Dietary Supplements and Health
Freedom
HON. RON PAUL OF TEXAS
April 27, 2005
Millions of Americans take
dietary supplements every day, and the numbers are growing as
the Baby Boom generation ages. More and more Americans
understandably are frustrated with our government-controlled
health care system. They have concluded that vitamins,
minerals, and other supplements might help them stay healthy
and less dependent on the system. They use supplements
because they can buy them freely at stores and research them
freely on the internet, without government interference in the
form of doctors, prescriptions, HMOs, and licenses. In
other words, they use supplements because they are largely free
to make their own choices, in stark contrast to the conventional
medical system.
But we live in an era of unbridled
government regulation of both our personal lives and the economy,
and Food and Drug administration bureaucrats burn to regulate
supplements in the same manner as prescription drugs.
The health nannies insist that many dietary supplements are untested
and unproven, and therefore dangerous. But the track record
for FDA-approved drugs hardly inspires confidence. In fact,
far more Americans have died using approved pharmaceuticals than
supplements. Not every dietary supplement performs as claimed,
but neither does every FDA drug.
The FDA simply gives people a false sense of security, while
crowding out private watchdog groups that might provide truly
disinterested consumer information. It fosters a complacent
attitude and a lack of personal responsibility among people who
assume a government stamp of approval means a drug must be safe,
and that they need not study a drug before taking it.
The FDA, like all federal agencies, ultimately uses its regulatory
powers in political ways. Certain industries and companies
are rewarded, and others are punished. No regulatory agency
is immune from politics, which is why the FDA should not be trusted
with power over our intimate health care decisions.
The real issue is not whether supplements really work, or whether
FDA drugs really are safe. The real issue is: Who decides,
the individual or the state? This is the central question
in almost every political issue. In free societies, individuals
decide what medical treatments or health supplements are appropriate
for them.
Over the past decade the American people have made it clear they
do not want the federal government to interfere with their access
to dietary supplements. In 1994, Congress bowed to overwhelming
public pressure and passed the Dietary Supplements and Health
and Education Act, which liberalized the rules regarding the
regulation of dietary supplements. Congressional offices received
a record number of comments in favor of the Act, which demonstrates
how strongly Americans feel about health freedom.
The FDA simply has thumbed its nose at Congress and ignored the
new rules in many instances, by attempting to suppress information
about health supplements. But in 1999 a federal appellate
court affirmed that the American people have a First Amendment
right to such information without interference from the FDA.
However, members of Congress have had to intervene with the FDA
on several occasions to ensure that they followed the court order.
My regular listeners already know about another looming threat
to dietary supplement freedom. The Codex Alimentarius Commission,
an offshoot of the United Nations, is working to "harmonize"
food and supplement rules between all nations of the world.
Under Codex rules, even basic vitamins and minerals will require
a doctor's prescription. As Europe moves ever closer to
adopting Codex standards, it becomes more likely that the World
Trade Organization will attempt to force those standards on the
United States. This is yet another example of how the WTO
threatens American sovereignty. By cooperating with Codex,
the FDA is blatantly ignoring the will of Congress and the American
people.
April 25, 2005
Rep. Ron Paul, MD
 website: Project
Freedom
Who is Ron Paul?
Congressman Ron Paul of Texas enjoys a national reputation as
the premier advocate for liberty in politics today. Dr. Paul is
the leading spokesman in Washington for limited constitutional
government, low taxes, free markets, and a return to sound monetary
policies based on commodity-backed currency. He is known among
both his colleagues in Congress and his constituents for his consistent
voting record in the House of Representatives; Dr. Paul never
votes for legislation unless the proposed measure is expressly
authorized by the Constitution. In the words of former Treasury
Secretary William Simon, Dr. Paul is the "one exception to
the Gang of 535" on Capitol Hill.
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