New Bill Would Make Vitamins Too Costly for Your Health [McCain/Dorgan]

Expert Click ^ | February 22, 2010 | Alan Caruba

[2ndDivisionVet]

At age 72, I have been taking a full range of vitamin and mineral supplements for years. Even I find it amusing to open more than a dozen bottles every morning to extract vitamins A, B, C, D and E, along with zinc, potassium, selenium, and fish oil. On the advice of my physician long ago, I also take a low dose aspirin every day. I also take some herbal supplements.

In early January, I fell and broke my collar bone. A month later, it was completely healed. I don't get the common cold, although I do experience seasonal allergies that are controlled with anti-histamine. In sum, I am as healthy as a person of my age can hope to be.

So why have Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) joined to introduce an amendment to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act that would deny freedom of easy access to these vitamins and minerals that are now commonly available in supermarkets, pharmacies and other outlets at affordable prices?

Why would they conspire to make dietary supplements such as purified fish oil seven times more expensive than it is today?

It is irrational, not to say obscene, at a time when a debate is raging over the costs of Medicare and the various illnesses that afflict Americans to introduce a law that would raise the cost of vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements that are among the best forms of preventative medicine available to the general public.

Who, ultimately, will benefit from such a law? The answer is the pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Steven Joyal, M.D., vice president of science and medical affairs of the Life Extension Foundation, says, "This bill aims to further pharmaceutical profits by creating wide-ranging, unprecedented FDA power to reclassify natural nutritional products as drugs"

I am a free market capitalist, but I also know that many companies engage in "rent seeking," a term to describe how they use the ability of Congress to pass laws and regulations that improperly and unfairly increase their profits.

The bill, titled that "Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2010" is a classic example of how an ever-expanding federal government continues to get between Americans and the freedoms they have come to take for granted. High on the list is the freedom to maintain one's health; in this case with affordable and easily accessible vitamins and minerals.

The "Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2010" has nothing to do with freedom and everything to do with increasing the profits of pharmaceutical companies. It does not enhance safety because vitamins and mineral supplements are already manufactured under some of the most stringent restrictions placed on any products sold anywhere in the world.

My friend, Frank Murray, is the author of nearly 50 books on health and nutrition. He is the former editor of Better Nutrition, GreatLife, and Let's Live magazines. His books have documented how various vitamins and minerals, as well as herbal supplements have preventative and curative affects on a wide range of ailments and afflictions.

His latest book, "Sunshine and Vitamin D" describes the research concerning this vitamin's ability to reduce or ameliorate cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and a host of other ailments. And that is just one common vitamin!

It is astonishing how vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements can aid the body to resist the many pathogens in our environment, to digest the food we eat, and to enhance many of our mental and physical abilities.

This latest bill in Congress should be defeated. Its two sponsors should be held up to scrutiny to determine how great a role the donations of pharmaceutical companies to their election campaigns played in the drafting and introduction of this bill.

There is not enough scorn that can be heaped upon the bill's sponsors and any member of Congress that votes for it.

I don't want and I don't need a doctor's prescription to purchase the vitamins and minerals I take daily. Neither do you!

*******

Alan Caruba writes a daily post at http://factsnotfantasy.blogspot.com. An author, business and science writer, he is the founder of The National Anxiety Center.

[verity]

“The bill would require dietary supplement facilities to provide FDA with information on supplements and their ingredients on an ongoing basis, would substantially alter the requirements applicable to new dietary ingredients (”NDI’s”), would give FDA mandatory recall authority, and would expand adverse event reporting requirements, among other changes.”

It is designed to protect consumers from the harmful effects of magic elixirs pushed by charlatans. Even excessive consumption of legal substances can be harmful. The article is merely a libertarian rant against big government. If the author wishes to risk the importation of counterfeit supplements from China containing God-knows-what, I can sell him magical cat urine that can cure baldness, cancer, and hangnails.

[perfect_rovian_storm]

Sure, and Obamacare is ‘designed’ to lower health care costs by adding a public option to increase choice and competition.

I can’t imagine why anyone would be against that. We all know there are never any unintended consequences from any of these bills.

And if I want to use magical cat urine to cure my baldness, that would be my business. You and John McCain can just stay the hell out of it.

[verity]

“And if I want to use magical cat urine to cure my baldness, that would be my business.”

You are living proof that “you cannot cure stupid.” lol

[SharpRightTurn]

Big Government McShame at it again.

PLEASE, Arizona, send this guy to the dugout.

JDforSenate.com

[perfect_rovian_storm]

And you’re living proof that progressives will always continue to try to control people’s behavior.You just know better because you’re so much smarter than everyone else.

[gwilhelm56]

**If the author wishes to risk the importation of counterfeit supplements from China containing God-knows-what,**

and trust who... the FDA???? I think I’d trust my Own research.

WHo the **** left the Liberal door open??

[verity]

“And if I want to use magical cat urine to cure my baldness, that would be my business.”

I am not smarter than everyone else. However, I am smart enough not to use cat urine.

[verity]

I think I’d trust my Own research.

I would not thrust you with cat urine. lol

[perfect_rovian_storm]

And the legislation will be there for you in case you hit your head one day and decide to use cat urine? Then Uncle Sam will be there to protect you and make sure you do the right thing, right?

Or is it for the rest of us? You know, the rabble. The unwashed masses. The ones who are just too stupid to make their own decisions. They need the help of you and John McCain to make sure that they don’t do such stupid things.

[verity]

You cannot escape your cat urine remark. lol

[alrea]

Link to email or write Congress about Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2010

[perfect_rovian_storm]

The only thing I’m interested in escaping is from people like you who advocate for big government nannyism.

[verity]

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

Get your stinkin’ mitts off my vitamins!!!