Dear Joseph:
Thank you for contacting me regarding S. 722, the Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2003. I appreciate hearing from you about this important issue.
Over the counter dietary supplements often contain potent substances which can dramatically impact the functioning of the body. Because these products are classified as supplements and not drugs, warnings about potential hazards are currently not required. Each year, a number of fatalities are linked to the use of over the counter dietary supplements. S. 722, and its House counterpart, H.R. 724 intend to set up a reporting system to track and regulate potentially dangerous supplements. Manufacturers would be required to submit adverse health affects related to supplement use to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Based on the information from these reports, the FDA can require manufacturers to conduct post market research to further assess safety and drug interactions. This legislation does not intend to ban dietary supplements, only provide accurate information about potential hazardous interactions.
Although we disagree about this issue, your views are important to me and I encourage you to continue to write me about issues important to you.
Sincerely,
Carolyn McCarthy
Member of Congress
Sucks…