Misguided Durbin Bill Targets Supplements
| ******* Action Alerts For This Campaign ******** | |
 | Tell Congress to Oppose the Dietary Supplement Labeling Act The Dietary Supplement Labeling Act has been introduced in the Senate. It was created in response to the recent “Lazy Cakes” brownie controversy, though there is hardly any mention in it of food companies like the one that made the Lazy Cakes. The bill instead targets supplements and supplement manufacturers, exploiting a hot-button food issue to try to pass more regulation for dietary supplements. This bill requires that the FDA, together with the Institute of Medicine, compile a list of dietary ingredients that could lead to adverse events or are otherwise deemed risky in some way. But creating lists of “bad” ingredients or “bad” doses based on completely arbitrary or non-existent standards is a slippery slope. Please do not be misled. This is not a minor change to DSHEA. It will give the FDA major new powers to curtail supplement sales. Moreover, almost all of the bill’s other provisions are already covered by existing law. There is no need for any new legislation, especially with the vague language in this bill; the only need is for existing laws to be fully enforced. Tell Congress to Review Drug and Vaccine Adverse Event Reports Too! Senator Dick Durbin and Congressman Henry Waxman have asked the GAO to review adverse event report (AER) data—but only for supplements, claiming that they may be a public health hazard. However, the AER data show that vaccines and drugs are far more dangerous than supplements. Please tell Congress they shouldn’t be investigating supplement AERs unless also start investigating major vaccine and drug AERs. |
| Read More About the Durbin Bill: | |
| A Cautious Victory on the Durbin Amendment | |
 | November 8, 2011 The senator’s latest volley has failed, but we can expect him to introduce something similar at the next opportunity. |
| Senator Durbin’s Stealth Move against Supplements | |
 | October 25, 2011 Since he’s having trouble getting his own bill passed, he’s trying a different approach to get the same results. New Action Alert! |
| Senator Durbin’s Credibility Problem | |
 | August 16, 2011 The Washington Times recently printed an opinion piece discussing the threat nutritional supplements are facing from the FDA and Sen. Durbin’s bill. The senator’s response makes one wonder if he has read his own bill. A follow-up to our Action Alert. |
| “Dietary Supplement Labeling Act” a Huge Smokescreen | |
 | July 5, 2011 This new bill pretends to be consumer-oriented but instead will give the FDA new powers it could easily misuse, restricting your access to supplements and raising the cost of buying them. An important new Action Alert for Congress! |
| Dietary Supplement Labeling Act—Breaking News! | |
 | June 28, 2011 Senator Durbin’s bill, which will be introduced in Congress this week, is likely to be another example of burdensome and unnecessary legislation. |
