they were illegal. They refused to allow any information on nutritional supplement labels that would help consumers make informed choices. They mandated that many supplements now sold over the counter require a prescription, making them more expensive and less accessible. This is the kind of tyranny we experienced then and if you think this kind of stuff couldn't happen again, you're wrong."
Please take just a few moments to block SB 722. Go to www.citizens.org click on TAKE ACTION on the main page. Type in your name, address and zipcode and a letter will be sent to your representatives. It takes 30 seconds. If you have a few more minutes write a personal letter. And if you live in California, New York, or Illinois contact the sponsors of this bill and educate them about the safety of supplements and how you and/or your clients (if you're a practitioner/fitness trainer) rely on them to be well. The Senate switchboard number is 202-224-3121 or go to www.senate.gov to contact Richard Durbin (D-Il) Hillary Clinton (D-NY) Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Charles Schumer (D-NY).
Back in 1994 over two million people wrote letters in support of DSHEA and that same type of response is needed now to protect it. We can easily top that number with increased access to the internet when sending a clear message to congress. Forward this email to your clients and colleagues in complementary and alternative medicine, and together we can stop this bill. More information on HR 3377 to follow in the coming weeks.
Sincerely,
Shirley Holt
Registrar
American Health Science University
Likewise, if you're comfrotable with doing so, will you also pass it on to others in your network/cybersphere.
Thank you!
--V
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Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here we might as well dance.
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If you spin around on your chair really fast, things around here will make a lot more sense.