On Oct. 28, the New Jersey State Assembly passed a bill that prohibits the sale of weight loss or muscle building dietary supplements to those under the age of 18 unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.
A1848 passed in the State Assembly by a vote of 56 to 17 with four abstentions. The bill may now advance to the State Senate.
Several industry trade associations responded to the bill’s passing. The Natural Products Association (NPA) provided a form letter on its website encouraging New Jerseyans to write to their state representatives and urge them to oppose A1848.
Steve Mister, president and CEO of the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) wrote a letter to the State Assembly expressing his concerns about A1848. He argued the bill would “inflict unintended consequences to the detriment of New Jersey’s consumers and overall economy.”
“Assembly Bill 1848 would have far-reaching effects on the economy of New Jersey by placing new economic and compliance burdens on retail establishments. If enacted, businesses across the state would be penalized and punished for selling legal products regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration,” Mister wrote. “To comply, stores and online retailers, will be tasked with age verifying purchases for a broad and vague description of products under threat of penalization. This would indirectly limit access for all consumers and make it more difficult for customers to evaluate different supplements and determine which product might be right for them. Finally, the bill places an unattainable enforcement authority on the state to inspect thousands of retailers resulting in a large financial cost to taxpayers.”
Carlos Gutiérrez, vice president of state and local government affairs for the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), added, “The bill’s overly broad language now captures numerous dietary supplement products that have nothing to do with weight loss, including safe and beneficial products many New Jerseyans rely on to support bone health, muscle recovery and to promote cognitive function. CHPA has demonstrated a willingness to work collaboratively with the Assembly on crafting legislation that precisely targets weight loss products to avoid sweeping restrictions against supplements consumers use daily to support their wellness needs. We plan to work with the New Jersey Senate to improve this legislation so that it achieves its intended goal of educating and protecting our youth against potential misuse without hindering access for the millions of New Jerseyans who rely on the daily use of these products.”
To read the full bill, visit www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2024/A1848.
