On Nov. 15, the Natural Products Association (NPA) testified against Massachusetts Bill H2215/S1465. The bill would prohibit the sale of dietary supplements to minors.
“It’s disingenuous to claim there is a connection between eating disorders and the use of dietary supplements,” said Kyle Turk, the director of government affairs for the NPA. “The FDA’s surveillance tools have never found a connection between any supplement and eating disorders. If they did, they’d be required to use their enforcement authority to act.”
The Massachusetts bill is just one of many similar bills across the country. Other bills have been introduced in Missouri and New Jersey. The California bill was vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom, but he expressed interested in future legislation.
According to the association, “H2215/S1465 would harm industry retailers across the state and limit the accessibility of safe, effective and well-researched supplements. NPA strongly urges the Massachusetts State Legislature to reject this proposal.”
At the end of October, a law passed banning the sale of dietary supplements and sports nutrition products to minors in New York. The NPA plans to appeal the New York bill in court, according to a statement on its website.
“Sadly, in its current form, this legislation will prevent consumers from taking their health into their hands and restrict their ability to supplement their potentially nutrient-deficient diets, a fundamental lesson we learned during COVID-19,” Turk said.
For more information and to read the full bill, visit this link. To read Turk’s full testimony, visit this link.
