New York has become the first state in the nation to ban the sale of weight-loss and muscle-building supplements to minors, with a new law that went into effect this week. Experts attribute the need for this legislation to the loose federal regulation of dietary supplements, which has sometimes resulted in these products containing unapproved ingredients, such as steroids and heavy metals, putting children’s health at risk. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees the market but does not test products before they are sold.
Jensen Jose, a regulatory counsel member with the Center for Science in the Public Interest who worked on the legislation, stated that the law reflects the lack of regulation from both the FDA and the industry.
Other states, such as Massachusetts, California, and Colorado, are also considering or have already passed similar measures to protect minors from potentially harmful supplements.
Under New York’s law, businesses that sell diet pills or supplements promoting muscle building or fat burning to minors can be fined. Protein supplements and shakes are exempt unless they contain another weight-loss or muscle-building ingredient. Judges enforcing the measure could consider the inclusion of ingredients such as creatine, green tea extract, and raspberry ketone when determining violations.
The law has been met with some pushback from the industry, with retailers claiming that the definition of what can and cannot be sold to minors is unclear. The Council for Responsible Nutrition even filed a lawsuit challenging the law, but a Manhattan federal judge denied their motion to stop the law from taking effect.
State Sen. Shelley Mayer, a Democrat who sponsored the legislation, believes that implementation should not be overly difficult for businesses, as some already categorize their supplements for weight loss or muscle building. However, it remains unclear how large online retailers like Amazon will ensure compliance with the new law when shipping supplements to New York.
Some young people, like 18-year-old Maxim Abramciuc, question the need for the restriction. “They should be able to buy some of these products,” he said while browsing through a vitamin and supplement shop in Albany. “If it has little side effects, why shouldn’t children take it?”
In response, proponents of the law have argued that these substances are left unregulated by the FDA.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.