Posted on 09/26/2011 2:39:10 PM PDT by EBH
A few weeks ago, I wrote to you about the FDAs proposed new policy on dietary supplements that could make it impossible or very expensive for you to purchase the natural products you rely on to support your health. The open comment period on the FDAs proposed guidelines ends on September 30, so NOW is the time to act and let your voice be heard if you want to retain your right to access supplements. (Scroll down to the bottom of this article to learn how you can get involved.)
If the FDA has its way, all vitamins, herbs and other dietary supplements will soon be classified in the same manner as unapproved drugs and synthetic food additives. The results of this change in classification could be disastrous for both natural health consumers and the natural health industry. Resveratrol, CoQ10, curcumin and even many multivitamins could be pulled from the market, and those that remain available may become so expensive that many people wont be able to afford them. Supplement companies that cannot afford to put their products through the FDAs intensive, burdensome drug trial process may be forced out of business, leaving room for pharmaceutical companies to swoop in and profit at your expense.
You know that Big Pharma is surely working hard behind the scenes to make sure that this law is passed, and that they carry incredible influence with the FDA and the government in general. This means that we all need to work together and use the power of the people to stop this from happening. Unless we stop these new guidelines from going in to effect, we stand to lose our right to access the natural healing tools that many of us depend on as alternatives to expensive and often dangerous pharmaceutical drugs.
(Excerpt) Read more at stopagingnow.com ...
Yes, I see that in the article. Please forgive me if I don't give much credibility to what the good folks at Live for the Now have to say on the subject. They're just another alarmist organization trying to protect their turf. I've been reading on FR since 2004 that big government and big pharma are colluding to take our vitamins and supplements away from us so big bad pharma can make more money. The Codex Alimentarius was supposed to send government agents busting through our doors for our vitamins back in 2005. You'd think with big government and big pharma on the same team, this would have been done long ago.
The fact is it's all a bunch of nonsense. No politicians is going to take away your ability to purchase supplements or vitamins. Big government and big pharma are not in cahoots. Only foolish people see government and the drug industry as anything other than adversarial. The FDA may impose more regulations on supplement suppliers, because as it stands now, they don't have to prove that their products are safe, contain what they say they do or do what they say they will. So, yeah, prices may go up. But that's not coming from lobbying by the drug industry. It's coming as a reaction to an industry that refuses to police itself.
That's comical coming from a brain dead economic illiterate who wants to empower the government to raise my taxes, increase the prices I pay for things, while telling me what I can and cannot buy. Yeah, you're a real champion of freedom. I swear those supplements of yours are making you dumber.
My gosh Mase, have you ever gotten an FDA approved drug? If so have you read all the things it says could happen to you if you take it? They say things like it could cause liver damage, could cause kidney damage, could cause a sizure, could cause suicide, could cause blindness, and on and on. You take a chance wheather you take an approved FDA product or Vitamen supplements. Also I was just watching a report saying there are so many illegal pharmacutical factorys that are making phoney Lipitor, etc that are getting to the pharmacy's here in the US and people don't know what they are taking.
Another thing. There is a big push now for pharmacutical drugs (such as ones supposed to help cancer patients) to get out to patients without all the months of FDA approval. How safe will we know those are. People are willing to take a chance because they hope it will help them.
Dumbass paranoid statist. Keep your meat hooks off my supplements!
ok. i’ll bite. HHC’s husband
BS! They would love to but last time around (1990s) there was a popular uprising and there will be another one too on this scam. But they would love to pull it off and make casual supplements like vitamin C and D something you need a prescription for. You are woefully uneducated about this subject. Stick to your usual nonsensical material
Preach it brotha!
Conservatism in the proper proportion makes the most common sense (which has appeared to forsake many of my brethren).
“When you go to sources like Live in the Now for your news about proposed legislation, drug efficacy and Big Pharma/big government corruption, you’re probably going to come off as someone who doesn’t have a clue. Well done. Please keep using this highly reputable publication as your source for news. They like scaring ignorant people.”
I know! They don’t even want to try very hard. Now we see where Michele Bachmann gets her support.
You need some krill oil
No excrement, Mr. Holmes?
Look a hole, the issue is not the source of the report - the issue is your trust in government bureaucrats. That is the ONLY issue here. YOUR trust in mighty wonderful tender mercy government.
Mase is one of the biggest statists on Free Republic. Here is a great magnesium supplement (http://www.swansonvitamins.com/SWU464/ItemDetail) and ignoramuses want to make me see an MD and get a prescription for it??? Take a hike!!!
You need some brain boosting supplements. I’ll see if I can find some for you.
You’re drinking the same koolaid the left drinks: if fedgov doesn’t do it, it won’t get done. However, I would bet a considerable sum, were I a betting man, that you haven’t a CLEW as to whether or not the FDA is authorized in the Constitution (hint: it’s NOT) and thus a legitimate function of fedgov (that would be a NO, also).
Bamahead... another big gummint “conservative” ping.
If you have time, please read Milton Friedman, von Mises, Hazlitt, Hayek, and other Free Market proponents. They have explained at great length how market place solutions are superior to government,
People make the false assumption that the FDA serves a public good. It doesn't. It is a unconstitutional agency that is subject to the worse of political whims.
It is a shame that we have been polluted by Statists for the past 70 years.
Many people don't even allow themselves to even conceptualize how the market place would provide a more efficient, more rapid solution to the myriad of so called problems that the parasite class has undertaken to "solve" in the name of public good.
Everyone can marvel at the wonderful advances in technology brought about by Capitalist companies -- medical machines, communications, entertainment equipment.
Yet, we think something as simple as alerting the people to the dangers of Chinese toothpaste can only be left to the province of government. UL basically evolved as a market base response to increasing insurance payout by insurance companies for fire damage costs.
In a truly free society, rating agencies would evolve (not like the joke that is Consumer Reports) that would help research and warn people of dangerous products. Market forces would like result in consumable products having a label similar to UL labels allowing people to know products are safe. These rating agencies would likely be funded by large importers, Wal-Mart, etc.
The FDA has no concern for honesty, only pleasing their political masters. The FDA will realize no financial harm from any mistakes their bureaucrats make.
In the market place, potential liability costs would compel those involved to be honest.
And when you don't follow through to the proposed legislation and read or view it you come off as someone who doesn't have a clue either.
And since I've been on FR since 2004 and reading long before how the government wants to go after the supplement industry I do not find any of the efforts foolish. We have agency after agency regulating things and writing rules without those said same items seeing the light of congressional debate. One simply needs to consider the EPA and their economic crushing rules.
In 2008, I wrote to both John McCain and responded to the proposed legislation at that time. The very legislation in question then would have removed my supplements used for my medical condition, which are used under the supervision and guidance of my doctor. After having a dangerous allergic reaction to big pharma's drugs that left me in the hospital on steroids and observation for several weeks, my doctor and I began investigating alternatives. Both my doctor and I wrote to the FDA during the open comment period and our accounts were part of the committee debate at the time.
You go on ahead and keep thinking the FDA is all holier than an informed patient on alternative medicine. Many placed great holiness on the EPA which is now an agency run amuk. These FDA proposed rules are simply tiny little bitter pills being force fed through the system...just like the EPA rules.
As far as "the source" from where I pulled the article to post? Discount it all you wish, but venturing out to the website and following the links supplied in the article, they are pulling their position directly from the proposed rules. Alarmist is in your opinion, but those of us that have been watching the agencies sending up these "rules" from the EPA to the USDA and their new farming rules to yes...your very holy FDA understand the game that is being played.
One little bitter pill at a time.
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