New Bills Would Limit Sales of Dietary Supplements to Minors
Amid "growing concerns" over the health risks of dietary supplements for teenagers, lawmakers have introduced several bills in the Legislature that would limit the sale of some supplements to minors, the Sacramento Bee reports. Sen. Jackie Speier (D-Hillsborough) has proposed a bill (SB 1750) that would ban the sale of creatine, androstenedione and ephedrine, three "popular" dietary supplements, to minors. In addition, the legislation would require manufacturers to include "detailed labeling" listing risks on packages of dietary supplements. Sen. Deirdre Alpert (D-Coronado) has introduced a second bill (SB 1964) that would prohibit the sale of "any product banned in collegiate sports competition" to minors. A third bill (SB 1562), sponsored by Speier, would require the California Interscholastic Federation, which governs high school sports for the state, to establish a list of banned substances. A 1994 federal law exempts dietary supplements from most FDA safety regulations. Russell Lopez, a spokesperson for Gov. Gray Davis (D), who vetoed legislation in 2000 that would have imposed restrictions on the sale of ephedrine in the state, predicted that the governor also would oppose the three bills proposed this year (Yamamura, Sacramento Bee, 4/14).
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