The Fix Is In

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http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ea2003/ea_030722_p.shtml

 

The Fix Is In

 

Contributing Editor: Health Sciences Institute, 7/22/2003 Members AlertThe Fix

Is In

 

" This bill will save lives and restore America's confidence in the use of

dietary supplements. "

 

Those were the words of Senator Dick Durbin last March when he introduced Senate

Bill 722 (S. 722) titled the " Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2003. "

 

What Senator Durbin didn't mention is that S. 722 will broadly expand the FDA's

authority to control the dietary supplement market.

 

Simply put: these regulations will seriously inhibit your current freedom to

make your own health decisions. But there is something you can do to help

prevent this from happening.

 

Lives left behind

 

 

First let's talk about saving lives.

 

There are many hundreds of deaths each year associated with aspirin and

acetaminophen. (By some estimates, aspirin-related deaths alone number more than

1,000 per year.) These pain killers are manufactured by many companies, but the

major players are Bayer (the maker of Bayer Aspirin, of course), and Johnson &

Johnson (the maker of Tylenol) - two of the largest drug companies in the world.

They both have deep pockets to fuel very aggressive lobbying efforts in

Washington.

 

So don't expect to hear any senators calling for a ban of aspirin or

acetaminophen. (Deaths? What deaths?)

 

Ephedra, on the other hand, is a sitting duck.

 

S. 722 doesn't mention any specific supplements, but Senator Durbin's press

release uses the recent controversy surrounding ephedra to promote the fear of

supplements. Senator Durbin states that 117 deaths have been attributed to

ephedra. (That's 117 deaths TOTAL - not 117 per year.) What he doesn't mention

is that almost all of these deaths involved a synthetic form of ephedra - a

drug, in other words - called ephedrine, in which the active agent of ephedra is

boosted to levels that can be dangerous if not taken as directed.

 

When used properly, ephedrine is a strong weapon in the battle to control your

weight. And, more important, the actual herb ephedra is an effective treatment

for asthma. If ephedra is banned, the main winners will be pharmaceutical

companies that make asthma drugs.

 

So when you hear lawmakers talking about " saving lives, " and " protecting the

public, " be aware that their targets are very selective when it comes to the

products they want to see banned.

 

Get out your handkerchiefs

 

 

Senator Durbin wants you to think that the poor folks over at the FDA are

working with their hands tied behind their backs. His press release states, " The

burden is currently placed on the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to prove

that they are unsafe before the agency can take any action against dangerous

dietary supplements. " And according to Durbin, " this places an unreasonably high

hurdle in the path of effective agency action. "

 

Senator Durbin knows better. The FDA currently has the power to pull any product

off the market that it deems to be unsafe.

 

The inquisition

 

 

Under S. 722, the FDA will have the power to remove an entire class of

supplements from the market if there is even a single serious adverse reaction

complaint filed. This will be the case even if the complaint is filed by someone

who has used the supplement in contradiction to the instructions and warnings of

the manufacturer.

 

In such an instance, the manufacturer will be required to demonstrate the safety

of the supplement. This process is expected to put a heavy financial burden on

accused manufacturers - heavy enough to drive some out of business. For those

supplements that do reach the evaluation stage, the FDA will set the standards

for the evaluations and then determine if the standards are met. In effect, the

FDA will act as prosecutor, judge, and jury, while accused manufacturers foot

the bill against a stacked deck.

 

That's like asking a death row inmate to pay an electric bill in advance for his

electrocution.

 

Chipping away at freedom

 

 

Will S. 722 save lives? I seriously doubt it. Behind this bill there's a naive

idea that a law to strengthen regulations can make everything all right. And yet

the current regulations that promise safety for prescription drug users somehow

let many thousands of lives slip through the cracks every year. Increased

regulations can't guarantee safety, but they do guarantee greater power for

regulators.

 

And when that power is increased, what then? Here's a comment from a recent

e-mail I received from HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D.: " I'm convinced the

Dietary Supplement Safety Act is merely a stepping stone to complete control.

The FDA has been very upset about the passage of DSHEA (the Dietary Supplement

Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994 - specifically designed to help protect

the supplement industry from unnecessary constraints). I think the FDA will

piecemeal DSHEA away as fast as possible, if possible (and I believe it is). "

 

S. 722 may come before the Senate for a vote before the end of this month. And

although it has good support, its passage is not a foregone conclusion. I

strongly urge you to take a moment to send a brief letter or e-mail to your

state Senators. (You can easily find Congressional addresses and e-mail

addresses at congress.org just by entering your zip code.)

 

Tell your Senators that you oppose S. 722 (the " Dietary Supplement Safety Act of

2003 " ), which will limit your freedom to make your own health care choices with

the responsible use of dietary supplements. Tell them that S. 722 unnecessarily

expands the authority of the Food and Drug Administration, while offering no

more protection for consumers than is already granted under the Dietary

Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994.

 

Think of S. 722 is a staging area from which the FDA will prepare to slowly but

surely dismantle the dietary supplement freedom that we've enjoyed for almost a

decade under DSHEA. The first line of defense is to convince our senators that

this act is unnecessary and will do more harm than good.

 

Please share this e-Alert with a friend and help get the word out about S. 722.

 

http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ea2003/ea_030722_p.shtml

 

....and another thing

 

 

What's a vegetarian to do?

 

That's the gist of this e-mail from a member named Linda:

 

" With regard to your July 1 alert on macular degeneration...would flax and

walnuts be as effective as tuna in fighting m.d.? Or are there other choices for

vegetarians? "

 

Linda is referring to the e-Alert " Rockets' Red Glare " (7/1/03) in which I told

you about two studies concluding that regular consumption of the omega-3 fatty

acids in fish (especially dark meat fish like tuna and swordfish) may help

prevent both heart disease and age-related macular degeneration.

 

Although these two studies examined fish intake, omega-3 in general has been

shown to improve age-related vision problems such as macular degeneration. And

Linda is right: flaxseed is a very good omega-3 source for vegetarians or for

those who don't eat fish to avoid the mercury content.

 

In the e-Alert " Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? " (5/12/03) I shared an e-mail from

a member named Scott who says he uses freshly ground flaxseed in most of the

meals he prepares. Scott wrote: " The flaxseeds when freshly ground provide not

only the worlds best flaxseed oil but fiber also! The golden flax has a slight

almondy flavor. The seeds keep forever, not like the oil, which must be guarded

in black bottles, etc. Flaxseeds are one of the best natural sources of

essential omega three fats, so enjoy and be healthy! "

 

 

And Linda also mentioned walnuts, which are high in omega-3 fatty acids, as are

pumpkin seeds. So if you choose to pass on the fish, you still have other

natural options for boosting your omega-3 intake.

 

To Your Good Health,

 

Jenny Thompson

Health Sciences Institute

 

Sources:

" Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2003 " Senate Bill 722, 3/26/03, congress.org

" Durbin Moves to Prevent Sale of Dangerous Dietary Supplements like Ephedra "

Dick Durbin Press Release, 3/26/03, durbin.senate.gov

" FDA Moving to Dismantle DSHEA " Smart Publications, 4/25/03,

smart-publications.com

" An Urgent Call to Action: Your Right to Use Nutritional Supplements is in

Jeopardy " Julian Whitaker, M.D., 7/17/03, drwhitaker.com

" Toxicity, Acetaminophen " Susan E. Farrell, M.D., emedicine.com 1997

- 2003 by Institute of Health Sciences, L.L.C.

 

 

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