Comment · Tue, August 30, 2016 · Ceretropic & Nootropics Depot
Picamilon FDA ruling - Declaration of Dr. Cara Welch
Original post in this thread
YungNO2 · 71 points
So, as you all know (or should know since this is possibly the biggest nootropic community in the world and our industry is currently under attack in the US specifically) the FDA is trying to ban Picamilon as a dietary ingredient, with the help of Dr. Cara Welch
It is of my personal opinion that they have targeted a somewhat less popular substance in the nootropic market (Picamilon), which is completely harmless, has human studies on the net indicating extremely good tolerability and a low incidence of adverse events (in Russian), for the sole purpose of setting a precedent in order to ban and regulate our wide selection of beloved nootropics into oblivion.
I have issues regarding the legality of the definition used to qualify Picamilon as a synthetic drug. If Picamilon were truly a new substance all together, would it not have the effects of a new subtance rather than simply enhance the effects of 2 very well known and approved ingredients (Niacin and GABA). If the net effects of Picamilon are simply the pharmacol…
What they were answering
Rselection · 2 points
I am late to this post, but, like /u/curiousdude commented as well, I would be super appreciative if you could update us (US nootropics users) on what we can do in terms of lobbying, political support, and charity donation for good policies from your perspective, as well as the industry as a whole. These kind of considerations about dietary supplements and big pharma aren't likely to be something that most of us not in the nutritional or political industry will be exposed to. It's also difficult to track down these (or really any non-mainstream kinds of) policies in my experience.
I realize it's overly optimistic to believe the casual involvement of individuals would be able to put a stop to these bad policies single-handedly, but I'm interested to do what I can if possible as someone who's benefited a lot from supplements (many of them yours lol) where I've been failed by RX medicine.
u/MisterYouAreSoDumb · Ceretropic & Nootropics Depot
It's hard. There is nobody out there currently fighting for nootropics as a whole. The main supplement lobbies are usually focusing on natural products, and are usually funded by the much larger vitamin supplement companies. They don't really care about protecting freedom as a whole. They care about protecting their part of the market.
I think people should have the freedom to use whatever they want, as long as companies are doing proper testing and not making claims they shouldn't be. The FDA only want things to be sold if they are first "approved" by some abstract standards that they set. The more difficult we make these approval processes, the more we raise the barriers of entry for smaller companies. This effectively consolidates the market into much larger corporations, like the pharma industry is now. I never would have been able to start my company, had I had to deal with the draft regulations the FDA is wanting to put forth. It's going to kill the neutraceudical industry, and only the largest and strongest will survive. That will stifle advancement, lower competition, and raise prices across the board. For what? The dietary supplement industry causes ZERO deaths every year. The FDA claims that the 20,000 hospitalizations from supplements every year is bad, but fails to mention the 1.9 million hospital visits from prescription drugs, and 128,000 deaths every year! Ohh yes, good job FDA. Your regulations are really protecting the public. The data shows that... Why in the hell would we try to over-regulate an industry causing no deaths, under the guise of protecting the public, when the industry that they want to model their regulation off of kills 128,000 per year? It's asinine!
I think we need a lobby that will fight for supplements as a whole, and the freedom for people to choose what to put into their own bodies. Use the FDA to prevent fraud, mislabeling, and proven dangerous substances. Don't automatically assume everything is dangerous, then make companies prove otherwise to even begin selling them! Use government for where it is needed, and get them the fuck out of where they are not. We have immense access to information now, and people are capable of doing their own research. They should be encouraged to understand things for themselves, and make their own adult decisions, like any other thing out there.
More directly to your question, the main lobbying group I know of is called the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN). They represent over 100 supplement companies. You also have the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA). Companies like Herbalife and Slim-Fast lobby the most money every year. They are more in it to protect their market, though.