Anabolic Steroid Act Heads To Senate After Clearing House 408-3
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
The Anabolic Steroid Control Act was sent to the Senate June 3 after passing the House with its exemption for dehydroepiandrosterone intact
|
The Anabolic Steroid Control Act was sent to the Senate June 3 after passing the House with its exemption for dehydroepiandrosterone intact. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner's (R-Wisc.) HR 3866 was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, where it is expected to make rapid progress. Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) is the co-sponsor of a similar measure, S 2195. HR 3866 easily passed the House in a 408-3 vote. The bill, which adds androstenedione and other steroid precursors to the Drug Enforcement Agency's list of controlled substances, was considered under a suspension of the rules, which limited debate. However, floor statements by Reps. Susan Davis (D-Calif.), Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) expressed concern over the fact that the legislation continues to exempt DHEA from regulation under the Controlled Substances Act. The legislation also exempts estrogens, progestin and corticosteroids. "By specifically exempting DHEA we are sending a signal to the American public that DHEA is safe," Waxman said. "I suspect that once this legislation becomes law, we could see an increase in DHEA use, including among younger athletes, as the other products become less accessible." Waxman noted that "today there will be no opportunity to try to amend this legislation to make it better. That is unfortunate. Members could have benefited from a debate about whether we should, in fact, be protecting this particular product." He added he is "hopeful that this bill will be improved before we send it to the President." To address concerns regarding substances exempted by the bill, the measure requires that HHS submit a report to Congress within two years of enactment "evaluating the health risks associated with dietary supplements not scheduled under the amendments made by this Act." Rep. John Sweeney (R-N.Y.), a co-sponsor of the bill, maintained the bill represents "the perfect balance to make sure the legislation we pass forward will have the effect we choose it to have, and that is making sure that manufacturers are putting on the shelves products that do what they say and are safe, and, secondly, outlawing those that are not." |