July 3, 2006

2 Min Read
Citizens for Health Initiates Grassroots Advocacy Campaign in Support of Senators on AER Bill

Dietary supplements are safe. Senate Bill 3546 makes them even safer.

WASHINGTON, D.C & MINNEAPOLIS, MN, July 4, 2006 – Citizens for Health commends Senators Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) for introducing Senate Bill 3546, the “Dietary Supplement and Nonprescription Drug Consumer Act,” a bill that will require manufacturers to notify the FDA of all serious adverse events (AEs) for over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and dietary supplements reported to them.

Joining with other consumer groups and trade associations in supporting this bill, Citizens for Health also thanks the dietary supplement industry for having set a good example over the years by working hard to voluntarily log and submit the small number of serious adverse events (side effects) that may or may not have been definitively associated with the use of dietary supplements, but which have been submitted in good faith regardless.

Not only does the bill show a serious commitment to consumer safety and protection by the dietary supplement industry - it also includes appropriate safeguards so that unjustified burdens are not placed on these responsible companies.

This bill emphasizes how well-regulated the dietary supplement industry actually is and how committed supplement companies already are to safety and to making the existing regulations work more effectively.

Citizens for Health looks forward to the passage of this bill in the Senate and encourages the House of Representatives to take similar steps. The bill was expected to go to the Senate floor for a vote in mid-July.

Citizens for Health is today mobilizing a major grassroots information campaign in support of the joint consumer-trade collaboration endorsing this bill by engaging its 108,000 consumer members.

Citizens for Health invites industry to spread its action campaign letter links to consumers across the United States: Ask your customers to co-sponsor S. 3546 today!

The association also invites industry members to check out information on this bill from the National Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA) the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) and the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA).

About Citizens for Health

Citizens for Health (www.citizens.org) is a national non-profit consumer advocacy group working to broaden healthcare options, create an integrative health system based on wellness, and advance the freedom to make health choices. The group promotes the fundamental policies needed to improve health choices and information in the U.S. and internationally. The group works with grassroots and education organizations and partners in the not-for-profit sector to ensure consumer access to dietary supplements, safe foods, a healthy environment and a wide range of healing therapies. Citizens for Health fosters active citizen leadership and organizes natural health consumers to create political and legislative solutions that support those rights.

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CONTACT:
James S. Turner: 202-462-8800
James J. Gormley: 914-701-4511

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