NY Residents Take Action Now: State Bill S938 Dangerous and Unnecessary

Albany, NY, May 2007 - New York State bill S938, introduced by Senator Kenneth P. LaValle, would require manufacturers and distributors of dietary and nutritional supplements to include a statement on every package indicating whether or not the product has been tested by the FDA.

What the bill proposes: S938 would give the state the authority to set new standards for dietary supplements apart from the federal government. This authority would result in an unwarranted and unnecessary double standard for dietary supplement manufacturers and retailers who sell products in New York by requiring a special label just for one state. Creating a special label unique to New York, as opposed to the other 49 states, would provide no added protections and would drive up the costs of products to the millions of consumers in New York who are dependent upon nutritional supplements for their health and well-being.

Manufacturers of dietary supplements already do routine product testing for purity, and the track record of the safety of supplements is well-established. In addition, sufficient federal standards already exist, making S938 redundant and a waste of taxpayer dollars.

What happens if S938 becomes law: Several manufacturers who currently sell dietary supplements in New York could possibly stop selling these products in the state. Those who continue to manufacture and sell products in New York would pass on these additional costs to the New York retailers and, ultimately, the consumer. Additionally, this bill would result in shrinking tax revenues for the state, since consumers would be much more likely to buy products from neighboring states and the Internet. Lower sales, of course, would eventually lead to rising unemployment among New York dietary supplement manufacturers and the NY retail stores that sell dietary supplements as well. In short, S938 is dangerous for consumers of dietary supplements and dangerous for the state of New York.

The safety record for dietary supplements far surpasses all drug products and many conventional foods. NY residents only click here to take action now to ensure that S.B. 938 does not become law.

For more, click here to read an editorial by CFH Board member, James Gormley.