New York Citizens for Health – TAKE ACTION

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The New York State Assembly has passed Assembly Bill 5610-D. If enacted, it would restrict sales of safe and beneficial sports nutrition and weight management products to consumers under the age of eighteen.

The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) said that it “…is dismayed by the uncritical review given to A5610-D by the New York Assembly. The legislation is a scientifically unsubstantiated response to legitimate concerns about increasing eating disorders and body dysmorphia among young people, but it completely misses the mark by wrongly targeting dietary supplements as a cause of disordered eating.

“These products may make a convenient scapegoat, but this legislation does nothing to address the underlying causes of these mental health issues.”

Nutraceuticals World Magazine noted that earlier this year Governor Kathy Hochul vetoed what was effectively an earlier version of the bill. She cited concerns that the legislation would be too burdensome on the state’s Department of Health, which lacks the expertise to police the breadth of products in the dietary supplements market. Further, she said that the bill would be unfair to retailers, who could face civil penalties if they fail to discern products subject to the ban. However, Hochul noted that she shared the key concerns brought up by the legislation.

CRN asserts that the bill “…that is now headed to the New York State Senate, if passed, will make it harder to purchase safe and beneficial dietary supplements and functional food products, like simple protein shakes and sports bars. It will also pose a significant challenge to both retailers and enforcement authorities within the State of New York. Additionally, the bill has no provision aimed at actually addressing the mental health concerns of the state’s adolescent population who are affected by eating disorders.”

The Natural Products Association (NPA), which has been fighting efforts to restrict access to supplements in several states, said, “Unfortunately, the NY State Assembly and Senate have once again chosen to ignore the facts in this matter and wrongfully implicate supplements. There is no data point, no adverse events at FDA that provide any associational link [between] dietary supplements [and] eating disorders.”

NPA explained that after the last bill was vetoed lawmakers in NY “…doubled down in an even worse manner by unscientifically targeting ingredients like creatine, one of the most well-studied and researched chemicals on the planet, to limit all New Yorkers’ choices when it comes to self-care with natural products.”

We can all agree eating disorders are serious illnesses, however legislative proposals like New York S5823 and A5610 demonstrate policy-making that lacks science-based evidence.

Citizens for Health urges New Yorkers like you click below and endorse the petition opposing S5823/A5610.

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