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Posted on 07/10/2014 6:14:30 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is protecting consumer rights in a bold new way–by policing companies’ Facebook pages.
Zarbee’s Naturals, a producer of “safe and effective natural [cough] remedies” for children, was sent a warning letter by the FDA for liking comments on its Facebook page implying that its products “are intended for use as drugs.”
Zarbee’s products were designed specifically for children too young for FDA-approved medications and have not been reviewed by the FDA. Happy customers posted their approval on the company’s Facebook page, saying things like “Love Zarbee’s this is the only medicine we use for our 2 year old. Colds and congestion clear up in 2 days,” and “Received the sample for allergy relief and my husband had a terrible problem with allergies … he was very impressed on how well it worked for him.”
Zarbee’s, naturally, liked the comments, which the FDA thinks was a step too far. (RELATED: Kellogg Ex-CEO Says FDA Is Attacking Food Industry)
“Your products are not generally recognized as safe and effective for the above referenced uses,” the letter says, arguing that the company’s “likes” constitute an admission that its products are “new drugs” that require FDA approval.
The FDA considers anything “intended for use in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease” a drug, so although Zarbee’s cough syrup contains no dextromethorphan (DXM), the active ingredient in popular over-the-counter cough medicines like Robitussin, the FDA objects to such claims about Zarbee’s products’ usefulness.
The FDA also called out Zarbee’s Twitter feed, objecting to dangerous tweets such as “Try @Zarbees #naturalremedies for Cold and Cough Season.”
“Your products ‘Zarbee’s Naturals Children’s Cough Syrup+Mucus Relief,’ ‘Zarbee’s Naturals Children’s Cough Syrup Nighttime,’ and ‘Zarbee’s Naturals Children’s Sleep’ are offered for conditions that are not amenable to self-diagnosis and treatment by individuals who are not medical practitioners… Failure to promptly correct these violations may result in legal action without further notice, including seizure and/or injunction.”
Combined Nanny State PING! and DANG!
This is actually fully appropriate.
If any company wants to claim its product is effective as a drug for a specific indication then they need to demonstrate it in well controlled clinical trials.
ummmm..#f-—uFDA?
Why does every agency need to spy on us, why does every agency want a SWAT team. why does every agency have to be like the KGB???
At midnight all the agents
And the superhuman crew
Come out and round up everyone
That knows more than they do
— Dylan
FDA is one of many FedGov agencies that is no longer working in our interest. We need to take the Senate (with real conservatives) and put FedGov on a strict diet - deep cuts in real spending.
“If any company wants to claim...”
The company made no claim. Individuals made claims.
Wonder what would happen if I created a cream infused with capsaican to ease the pain of those who suffer from nueropathy...???
I posit that in the long run it would be safer for companies to have the freedom to make any claim they want instead of government having the power to do anything they want.
“The company made no claim. Individuals made claims.”
Yes, initially.
The point was that by liking the claim, the company itself is making the claim by endorsement.
No. Individuals made endorsements on the Facebook page.
If the FDA believes that that's almost as stupid as the Glowbull Warming hoax. That POV would indicate a near complete ignorance of medicine and the healing arts.
FOAD, FDA
So you think government is OK doing things it’s not permitted to do? “Progressives” think that way, too. Which is why we’re in the mess we are right now.
“Big Government” backers, aka STATISTS, are the leeches on society who are so fond of getting into other folks’ business and controlling their lives. And you appear to be one of them.
When (not IF) we restore our Constitution, your FDA is GONE, buster. Along with over 90% of today’s FedGov.
The FDA can now send you to prison for practicing medicine without a license if you tell your kid to hold his breath to try and stop the hiccups.
“So you think government is OK doing things it’s not permitted to do? “
The FDA was created specifically and only to do these things.
The FDA is an example of what government can do to provide for the common good and defense of the nation. It has played a major role in the US being at the forefront in medical technology and pharmaceutical development.
Read a bit about the history of the FDA and why it was established.
There’s a great book called Charlatan by Pope Brock that I recommend reading. It really is amazing the sort of things that were done.
Here’s a page with a little review of the book.
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/charlatan-quackery-then-and-now/
Read the comments at the page as well.
Did the FDA approve this thread? At least I got tagline out of it.
I think about this line on what seems like a daily basis nowadays:
All along the watchtower
Princes kept the view
While all the women came and went
Barefoot servants, too
Outside in the distance
A wildcat did growl
Two riders were approaching
The wind began to howl
Seems like we’re closer all the time...
You people! You don’t know if you have a cough or cold or allergies! Get thee to a government approved spouter of government approved religion and be diagnosed accordingly.
The government approved spouters of nonsense are the same people who prescribe Vitamin D drops for babies in sunny climates. But at least the FDA has approved those drops. The government has probably not approved the sun. Or rain. Etc.
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