The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and members of the Supplement Safety Now (www.SupplementSafetyNow.com) coalition today applauded Sen. John McCain for introducing legislation, the Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2010, that would go a long way in protecting Americans from consuming tainted over-the-counter supplement products labelled as “healthy” but containing designer steroids and other dangerous drugs.
“The McCain bill is a fair and balanced approach that provides significant protections for all consumers of dietary supplements, while at the same time avoids placing unreasonable burdens on legitimate companies in the industry,” said USADA CEO Travis T. Tygart. “We are grateful to Sen. McCain for his strong leadership on this public health issue and urge other members of Congress to support this bill.”
The consumption of dangerous drugs such as designer steroids, often found hidden in over-the- counter supplements promoted as safe and legal, has been a known cause of liver injury, stroke, kidney failure and pulmonary embolism.
The current regulatory framework allows these dangerous products to enter the market without important safeguards for consumers. Supplement Safety Now is urging Congress to refine this framework to ensure that all supplements sold over the counter, in retail stores and online, are safe and free of dangerous and toxic drugs. The Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2010 would significantly improve the regulatory environment and provide important protections to consumers.
A number of members of the Supplement Safety Now initiative joined USADA in Washington today to commend and support Sen. McCain at the unveiling of the Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2010, including Kicker Vencill, former United States Swim Team Member; Jeremy Bloom, US Olympic Ski Team, World Champion Freestyle Skier, Former NFL receiver & kick returner, and commentator on ESPN; Kristin Armstrong, 2008 Beijing Olympic Gold Medalist in cycling; Jareem Gunter, former college baseball player; Major League Baseball; the National Football League; the United States Olympic Committee; the National Collegiate Athletic Association; and the National Center for Drug Free Sport.
USADA launched Supplement Safety Now in partnership with the National Football League, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, the U.S. Olympic Committee and other national sports and health organizations.
To date, joining the MLB, NFL, the USOC, NBA and NHL in their support for Supplement Safety Now are: the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Swimming Coaches Association, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the PGA Tour, The National Center for Drug Free Sport, USA Cycling, USA Gymnastics, U.S. Lacrosse, USA Swimming, the U.S. Tennis Association, USA Track and Field, and USA Triathlon.
About USADA
USADA is the non-profit, independent and non-governmental entity responsible for the testing and results management process in the U.S. for athletes in the Olympic and Paralympic Movement, upholding the Olympic ideal of fair play, and representing the interests of athletes. USADA is dedicated to preserving the integrity of sport through research initiatives and educational programs. The agency manages a drug reference phone hotline and Global Drug Reference Online, conducts educational sessions with National Governing Bodies and their athletes, and proactively distributes a multitude of educational materials, such as curriculums, themed brochures and nutrition and dietary guides, easy-reference wallet cards for the prohibited substance list, periodic newsletters, and protocol and policy reference publications, all of which can be found at www.USADA.org.