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Feb. 27The dietary-supplement industry is fighting a bid by U.S. Sen. John McCain to force it to disclose ingredients and register with the Food and Drug Administration.
The Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2010 would also strengthen recall authority of any dietary supplement the FDA finds to be hazardous.
Opponents say subjecting manufacturers to increased reporting requirements could drive up prices and restrict the availability of vitamins and supplements. They contend the FDA is hostile to supplements because they don't go through the drug approval process but that's an expensive process for natural substances that can't be patented.
Tucson's Food Conspiracy Co-op on Fourth Avenue is urging visitors to its Facebook page to take action against the bill, warning it would "create administrative hurdles that small supplement companies could not take on, leaving only products from large pharmaceutical companies."
And the Tucson-based founder of New Life Health Centers is distributing fliers urging clients to oppose the Senate bill. "It's another one of these power grabs by the government which appears to be rather rampant now, to say the least," said founder Eugene Burns, who predicted it would put him out of business and jeopardize the ability of consumers to purchase natural products.
McCain, who is teaming on the bill with Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., held a press conference in early February to tout it, flanked by several athletes, including swimmer Kicker Vencill, who was banned from the Olympics after taking a tainted supplement. He successfully sued the manufacturer but missed out on the Olympics.
Stung by rapidly escalating criticism about the bill's intent, McCain made a floor speech last week saying he introduced the legislation at the behest of Major League Baseball, the National Football League and the American College of Sports Medicine, along with several other sports organizations.
He recalled the case of Phoenix Suns' star Tom Gugliotta, who almost died in 2000 after taking a "sleep aid" that sent him into a seizure.
But McCain said the bill was also introduced for the half of all Americans who take some kind of supplement. "People have died from taking dietary supplements, including a young mother and wife who lived in my home state, and thousands have had to be hospitalized or seen by a doctor due to an adverse reaction from a dietary supplement."
He said it was about "truth in labeling," saying it only makes sense because Americans can get ingredients off the side of a cereal box or a container of yogurt.
McCain spokeswoman Brooke Buchanan said it's important for consumers to know ingredients, too, because some compounds may interact poorly with or nullify their prescription drugs.
Buchanan said the bill has been mischaracterized by opponents. The biggest misconception? "That John McCain is trying to take away people's vitamins. It's just not true. He wants to make is safer for you to take your vitamins."
Dr. Raymond Woosley, president and CEO of the Critical Path Institute who has a doctorate in pharmacology, said the bill would be an important step. "There are dangerous compounds and unbelievably risky compounds that have been marketed without any regulation at all from the FDA," he said, adding that popular supplements such as saw palmetto and gingko biloba ought to be regulated as medicine if they're promoted as medicine.
"Most of the supplements out there today aren't vitamins but drugs in sheep's clothing," he said. "The labeling is so obscure, I've spent 35 years in medicine and I can't tell you what's in those things."
Dave Apgar, a clinical professor with the UA College of Pharmacy, said he, too, thinks labeling of ingredients would be beneficial. "It seems like a much better protection to the consumer."
But McCain's political opponents say it would put an excessive burden on the shoulders of suppliers and retailers.
Former U.S. Rep. J.D. Hayworth's spokesman, Jason Rose, said his office is getting bombarded with letters and calls from opponents who are fearful that government is handing an advantage to the pharmaceutical industry at the expense of small business.
"Use of vitamins and supplements should not be regulated simply because a few athletes want to redirect attention from their doping," Hayworth, who is running against McCain, said in a prepared statement.
Contact reporter Rhonda Bodfield at rbodfield@azstarnet.com or 573-4243
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