Rhode Island Senate Looks to Pass Legislation to Move Wellness Supplements Behind the Counter

The Rhode Island State Senate is quickly advancing through the chamber S. 2613, which prohibits wellness and dietary supplements from being directly accessible to customers and mandates that only retail clerks may have access.

While the bill does not regulate internet sales of dietary supplements in Rhode Island, it requires brick and mortar retailers to post a warning sign at each purchase counter. Failure to comply with this legislation would result in a fine of up to $2,000 for each infraction. The bill is currently on the agenda for a vote before the full Senate on May 31.

The bill restricts sale of certain dietary supplements to minors with ingredients such as:

A dietary supplement containing an ephedrine group alkaloid or containing any of the following:

• Androstanedoil
• Androstanedione
• Androstenedione
• Noradrostenediol
• Norandrostenedione
• Dehydroepiandrosterone

“This is a terrible idea at the worst time. As more Americans have turned to natural products for health and wellness during the pandemic, this bill would mean higher prices and longer wait times for consumers with absolutely zero health benefits. Retailers would be forced to move household items like multivitamins and nutrition products behind the counter or remodel their stores, and then hire more clerks when nearly everyone is struggling to find workers. Meanwhile, OTC medicine would still be in front of the counter and many of the exact same ingredients would still be available in grocery stores, coffee and smoothie shops in the form of vitamin fortified foods and beverages. It is unfair, unnecessary and unwise,” said Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D. president and CEO of the Natural Products Association (NPA).

For several years, NPA has been fighting against this proposal and similar ones in California, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Missouri. NPA is also engaging its grassroots network and urging the industry to join the thousands of Rhode Island health and wellness advocates to contact their elected officials and warn them of the consequences of this legislation.

For more on the wellness marketplace, check out Happi's recent feature here.