Rhode Island bill restricting access to weight management and sports nutrition supplements could be voted on as soon as May 31, 2022

A Rhode Island bill (S.2613) is on the agenda will be voted on by the full Senate on May 31, 2022. The bill restricts consumers under the age of 18 from accessing weight management and sports nutrition supplements that contain an alkaloid from the group l ephedrine, and any supplement containing: androstanedoil, androstenedione, androstenedione, noradrostenediol, noradrostenediol and dehydroepiandrosterone.

If the bill becomes law, retailers in Rhode Island will have to move products containing these ingredients behind the counter. Failure to comply would result in a fine of up to $2,000. It would also require retail establishments to prominently post notices at every shopping counter stating that certain dietary supplements “are known to cause gastrointestinal disturbances, tachycardia, hypertension, heart myocardium, stroke, severe liver damage sometimes requiring transplant or resulting in death, organ failure, other serious injury and death.

The Natural Products Association (NPA; Washington, DC) argued on behalf of the industry against the bill, which would be burdensome for retailers and restrict consumer access to health products.

“The natural products industry was completely excluded from the conversation, which was the antithesis of a democratic process. It is incredibly dishonest to say in one breath that we need to study this issue more and then a month later hasty legislation is passed because the legislative session ends in a month,” said Daniel Fabricator, President and CEO. direction of NPA, in a press release. . “If the Rhode Island legislature has any integrity left, it would delay this vote to hear from the natural products industry. The FDA has no single data point linking eating disorders to supplement use, and 80% of Americans take at least one dietary supplement as a safe, effective, and affordable way to maintain good health and fitness. to increase inadequate diets. The industry is under attack at the state and federal levels. We cannot afford to remain silent if we are to ensure that consumer access to natural products remains vibrant.

Similar bills are pending in California, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Missouri.