Recap of steroid and supplement Senate hearings
October 11, 2009
The recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearings "Body Building Products and Hidden Steroids: Enforcement Barriers" received strong comments from the industry.
Here is an aggregation of industry comments and statements, click through to the entire statement or testimony.
"This is a law enforcement issue." Richard Kingham, a Washington-based lawyer who is also scheduled to testify, said consumers can be protected if the FDA and the Drug Enforcement Administration are given the resources to enforce the laws on the books now. Kingham's testimony.
"There are certain steroids and other drugs being masqueraded as dietary supplements. "We're seeing the migration from clandestine labs where designer steroids were being produced for the elite-level athlete to these being distributed to the mainstream where high school and junior high school athletes have access to them." Travis Tygart U.S. Anti-Doping Agency CEO.
"We're glad the Congress is looking into this, because anything we can do to separate the legal, safe and healthy dietary supplement industry from the seedy, fly-by-night and unsafe world of illegal steroids is worthwhile." Daniel Fabricant, interim executive director and CEO of the National Nutritional Foods Association.
"Rogue products that contain anabolic steroids are not dietary supplements, regardless of how the bad actors who manufacture and market these products might position them—they are illegal, unapproved new drugs." Steve Mister, President and CEO Council for Responsible Nutrition.
DEA is committed to protecting the health and welfare of the American people. DEA continues to investigate and uncover dietary supplement products that contain either controlled anabolic steroids or designer steroids that are structurally similar to testosterone…However, unscrupulous chemists take advantage of this lengthy administrative scheduling process. They continue to create and market products that contain chemicals which have never been adequately tested on humans and by the time government agencies become aware of adverse effects it is often too late as the damage has already been done. Joseph T. Rannazzis, deputy assistant administrator DEA.
By labeling steroid products as dietary supplements, unscrupulous firms can easily introduce into the marketplace products that contain ingredients that may pose risks to health. In some cases, the marketing of a steroid product as a dietary supplement is fraudulent because the product is actually an unapproved drug or an adulterated dietary supplement. Michael Levy, esq., Director, division of new drugs and labeling compliance, FDA.
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