APRIL 2022 ALERT
Past Editions—Need to Know Archives
State legislation threatens access to all dietary supplements—yes, ALL dietary supplements
CRN calls on its retail partners to help us vigorously oppose age restriction legislation in the states that seeks to limit consumer access to safe and beneficial products.
Imagine the entire dietary supplement aisle disappearing and these products being required to be kept behind the counter of brick-and-mortar stores, only available upon request to a store clerk. Sounds like a nightmare, right?
Raising the stakes for dietary supplement stakeholders, the Rhode Island General Assembly recently considered a bill that would stipulate that all dietary supplements “shall not be directly accessible by customers, and may only be accessed by a retail clerk.” In addition, the legislation would require signage that these products may cause various severe health dangers. The bill was put on hold further study, but will resurface.
Having already opposed similar restrictions in other states that were specific to weight management and sports nutrition supplements, CRN’s government relations team is on heightened alert for similar proposals that are as expansive as Rhode Island’s bill. For example, as previously reported in CRN’s Need to Know newsletter, we are working closely with the California Retailers Association on this issue as we fight AB 1341. In New York, awaiting the governor’s signature is S 16D, which would place age restrictions on weight-loss products. Age restriction bills are also pending in Massachusetts, Missouri, and New Jersey.
CRN has actively opposed age restrictions for several years, successfully keeping onerous legislation at bay, as noted in this recent unlocked edition of the CRN Daily Supplement member newsletter.
Age restrictions for dietary supplements would be ineffective and likely to drive young people to the web to make their purchases, where potentially dangerous products marketed as dietary supplements are typically more accessible than at brick-and-mortar retailers, as CRN President & CEO Steve Mister explained in our video: Four Things to Know About Age Restrictions on Dietary Supplements.
If you would like to help us in the fight against these state bills, please contact Steve Mister.
Questions?
Contact Gretchen Powers.