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The following is a KSCO commentary.  Here is Kay Zwerling:

Dear Listeners,

          Since the 1920s, the issue of health has grown enormously.  Pharmaceutical companies were then in their infancy.  There were very few medications at that time.   I am not even sure that aspirin was around.

          Since then, the awareness of supplements is also new.

          Pharmaceuticals are medications, and supplements are usually vitamins and minerals.  The former can be very toxic while supplements are healing to the human body. 

          Pharmaceutical companies have grown very powerful, and now they want the FDA to control and even eliminate supplements so that they can sell more of their toxic medications. 

          Supplements like vitamin C now can only be obtained in Europe with a prescription.   The FDA now wants the power to control our supplements here in the USA by also having the public obtain prescriptions to purchase vitamins, and that is outrageous. 

          Do you think I am exaggerating?  Please listen.

          Back in the early 1990s, the FDA tried to make many many supplements illegal.  Consumers were so alarmed by the FDA’s powers that they staged a mass revolt.  The result was that Congress passed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA).   That law protected supplements from the FDA unless the FDA can prove the supplement was not safe.   The irony of that was that many pharmaceuticals are unsafe, but supplements usually are not unsafe.   

There was, however, a loophole in the 1994 law.   The FDA was given the authority to regulate new ingredients introduced after October 15, 1994.  

So, what happened?   For 17 years, the FDA took no action, gave no guidance, and launched no enforcement of these new dietary ingredients.

And, that has been a good thing because for 17 years the dietary supplement industry has enjoyed tremendous innovations.   These innovations have allowed us to extract and concentrate the most effective natural ingredients.   As a result, millions of consumers have benefitted.  They have protected their hearts and arteries, found relief from their joint pain, boosted their memory, and much much more. 

And, during this time, supplements have enjoyed a remarkable safety record.  Statistics show that supplements are much safer than prescription drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, and even some foods.

Meanwhile, pathogens like e. coli in food kill at least 2000 people every year.  Drugs like Tylenol kill 450 people per year.   And, more powerful prescription drugs kill many more.  Even the FDA now says that Vioxx likely killed over 26,000 people before they finally took that off the market. 

Now, We the People must talk to our government representatives and tell them that we are very concerned about the new FDA power and control over our dietary supplements.   

Supplements have an unrivaled safety record while pharmaceuticals do not, and so that is why We the People must demand our government not let this law go through with the FDA.  The pharmaceutical industry must not have control over our vitamins and minerals.

For KSCO, this is Kay Zwerling.

© copyright 2011

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