Hatch, McCain reach agreement on dietary supplements

[Happy Hippy]

Washington » Senators have reached an agreement on more modest dietary supplement safeguards that would make it easier to crackdown on products that could hurt people.

The move comes only a few days after Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz, stepped away from a tougher bill because of the concerns expressed by Sen. Orrin Hatch, who is a major supporter of the dietary supplement industry, one of Utah's biggest sectors.









http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14657284

Common sense prevails.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. Why he supports supplements.....

Have to do a reg or something to Highbeam to get the rest... sorry

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1P2-552059.html
According to Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), he and Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) "just hit it off" one day in the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee when the subject turned to alternative medicine and dietary supplements.

Both were true believers. Hatch, a conservative Mormon from Utah, had taken supplements even before he came to the Senate in 1976: "I've always worked very hard, and I always wanted the extra edge," he said. Supplements, he said, gave it to him.

Harkin, a craggy, farm-country populist, cured his allergies with bee pollen and takes anti-oxidants for his …

[Happy Hippy]

3. I knew Hatch wouldn't let Elmer Fudd have his way. (n/t)

[TZ]

19. Ugh Big Supplement must have paid him off!

You realize the supplement industry makes MORE money than the Pharmaceutical industry right? Cause they don't have to pay for those pesky regulations or inspections...Seriously, I bet he takes money from them.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

20. Oh gawd I hope not... it just wouldn't be right. n /t

[HuckleB]

23. He does get quite the load of donations from them, yes.

[BuddhaGirl]

25. Supplement industry makes more than Big Pharma??

where is your proof? :shrug:

[madmax]

2. Welcome to DU

From an old happy hippie :toast:

[Happy Hippy]

4. Thanks.

I was flamed the other day for my forum name. They said it was derogatory and I should have chosen "Happy Freak". I pointed them towards a dictionary. In 2010, "freak" has an entirely different connotation than it had in '69.

Thanks for the welcome.

[madmax]

5. Someone gave you flack over your screen name?

sheeeesh Guess we really are a microcosm of the 'real world'. ;)

[WCGreen]

6. What Metamucal....

[HuckleB]

7. McCain's bill was common sense.

Hatch is bought and paid for, and the consumers pay the real price.

Ugh.

[Happy Hippy]

8. Ugh huh.

No, McCain's bill was bought and paid for by Big Pharma. Fortunately, Mr. Magoo didn't have his pampers on tight enough to get the job done.

[HuckleB]

9. No, it wasn't.

Thanks for proving that you never even read the bill.

Bye.

[laughingliberal]

10. K & R nt

[mucifer]

11. Back in the '80s orin hatch was on the same side as many in Act Up on the issue of

alternative medicines. There are 2 sides to the story. Meds need to be regulated. But, some people are very desperate and they want to try the most cutting edge treatments possible when the doctors don't give them much hope.

That said, I'm sure hatch's reason for supporting alternative meds was corporate induced and not to help people. But, I guess I don't know that for a fact.

[HuckleB]

12. Scorin' with Orrin

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2001/0109.mencimer2.html

[mucifer]

13. That's not what I mean. I meant people with HIV in the '80s when there weren't decent treatments

available. Different story. Not people looking to get high. People looking to survive.

[HuckleB]

14. That article isn't just about "getting high."

And, while it's difficult to balance safety in the face of a lack of treatments with a "new" disease, the current situation in regard to supplements is ludicrous, and Hatch is largely responsible.

[Umbral]

21. Herb peddling is big business in Utah and Hatch is up to his spindly little neck in it. nt

[HuckleB]

15. American Roulette — Contaminated Dietary Supplements

http://healthcarereform.nejm.org/?p=2017&query=home

McCain's original bill was quite a compromise, as it was.

[HuckleB]

16. INVESTIGATION INTO SUPPLEMENT CONTAMINATION LEVELS IN THE US MARKET

http://www.supplementsafetynow.com/files/pdfs/HFL-supplement-research-report.pdf

[Canuckistanian]

17. Whew! Thank God two GOP Senators reached an agreement.

And word on a DEMOCRATIC position on this? You remember, the party that's actually IN THE MAJORITY?

[HuckleB]

18. Unfortunately, our side has sat in silence, for the most part.

[BuddhaGirl]

22. K & R

Good!!!

[HuckleB]

24. The Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2010: A long overdue correction to the DSHEA of 1994?

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=3772

McCain caved on a bill that should be supported by 90 percent of anyone who has informed themselves on the issue.

[HuckleB]

26. "Big supplement" lashes out, and John McCain caves in

http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2010/03/big_supplement_lashes_out_and_john_mccai.php

[HuckleB]

27. Faith makes regulating herbal medicine difficult

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/feb/20/bad-science-alternative-medicine-regulation