OT: Reminder about impending legislation

[Guest guest]

Per HSI (Health Sciences Institute - www.hsibaltimore.com) article today:

Dear Reader,

If you've somehow avoided a serious impact by the financial crises of the last

few years, that's about to change. And in a way that could literally make you

sick.

You can thank the new Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009

(WSRCPA).

Hmmm...now what could financial industry reform possibly have to do with your

health?

Well, as with all things that involve Congress, it's a bit all over the place,

so let me connect those dots for you.

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Fool's gold standard

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You're probably aware that Congressmen often attach legislation to pending bills

that have nothing to do with the primary bill. This is how tons of Congressional

pork gets passed. And it's also how many legislative items sneak in under the

radar, attached to another bill.

That appears to be what's going on with WSRCPA.

WSRCPA contains language that would remove safeguards that keep the FTC in

check. The safeguards were put there about 30 years ago in response to FTC

officials who overreached with their rulemaking. If the safeguards fall, the FTC

would have the power to make deep changes in the way many products are promoted.

Maybe the most important provision for you and me is the one that would allow

the FTC to require supplement companies to conduct at least two " gold standard "

studies on their finished formulation before they would be allowed to tell you

anything about what the ingredients can do to help you stay healthy.

Say a company has developed a new joint-support formula built around glucosamine

and MSM. Ample research has shown how both of those natural agents can help

support healthy joints. But the company can't tell you that without investing

literally hundreds of thousands of dollars in trials on the formulation.

That will severely limit the information you can get about how individual

ingredients and formulations may help you stay healthy.

On the surface, of course, it seems it would protect us as consumers, right? By

forcing companies to conduct double- blind, placebo-controlled studies only the

very best products would come to market and be advertised after all.

Except that's the exact opposite of what would happen.

Reputable small and mid-sized supplement makers, who often lead the way in

finding the newest, most effective ingredients, wouldn't be able to afford the

research so they would likely close their doors.

Meanwhile, the snake oil salesmen that they're trying to protect us from would

actually be rewarded!

Here's how: Fly-by-night hucksters will continue to offer products with absurd

claims (CURES heart disease in three days!). And now they'll be doing it not

just without regard for product quality, customer service or safety--but they'll

have virtually no competition.

In the end, consumers will actually be at GREATER risk of overpaying for junk

products from untrustworthy manufacturers.

So back to the original question: What does this have to do with Wall Street

reform?

Good question. And the answer is easy: absolutely nothing!

Because of the current sentiments about Wall Street, this legislation is on a

fast track, so it would be very helpful if everyone who cares about protecting

our health care freedoms took a moment to send a quick e-mail to your senators

today. You can easily find their e-mail addresses at contactingthecongress.org.

As for what to write, here's a suggestion from Gay, the executive director

of Natural Products Association: Urge your senators to " focus on strengthening

the stability of our economy, not regulating industries that had nothing to do

with the financial crisis. "

And keep in mind that getting rid of this issue of expanding the FTC's

regulatory powers will not affect the final outcome of attempts to reform Wall

Street and the financial industry.

So wherever your stand on the topic of reform, it will not be compromised by

removing the FTC provisions from WSRCPA.