Editor’s note (01/07/2023): This article was originally published in May 2022. With your help, we were able to score a major victory in defeating Sen. Durbin’s anti-supplement policy in 2022. However, Sen. Durbin has vowed to reintroduce this policy in 2023, so we must remain vigilant. Stay tuned to our newsletter for updates on this and other threats to your supplement access.
Senator Dick Durbin’s (D-IL) bill that threatens tens of thousands of products has officially been introduced. We need all hands on deck to oppose it. Action Alert!
Sen. Dick Durbin has launched his supplement attack by introducing his “Dietary Supplement Listing Act of 2022” with Senator Mike Braun (R-IN). This bill threatens your ability to access the supplements you rely on to stay healthy. We need to send a strong message to Congress that this is bad for consumers, bad for health, and bad for the economy.
The bill threatens fines and jailtime for companies that do not comply. If a company does not submit the proper information, in the correct form, by the proper date, the supplement is considered misbranded. For the first offense, violators can be imprisoned for one year and fined $1,000 dollars; for the second offense, violators can be imprisoned for three years and fined $10,000. Given the safety record of supplements that will be detailed below, the punishments here hardly seem to fit the crime.
This bill creates a lose-lose situation for consumers and supplement companies: if companies don’t comply, they face fines and jail time; if they do comply, companies are orchestrating their own demise by giving the FDA the list it needs to sweep the market of as many as 41,000 supplements that do not comply with the agency’s overreaching (and incomplete) “new supplement” guidance. Supplement companies lose, the economy suffers, and consumers lose access to critical health products.
It’s bad, but it may not even be the biggest threat to your supplements right now. Separately, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, is independently moving forward with plans to attach a similar mandatory product registration provision for supplements to the reauthorization of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act that must pass by the end of September. Durbin’s policy, then, has twice the chance of success because it is moving forward on two distinct paths.
Why are more supplement regulations such a priority for these federal authorities? Supplements are overwhelmingly safe. According to the FDA, in 2021, the agency received 2,400 adverse event reports related to dietary supplements. To put this in context, according to the FDA’s adverse event database, in 2021 the FDA received a total of 2,333,453 adverse event reports. That means that dietary supplements make up 0.1% of the adverse event reports to the FDA. National reports consistently show zero deaths from dietary supplements; according to the FDA’s database, in 2021 alone drugs killed 187,750 Americans.
That supplements are the products getting federal attention speaks to the power of the drug industry lobby and the willingness of elected officials and FDA officials to do their bidding. We cannot let these forces succeed in undermining our ability to stay healthy, naturally.
I don’t CARE about their supplement guidelines. I do NOT abide by this governments rules and ignorant laws. This government is Beneath me. That is all their is to it.
Sen. Dick Durbin has launched his supplement attack by introducing his “Dietary Supplement Listing Act of 2022” with Senator Mike Braun (R-IN). This bill threatens your ability to access the supplements you rely on to stay healthy. We need to send a strong message to Congress that this is bad for consumers, bad for health, and bad for the economy.
The bill threatens fines and jailtime for companies that do not comply. If a company does not submit the proper information, in the correct form, by the proper date, the supplement is considered misbranded. For the first offense, violators can be imprisoned for one year and fined $1,000 dollars; for the second offense, violators can be imprisoned for three years and fined $10,000. Given the safety record of supplements that will be detailed below, the punishments here hardly seem to fit the crime.
This bill creates a lose-lose situation for consumers and supplement companies: if companies don’t comply, they face fines and jail time; if they do comply, companies are orchestrating their own demise by giving the FDA the list it needs to sweep the market of as many as 41,000 supplements that do not comply with the agency’s overreaching (and incomplete) “new supplement” guidance. Supplement companies lose, the economy suffers, and consumers lose access to critical health products.
It’s bad, but it may not even be the biggest threat to your supplements right now. Separately, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, is independently moving forward with plans to attach a similar mandatory product registration provision for supplements to the reauthorization of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act that must pass by the end of September. Durbin’s policy, then, has twice the chance of success because it is moving forward on two distinct paths.
Why are more supplement regulations such a priority for these federal authorities? Supplements are overwhelmingly safe. According to the FDA, in 2021, the agency received 2,400 adverse event reports related to dietary supplements. To put this in context, according to the FDA’s adverse event database, in 2021 the FDA received a total of 2,333,453 adverse event reports. That means that dietary supplements make up 0.1% of the adverse event reports to the FDA. National reports consistently show zero deaths from dietary supplements; according to the FDA’s database, in 2021 alone drugs killed 187,750 Americans.
That supplements are the products getting federal attention speaks to the power of the drug industry lobby and the willingness of elected officials and FDA officials to do their bidding. We cannot let these forces succeed in undermining our ability to stay healthy, naturally.
Why should supplement companies be fined or put in jail ? The worst the pharmaceutical companies have been punished with is millions of dollars in fines. AND their medications have killed millions of people. AND that is OK because they are the pharmaceutical companies.
There are very few adverse results with supplements—-2400 recently reported. This all comes down to MONEY and POWER.
According to the FDA, in 2021, the agency received 2,400 adverse event reports related to dietary supplements. To put this in context, according to the FDA’s adverse event database, in 2021 the FDA received a total of 2,333,453 adverse event reports. That means that dietary supplements make up 0.1% of the adverse event reports to the FDA. National reports consistently show zero deaths from dietary supplements; according to the FDA’s database, in 2021 alone drugs killed 187,750 Americans. Leave our supplements alone!
I resent this bill. Big Pharma has billions of dollars they can pass under the table to get what they want from our elected officials. It works! Presently Big Pharma is attempting to buy up many of the small supplement makers. Why?” Because those people are the ones who care. They provide information on the various supplements and we are given freedom of choice. They sell life. Big Pharma sells death. Natural supplements work and Big Pharma has so many life threatening side effects to contend with. Supplements are my choice, paid for with my money. I choose supplements which work oftentimes when taking Big Pharma’s medicines, to work with the medication or also to oppose the numerous side effects. There is a need for both. Cancer patients may need medication but the medication often has need of nature and supplements.
I have been taking natural thyroid off and on mostly on since I was 15 I am now 83 andI haven’t dyed from it why did bourbon do you want to make more trouble for us stick with your radicle republicans and out of people who want to stay healthy without chemicals
Leave our freedom to choose what supplements we want alone!
This is obvious harassment, a lethal competitive move to dominate the industry, and industry they are losing ground on. We need a consumers legal defense against these lobbyists and Congress members pushing this agenda!
Sen. Dick Durbin has launched his supplement attack by introducing his “Dietary Supplement Listing Act of 2022” with Senator Mike Braun (R-IN). This bill threatens your ability to access the supplements you rely on to stay healthy. We need to send a strong message to Congress that this is bad for consumers, bad for health, and bad for the economy.
The bill threatens fines and jailtime for companies that do not comply. If a company does not submit the proper information, in the correct form, by the proper date, the supplement is considered misbranded. For the first offense, violators can be imprisoned for one year and fined $1,000 dollars; for the second offense, violators can be imprisoned for three years and fined $10,000. Given the safety record of supplements that will be detailed below, the punishments here hardly seem to fit the crime.
This bill creates a lose-lose situation for consumers and supplement companies: if companies don’t comply, they face fines and jail time; if they do comply, companies are orchestrating their own demise by giving the FDA the list it needs to sweep the market of as many as 41,000 supplements that do not comply with the agency’s overreaching (and incomplete) “new supplement” guidance. Supplement companies lose, the economy suffers, and consumers lose access to critical health products.
It’s bad, but it may not even be the biggest threat to your supplements right now. Separately, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, is independently moving forward with plans to attach a similar mandatory product registration provision for supplements to the reauthorization of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act that must pass by the end of September. Durbin’s policy, then, has twice the chance of success because it is moving forward on two distinct paths.
Why are more supplement regulations such a priority for these federal authorities? Supplements are overwhelmingly safe. According to the FDA, in 2021, the agency received 2,400 adverse event reports related to dietary supplements. To put this in context, according to the FDA’s adverse event database, in 2021 the FDA received a total of 2,333,453 adverse event reports. That means that dietary supplements make up 0.1% of the adverse event reports to the FDA. National reports consistently show zero deaths from dietary supplements; according to the FDA’s database, in 2021 alone drugs killed 187,750 Americans.
That supplements are the products getting federal attention speaks to the power of the drug industry lobby and the willingness of elected officials and FDA officials to do their bidding. We cannot let these forces succeed in undermining our ability to stay healthy, naturally.
Sir;
Where and when does our government corruption end?
It is shameful and disgusting to allow and perpetuate such actions for nothing but ultimate greed and arrogance by the government officials and big pharma executives.
Drug cartels, along with our bought and paid off elected representatives control and corrupt our country.
Judgement day is coming.
JShafer
This is so unfair! Supplements have never killed anyone as pharmaceuticals have-terrible side effects!! Why do they want to shut down & fine these supplemental natural stores?? Only to make the big pharmaceuticals stronger! People should have a choice!!
How many times has the FDA come down on remedies that later become mainstream? So many dangerous drugs out there and yet they want to effect companies that produce alternative remedies that people count on. Such biased ignorance is appalling. People want natural supplements and should not be punished for taking them along with the companies that make them. This is closed minded abuse of power.
Make sure to email your thoughts to Senator Mike Braun. Maybe he won’t cosponsor again this year if he gets enough flack. You can’t stop the dumb from Ill. I don’t know what to do about the other part coming out of Washington there’s not much intelligence there either, IMHO.
The Latest Report from VAERS – COVID 19 Vaccine Adverse Event Reports. 33,334 DEATHS, & 1,490,160 TOTAL REPORTS Through December 23, 2022.
ZERO DEATHS Reported from VITAMINS! Consult your Primary Physician for any possible complications consuming dietary vitamins.
There was no Action Alert attached to this article.
Pharmaceutical companies want to destroy the health of all citizens of the world they aren’t interested in healing anybody that is exactly the reason why they want to destroy their ability for natural health remedies! I will not relent and will never take any pharmaceutical medication again
SENATOR DICK DURBIN AND MIKE BRAUN NEEDS TO BE KILLED FOR TREASON. WE WILL GIVE THEM ONE CHANCE TO REPEAL OR ELSE.
perhaps if one of the elected OFFICIALs, that are paid by my tax dollars, has a loved one with cancer or illness they may reconsider. Chemo/radiation are destructive to the human body and are forced by the medical professionals, in order to “save”them from their illnesses. This is always the patients choice, but rarely explained to them what the chemo and radiation toxins will do to them. If one does their research, they will learn of other holistic/alternative treatments that are available to them. You MUST do your own research and be your own advocate. SUPPLEMENTS DO HELP and yes it does depend on what cancer/illness you are facing and what stage you are dealing with. I will make the decision as to what medications i will ingest or NOT to ingest. my body, my decision.
Supplements help people maintain health. Stop persecuting supplements for the benefit of lpharmacieiticals.
Senators Durbin & Braun need to quit wasting tax payer money on schemes to eliminate holistic medicines that are doing my family a lot of good when it comes to our overall health. We learned the importance of a proper functioning thyroid gland and adrenal gland from our holistic doctor and people ask us all the time how we are able to look so much younger than our real age. These senators need to spend zero time filling their special interest pockets from the pharmaceutical companies, for example, and start spending their time on resolving real problems which this nation has plenty of in this day in age. These people make me realize how importance term limits need to be forced upon them by the states of this great nation.