URGENT: How many here are in college or go to a gym?...

[Sinis]

It may be too late but I figure why not try. Our rights for dietary supplements are being ROBBED from us. This weekend I intend on writing a letter concerning the current happenings in Washington and American rights. I plan on posting it on the college boards and also the local gym I go to. I encourage everyone here to do what they can to get the message out. USFA.biz is the only one who is fighting for our rights - if you have not joined I encourage you to do so and tell others.

 

[JohnL]

I am in college and go to a gym,
John

 

[thefren]

same here. i signed up for USFA.biz and submitted the letter. fuck that if they want to ban these supplements, you know what they should ban? Slimfast and Jenny Craig.

 

[Sebass67]

This is getting INSANE...
Americans....take back your rights bros!

 

[KillahBee]

I am with you bro. We should be heard.

 

[B0ARDIN087]

I am with you bro. We should be heard.

i love alcohol as much as the next guy but if destroying your kidney and putting urself in a state which u cant control as well as smoking tar until u die of lung cancer is legal then why shouldn't relatively harmless supps be. as well as AS!

 

[Synpax]

I agree with the sentiment. Yes, if sports leagues want to restrict certain substances from players who participate, by all means, that's fine.

But making substances illegal that do not impare the rational function of the mind is not something the gov'ment should do.

So explain again why Efedra is banned but cigarretes aren't?

 

[Sinis]

Here is what I came up with. I used some of the language from USFA.biz as I felt it expressed the problem in a clear professional manner. Feel free to make some changes. Just wanting to throw this out as an option. I'll be posting this at the local campus this week. Hopefully others can do likewise. Thanks.


WARNING: THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS IS TAKING AWAY YOUR HEALTH RIGHTS



BODYBUILDERS, LIFE EXTENSIONISTS, HIV COMMUNITY, AGING AMERICANS...



A Message from Rick Collins, Esq., USFA General Counsel


Welcome to the USFA, a not-for-profit coalition of individuals and companies dedicated to the preservation of safe sports supplements and other nutritional products. We are working with top scientists, physicians and legislators to develop responsible guidelines for the production, distribution and marketing of certain categories of nutritional supplements. We hope to have a positive effect on future law and policy in the area of safe nutritional supplements.

In 1994, Congress enacted the Dietary Supplements Health and Education Act (DSHEA), one of the most popularly supported pieces of legislation in American history. The DSHEA was passed to protect health-affirming nutritional products from those forces seeking to unfairly remove them from the market or to restrict them as expensive prescription-only drugs. DSHEA protects the freedoms of consumers of nutritional products while nevertheless providing full authority to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to outlaw unsafe products.

DSHEA is under attack in Washington. Powerful special interest lobbying forces have supported legislation to eradicate an entire spectrum of dietary supplements from the market. Under the guise of restricting adolescent access to androstenedione and other muscle-building steroid precursors, several new legislative efforts would have devastating effects on mature adults throughout America.

One such measure, H.R. 207, would grant alarmingly broad powers to the Attorney General to turn a wide variety of currently over-the-counter nutritional supplements into controlled substances. Controlled substance status is a serious categorization, reserved only for dangerous, addictive drugs of abuse. There is no evidence that the products covered by this bill meet these criteria. To use the Controlled Substances Act to ban many of these products is an abuse of the law, and would set a disturbing precedent that might open the door for the criminalization of other healthful dietary supplements. In effect, this bill could drag millions of aging Americans into the federal criminal justice system for the mere possession of popular and innocuous dietary supplements like DHEA, 7-keto DHEA, and pregnenolone. Life extensionists and anti-aging enthusiasts would face arrest and criminal prosecution, and would even be subject to federal asset forfeiture laws.

Another pending bill, S. 722, introduced by Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois would place unreasonable burdens on supplement manufacturers and would classify prohormones as controlled substances based only on advertising claims. This bill is of serious concern because some insiders fear it may be tacked onto more benign legislation, such as the agricultural appropriations bill, in the very near future.

A new bill proposed by Senator Joseph Biden would remove the words "promotes muscle growth" from the definition of an anabolic steroid, specifically exempt DHEA, but make a long list of prohormones into anabolic steroids. It specifically holds off on scheduling androstenedione until the FDA answers whether androstenedione is properly a dietary supplement (a bizarre twist, given that it was congressional attention to that particular compound that started the furor). It also tells the U.S. Sentencing Commission to consider upping the punishments for steroid offenses (a boost for the War on Drugs), which would now include possession of prohormones by adult Americans.

The USFA is dedicated to the preservation of dietary supplement freedom. Adult consumers should have broad access to safe nutritional supplements, and the right to exercise their choices without fear of arrest, prosecution and imprisonment. Prohormones are today's hot target. What will it be tomorrow? Creatine? Glutamine? Herbs and vitamins? There would be big money for some if all dietary supplements were made into prescription-only drugs.

The USFA is spearheaded by a diverse and talented Executive Board of Officers. President is Richard Cohen, M.D. Dr. Cohen is a nationally recognized expert in nutritional medicine, concentrating in anti-aging. His expertise has earned him the attention and respect of physicians and health professionals across the U.S. He has become recognized as one of the leading authorities in the use of prohormone and hormonal therapies in the treatment of hormonal imbalances associated with physical training and aging. First Vice-President is Rehan Jalali of the Supplement Research Foundation. He is a nationally recognized Sports Nutritionist and Biochemist who has developed over 100 products for the dietary supplement industry. Treasurer is Jim Vercellotti. He has extensive experience in the nutritional supplement industry and is the President of ATF Fitness, a company which he founded approximately 13 years ago. Secretary is Mike McCandless, who owns and operates Unlimited Nutrition in Burlington, NC., carrying sports supplements, herbs and vitamins, and also offers a variety of nutritional products online. Our Director of Research is Tim Ziegenfuss, Ph.D., CSCS, a leading researcher in the nutritional supplement industry who has taught courses in anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, sports nutrition and exercise physiology at Eastern Michigan University. More biographical information on all of our officers and directors is available on a recent FORUM post.

We welcome all Americans who believe in nutritional liberty to join the battle against H.R. 207, the Durbin bill (S. 722), Senator Biden's bill, and against all future encroachments upon the spirit and intent of DSHEA in the years to come. The time to start a grassroots movement is TODAY! Recent developments are cause for alarm! Please visit the FORUM on this site to read more, and to keep abreast of the latest developments!


Thanks for your support of the USFA,
Rick Collins, J.D.


DO NOT WAIT! DO NOT THINK THAT THIS WILL NOT AFFECT YOU, IT WILL! CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES TODAY AND LET THEM KNOW YOU WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS BILL!

BECOME A MEMBER OF WWW.USFA.BIZ (FREE MEMBERSHIP) AND TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY!