Anyone else terribly frustrated by these Senatorial power plays against supplements?

[Frackal]

I am virtually sure that pharmaceutical company interests are largely behind this.

I was watching the Sentate Energy and Commerce Committee hearings on ephedra, it was terrible.


First, the companies like Stacker and Xenadrine are practically sharing the shovel with the pharma lobby and digging their own graves...I had suspected but not known until now that the individuals behind these companies are generally not that bright.

However, the Senate Chairman (name not given) gave a very reactionary and idiotic statement that I found rather frightening.

One of the baseball union reps was pointing out how people die from products like Ibuprofen in far higher numbers and the Chairman said, :

"Steve Bechler didn't die from Ibuprofen, he died from ephedra."

Aside from the fact that Steve Bechler's case is extremely hazy, due to his heart, liver problems, high blood pressure, obese status, dehydration status, history of heat strokes, etc etc - this statement was so incredibly illogical and assinine that it made me realize either this Senator is incredibly stupid or thinks we are. Perhaps both.

What worried me further is that he seemed to have no concept to the right of individual privacy and balked at the idea that the baseball association's suggestion that they had no right to invade their player's privacy 'for their own good.'

This along with the AAS/Prohormones bill is extremely bothersome to me.

 

[p0ink]

apparently not, since i only see some selected 'outrage' amongst a handful of people. maybe one of them will write a letter.

 

[Frackal]

^^^^^^

 

[MattTheSkywalker]

WElcome back Frackal.

Typically bullshit. www.senate.gov

Pharma may be invovled in this...supps were an easy way for people not to buy more expensive stuff

 

[Testosterone boy]

So a senate chairman is suddenly concerned about the death of a ball player with multiple major health problems?

It is about money.

 

[expletive]

Yea, like they have nothing better to do.
Posted this on suppliment board:

Whoa! too many health claims-FTC-Seailver etc.
(post #1)

Only bought one bottle and they act like I'm a distributor, sent this email:


From:
[email protected]_|
Subject:
Update Regarding FTC and FDA Legal Actions; Tentative Plans to Resume Operations
To:
_
July 16, 2003 To: Seasilver Independent Business Associates and Customers Re: Update Regarding FTC and FDA Legal
Actions; Tentative Plans to Resume Operations Although Seasilver still faces challenges, we can report to you the
Company has made significant progress in its efforts to resolve the legal actions brought by the FTC and the FDA and to
resume operations. FTC Action The Company has reached agreement with the FTC on the terms of a Stipulated Preliminary
Injunction which has been approved by the federal judge in Nevada. The Stipulated Preliminary Injunction adopts all the
terms of the previous TRO, including the order that Seasilver and its distributors shall not make any unsubstantiated
claims as to the health benefits of the product. The Receiver also remains in place. Bela and Jason Berkes are
cooperating with the Receiver and assisting in the company's efforts to resume operations under the direction of the
Receiver. FDA Action The Company's attorneys are continuing discussions with the FDA to resolve the FDA's objections to
the Company's product labeling. The Company will not, under any circumstances, sell or ship any Seasilver product until
we have a label which complies with all applicable FDA regulations. =
Resumption of Operations Under the terms of the Stipulated Preliminary Injunction, the Company may resume operations,
include selling and shipping product, so long as we are in compliance with all the terms of the Preliminary Injunction.
We are now finalizing operational contingency plans under which we would tentatively bring back a portion of our
workforce by Friday, July 18, 2003 and resume the taking of orders on or about Monday July 21, 2003 with product to be
shipped within 5-10 days after that. When we do resume operations, we will institute careful procedures to permit
customers to cancel existing orders or to secure refunds for returned product. No customer will be permitted to place a
new order without acknowledging that he/she has read or heard a Notice required by the Preliminary Injunction. When we
resume, we will also implement a compliance program which will subject any Business Associate who engages in any
unauthorized advertising to immediate termination. You Must Cease and Desist from Making any Health Claims on the
Product The Preliminary Injunction imposes the same requirements on the Company and all its Business Associates as did
the TRO. As you were previously advised, you must cease and desist from making any false or misleading statements or
representations in connection with the marketing, distribution or sale of any Seasilver product, specifically including
but not limited to representations that Seasilver cures or treats cancer, enables 9 of 10 diabetes patients to stop
insulin, leads to weight loss without dieting, treats or cures typhoid or anthrax, is proven to be non-toxic, and/or
provides any other health benefits without competent and reliable scientific evidence. You Must Cease any Use of the
Current Seasilver Product Brochures As you were previously advised, we have recalled all packaging and labeling
including all descriptive materials and brochures which contain any representations as to the health benefits of
Seasilver. This specifically includes the current Seasilver brochure entitled Seasilver USA/The Leader in Foundational
Health. If you have copies of that brochure, please do not use them for any purpose, and immediately return them to the
Company. If you have any copies of a booklet entitled "Journey into the World of Foundational Health", you must return
them immediately. You Must Terminate Any Other Marketing Activities That are Not Approved by The Company As you were
previously advised, you must terminate any marketing activities of any kind, including websites, which use materials or
make claims that have not been approved by the Company. If you have any such materials in inventory, you must destroy
them immediately. Please refer to the Policies & Procedures adopted by Seasilver. Paragraphs 15 and 17 expressly
prohibit any Independent Business Associate from advertising or offering for sale Seasilver Dietary Supplement in any
way other than through the advertising and promotional materials made available by the Company, or except as otherwise
expressly approved and authorized by the Company in writing before any dissemination, publication or display. Failure
to abide by these procedures will result in your termination as an Independent Business Associate. The Company plans to
develop and provide to Business Associates and Customers new marketing materials which are in full compliance with the
Preliminary Injunction. You Must Immediately Alert all Business Associates and Customers in Your Down line of these
Restrictions As you were previously advised, if you are an Independent Business Associate with a downline, you must
immediately advise the downline to cease all unauthorized marketing efforts for the product. You must do so immediately
by e-mail, fax, U.S. Mail, or telephone depending on how you normally communicate with them. You Must Read and Comply
with all Terms of the Preliminary Injunction We have posted a copy of the Preliminary Injunction on the Seasilver.com
website. You must read it carefully and you must comply with all its terms. You may also click here for a direct link
to a copy of the Preliminary Injunction.

Another email I got about suppliments gone wild:


AN URGENT MESSAGE FROM DR. MATTHIAS RATH
>
>Your hard-won natural health freedoms as guaranteed by the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994 have come under attack by the political allies of pharmaceutical interest groups.
>
>As a result of the negative media attention surrounding the herbal supplement
>ephedra, a new Senate bill, the "Dietary Supplement Safety Act," has been introduced. If passed, this bill would amend DSHEA so that the FDA could arbitrarily ban your access to dietary supplements! In addition, the bill would subject safe and effective natural therapies to approval standards more stringent than those for pharmaceutical drugs.
>
>The Dr. Rath Health Foundation is alerting you about the existence of this unconstitutio nal bill so you can take immediate action by voicing your protest to the government leaders voting on it, your local political representatives, the FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services, which has gone on record with its support of the so-called Dietary Supplement Safety Act.

 

[atlantabiolab]

I am virtually sure that pharmaceutical company interests are largely behind this.

I was watching the Sentate Energy and Commerce Committee hearings on ephedra, it was terrible.


First, the companies like Stacker and Xenadrine are practically sharing the shovel with the pharma lobby and digging their own graves...I had suspected but not known until now that the individuals behind these companies are generally not that bright.

However, the Senate Chairman (name not given) gave a very reactionary and idiotic statement that I found rather frightening.

One of the baseball union reps was pointing out how people die from products like Ibuprofen in far higher numbers and the Chairman said, :

"Steve Bechler didn't die from Ibuprofen, he died from ephedra."

Aside from the fact that Steve Bechler's case is extremely hazy, due to his heart, liver problems, high blood pressure, obese status, dehydration status, history of heat strokes, etc etc - this statement was so incredibly illogical and assinine that it made me realize either this Senator is incredibly stupid or thinks we are. Perhaps both.

What worried me further is that he seemed to have no concept to the right of individual privacy and balked at the idea that the baseball association's suggestion that they had no right to invade their player's privacy 'for their own good.'

This along with the AAS/Prohormones bill is extremely bothersome to me.

Saw the same CSPAN garbage. This is driven by the FDA, the media sensationalism, special interest groups and sports committees such as the IOC.

The FDA wants to reclaim the status it had prior to the DSHEA, which allowed them all power over OTC products. Prior to DSHEA, the onus was on the distributor to show efficacy and safety by FDA regulations, which made it near impossible to market any supplement no matter how safe, save those grandfathered in such as ginseng. Gingko, St. John's Wort, creatine, etc. would never have seen the light of day prior to DSHEA.

The media shines the spotlight, at wrong angles, on supplements in order to drive issues, which perks the interests of do-gooders who demand government intervention into the free-market, all to protect the children, of course. Every bored soccer mom becomes a victim rights advocate and leads the charge against these evil products that try and tempt the unwary youth.

Agencies like the IOC want supplements banned because it makes their jobs harder, since they require strict criteria for "natural" athletes. Since there is no way yet to test for creatine, ribose, etc., calling for harsh regulations on their distribution reduces their effort in having to check their athletes for banned substances.

It is not long before we have to go to the Dr. to buy creatine or 1000mg vitamin c tabs...to protect us of course.