FTC given more power to regulate vitamins and supplements?

[Dengineer]

This article is EXTREMELY biased, but does anyone have any opinions/thoughts about this issue?

Health freedom alert: Congressman Waxman sneaks anti-vitamin amendment into Wall Street reform bill

[Liz]

Obscenely biased article, and given the source I can see why they're so defensive. A company can put out an herbal product and make any claims they want about it, but don't have the prove anything as say a pharma company would. Given in this economy people are taking supplements instead of seeing doctors, the timing is right. Regulation is needed, and policing within the industry is not enough.

I can't wait to hear the ill-informed rants about how this government regulation is such a bad, bad thing and intruding on their rights.

[$Saving!]

Why isn't the FDA handling the regulations on those products? Why the FTC? That makes no sense at all.

The FDA should ban any products they don't approve if that's the purpose of Waxman getting involved on the trade end.

Are these products being shipped INTO the US? Then FTC should be involved, just like with the lead based paint in China imports.

But for the FTC to jump the shark and handle what the FDA is supposed to handle seems convoluted to me.

[CW&M Mom]

I think the delima maybe that vitamins and herbs are not considered food or drugs thus they can't be regulated by the FDA?? Or make it super hard to. That's a guess though...and didn't read the biased article. Find me a non biased one and I'll read it though.

If those things are coming from China...I think every regulatory entity we have should have there nose in it.

[themadness]

i think what we are going to start seeing is a boatload of small legislation bills being passed under the cloak of obama-care. the regulations most likely wont be limited to health related markets either. i think the worst part of the whole idea is that they are wasting so many resources on things that are really not that important. putting restrictions on vitamins and supplements is probably a good thing. that is a huge waste of money IMHO. i flushed a great amount of change on pills that were largely ineffective.



now if they begin to force us to take certain vitamins and supplements.......then we have a problem.

[katcan]

Vitamins and supplements should absolutely be regulated. Just because it's natural or "natural" doesn't mean it's safe.

Also, I don't think you could've found a more biased article if you tried.

[shashabell]

Vitamins and supplements should absolutely be regulated. Just because it's natural or "natural" doesn't mean it's safe.

Also, I don't think you could've found a more biased article if you tried.

So true. I have been doing my own research trying to find an herbal remedy to help my son with ADHD, ODD, Autism. Everytime I think I find one that will work, I discover it has dangerous side effects.
I have found homeopathic specialist who can make a formula to help address my son's issues, but there are no medical follow-ups on him if he takes them. They tell me, "They're natural things taken from nature." My response is, "Digitalis is taken from Fox Glove, but I wouldn't go around taking that." There are no MD's anywhere that will even talk to me about herbal remedies because they're not approved by the FDA.

[wealthybarney]

I would like to know the underlying motive Waxman has?

We all want our supplements safe, therefore they need to be regulated.
PP right on about China's exports needing to be scrutinized.

If this is over-regulation, is it to make it so we can't get certain supplements in the US, & funnel this spending towards using more Drugs from the Pharmaceutical Companies?
Then have the Government decide how that money is spent?

After reading this, all I have are more questions.