FDA

OK, for some reason, I've been getting a lot of the "ZOMG! THE FDA WANTS TO TAKE OUR HERBS AWAY!" emails and posts today. It really seems that the people sending/posting it haven't actually read the document. First of all, it's draft guidelines for public comment, not a statute going into immediate effect. Second of all, it's a clarification attempt. The one I've been getting a lot is the "THE FDA IS SAYING VEGETABLE JUICE IS A DRUG!!!1!" one. That's not even remotely what the document is saying. It's saying, with the vegetable juice example specifically, that if you try to, say, sell vegetable juice and say it cures cancer, you're making a claim of vegetable juice being a drug, and therefore you are subject to regulation and prosecution. If you, say, claim that vegetable juice promotes health, then it's either a food or food supplement. There's a bit in that particular email that says if you claim water cures dehydration, then you're marketing it as a drug. Which is probably, technically true. The document also talks about scientific evaluation and concurrence as being prima facie evidence for the claim, which exists for water. So, if you market water as a food, no problem. If you market water as a drug to cure dehydration that claim has already been evaluated.

Look, I'm no fan of the the prescription system in general. And this document isn't perfect, that's why there's a public comment period. But, this document deals almost entirely with clarifying the requirements for labeling things, and that's pretty much it. All those claiming that this document is going to make herbs prescription only haven't read the document, or haven't understood. Hell, "prescribed" only appears in the document 3 times, in the phrase "under the conditions prescribed, recommended, or suggested in the labeling thereof".

Personally, I think any drug/supplement/whathave you should be available to anyone (possibly over 18) with a label that describes the scientific consensus on effects, side effects, dangers, etc.