Response from my US House Rep regarding FDA regulations of herbs, etc.

[Guest guest]

> Thank you for posting this!

> I also urge other US citizens of the group to take this a step

further

> and contact their US House Representative and Senators! I just

emailed

> all three of mine and it tooke less than 15 minutes to let them

know I

> oppose any and all regulation of natural herbs, botanicals, and

oils.

> The following website was handy in directing me to the correct

> officials of our Washington DC legislative branch:

> http://www.unityparty.us/congressional-senators-representatives.htm

> Be sue to mention:

> DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

> Food and Drug Administration

> [Docket No. 2006D-0480]

> Draft Guidance for Industry on Complementary and Alternative

> Medicine Products and Their Regulation by the Food and Drug

> Administration; Availability

> more details are found at:

> http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/98fr/E7-3259.htm

> I really urge you to READ THIS FDA SITE FIRST because I learned

about

> stuff I didn't know was going on.

>

> Cranking on the thunder machine,

> iel

>

Well, out of the 3 auto-response emails I received from my various

Representatives, only one has bothered to follow up with a real

response. Unfortunately he sounds pretty clueless despite the fact

that I included the FDA docket # in my original email. This is the

response I got from my US House Rep today:

Thank you for contacting me about H.R. 6168, the Dietary

Supplement and Non-Prescription Drug Consumer Protection Act.

I appreciated hearing from you.

H.R. 6168 requires manufacturers of dietary supplements to

include their contact information on their product labels for

consumers to use in reporting adverse events. Manufactures are

further required to notify the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

of any serious adverse event reports received within 15 business

days. Under the legislation, adverse event reports submitted to the

FDA may not be construed as an admission from a company that

its product caused or contributed to the reported event. The privacy

of individuals reporting adverse events is also protected.

On December 9, 2006 the U.S. House of Representatives passed

H.R. 6168 by a vote of 203-98, and the President signed this

legislation into law on December 22, 2006. As an advocate for

drug safety, I am pleased to inform you that I supported this

legislation.

Thank you again for contacting me. If you have additional

comments or questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

BART STUPAK

Member of Congress

Well, I emailed him back again today to help straighten out his error.

this is what I said:

Congressman Stupak,

Thank for responding. Unfortunately my original email had nothing to

do with " H.R. 6168, the Dietary Supplement and Non-Prescription Drug

Consumer Protection Act. " My concern is with the following:

[Federal Register: February 27, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 38)]

[Notices]

[Page 8756-8757]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr27fe07-95]

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. 2006D-0480]

Draft Guidance for Industry on Complementary and Alternative

Medicine Products and Their Regulation by the Food and Drug

Administration; Availability

(insert details of the CAM and PHS acts here)

I wish you to know that I oppose any 'guidance' or regulation of

natural herbs, botanicals, and oils by the FDA under the guise of CAM

or PHS. In fact I oppose any further regulation of raw botanicals.

Natural herbs and botanicals have been around for thousands of years

and used for various medicinal, cookery, and perfumery functions. I

see no reason for the FDA or any other government agency to impose

further restrictions on these natural products other than what

already exists. I believe the chemical, synthetics, and

pharmaceutical industries pose a far greater risk to our general

health and well being than something produced from a grown plant.

Keep access and use of natural herbs, botanicals, and oils from

further regulation and restriction by our government.

Thank you for your time,

iel