CTA: Close the Supplement Loophole

Despite my previous criticisms of Senator McCain, I recognize he can do some pretty good things as well. This is just such a case. He has just proposed a bill that could potentially close the legal loopholes the supplement industry uses to push out their unscientifically tested, dangerous, and woo woo products. You can read an excellent review of the bill by David Gorski over at Science-Based Medicine: The Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2010: A long overdue correction to the DSHEA of 1994? I think it is of the utmost importance we in the Skeptical community loudly voice our support of this bill.

Below, is a copy of the letter I sent to my senators. Feel free to use it as an outline to use when writing your senators:

Senator XXXX,

I am writing today to demand you support the McCain-Dorgan Bill which will go a long way in closing various loopholes the supplement industry uses to the detriment of our country.

As a former power-lifter/weight-lifter, I am well aware of the rampant abuse of supplements within that subculture. While steroids do get a lot of attention, supplements also do a considerable amount of damage. A personal acquaintance of mine died as the result of damage he had done to his body as the result of steroid and supplement abuse. Before his death, he had previously almost died as the result of an ephedra overdose.

Something must be done and the recent attempt at marketing an industrial-strength chelating agent as an "anti-oxidant" for children with autism is a prime example of just how bad the situation is. It is common knowledge that these "supplements" contain active ingredients which are supposed to perform specific functions in the body -- despite what the ineffective disclaimers on the bottle might state. These so-called "supplements" need to be regulated as drugs so that the innocent (ignorant of true effects and side effects)and the helpless (children, autistics, etc.) are not harmed.

I insist you take immediate action and voice your support for the McCain-Dorgan Bill. Doing so will go a long way to protecting the people of the United States from this modern day form of snake oil.

Thank you,

Don't know how to contact your senators? That's easily accomplished. Just go to: Senators of the 111 ^th Congress and do a search. It's that easy.

photo by erix!