Hsieh/Minton OpEd: Durbin's Dietary Paternalism

Off-topic: The September 13, 2011 edition of HumanEvents.com has just published an OpEd co-authored by myself and Michelle Minton of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, "Durbin's Bill Is Dietary Paternalism".

The proposed new regulations would require many dietary supplement manufacturers to submit proofs of safety to the FDA before they could be marketed -- including many that are already freely available in drugstores and supermarkets without a prescription. This would raise the prices for many supplements and force others off the shelves entirely.

On a personal level, I am taking some of these supplements (in consultation with physician colleagues) to help with my hip fracture healing. So anything that would restrict my ability to purchase such supplements to promote my health greatly alarms me.

Many thanks to my co-author Michelle Minton and her colleagues at CEI for her excellent work and for facilitating the publication of this piece!