A bill banning retailers from selling weight loss supplements and counter-diet drugs to people under the age of 18 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, paving the way for a full Senate vote on the bill.
Senator Bill 1341 by Senator Christina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) requires retailers to check their IDs to make sure that people under the age of 18 without a prescription cannot buy or get weight loss medications or supplements. To do. Under this bill, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), along with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and members of groups affected by the sale of diet pills, such as the Eating Disorders Group, will be on any weight loss medications and supplements. Is given an age limit.
In addition, you will be notified about the health risks of these selected tablets and supplements. You can be fined up to $ 1,000 for each violation of SB 1341. Retail store clerks are specifically exempt from civil penalties, disciplinary action, or dismissals for bill violations, and retailers are fined instead. If passed, SB1341 will take effect on July 1, 2023.
Senator Garcia is working as a protective measure against the harmful effects of many weight loss products on people under the age of 18 and to help stop dietary orders and other related health problems that occur in people under the age of 18. I wrote a bill in.
“We need to do more to protect young people from the negative effects of weight loss supplements and over-the-counter diet medicines on young people,” said Garcia, a bill earlier this year. “Because of its easy access, our young people are exposed to eating disorders and many other health effects. We need to confront an industry that prioritizes profits over people.”
The SB 1341 was originally introduced in February 2021, but progressed slowly, and several factors before it stagnated in May due to various factors such as the passage of the remains of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic log jam. I passed the parliamentary committee. , The invoice is in a suspense file and other urgent invoices should be heard. The SB 1341 was then brought back in January of this year and quickly passed Congress at 53-13 in 10 abstention splits, primarily based on the party’s line. Since then, he has continued to pass the Senate Committee with Republican and Democratic opponents, winning 4-1 votes on the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.
Support and opposition to SB 1341
Health officials, advocates of eating disorders, and others in favor of the bill have been driving SB1341 for over a year. They point out the link between diet pills and eating disorders, especially in adolescents, and because there are few regulations, weight loss pills and supplements can chase vulnerable adolescents and pose a risk if not used correctly. It states.
“Diet pills and other weight loss products are not for children and should not be sold over-the-counter,” said bill proponent Wendy Carrillo, D-Los Angeles. “Diet medicines can disrupt a child’s physical development and mental health. Some have been recalled because their use on viral social media challenges has had horrifying consequences. Their use has doubled among adolescents, so AB1341 is now needed. Experts have consistently warned of the threat posed by ingredients such as fentermin, orristat, and sibutramine in the 1980s. Like their regulated predecessors, these products are harmful and too risky to be easily obtained. “
Dr. Jason Nagata, an assistant professor at the University of California, San Francisco, added: “Young people who use over-the-counter diet pills are six times more likely to be diagnosed with eating disorders than non-users. Diet pills, weight loss supplements, and eating disorders are all races, Affects young people with gender, sexual orientation, size, and socio-economic background. “
However, it should be noted that despite strong support for the bill, many who oppose the bill, including many retailers and drug groups, have barely returned to the bill’s proponents’ claims. In a statement dating back to last year, they state that no clear link has been formed between dietary supplements and eating disorders, and the FDA has not even found a link. They also pointed out many annoying provisions of the bill. For example, members of the eating disorder community should flag supplements and pills that are subject to age limits.
“One: The bill still empowers the eating disorder community to decide which products to ban. This is a major concern,” said the Director of Government Affairs at the Natural Products Association (NPA). Kyle Turk said on Tuesday. “Then two: the specific ingredient is no longer listed, but there is still an opportunity for the ingredient to be flagged.”
Many are also worried about the effects of good reasons to lose weight.
“Parents can’t be with their children, especially teens, 24/7,” explained Ashley Baum, a health instructor and diet coach under the age of 21 in Globe on Wednesday. “They may need to go out to get a weight loss product. It’s not a pot type flash, it’s a proven, functional and harmless one. It’s weight for medical reasons. It could be losing weight, gaining weight in sports, having to do it for work, etc. This bill reduces their ability to do it. To be honest, this bill is Either make them more reliable to their parents at the age they are breaking away from it, or they just ask older adults to get them out of the store. This bill will Just add unnecessary steps. “
SB 1341 is expected to go before the Senate vote in the coming weeks.
