Alternative idea to abolishing the FDA

[Krugerrand]

Since so many people shake in their boots when one suggests to them that the FDA should be abolished, I thought this might be a good way to frame things to help alleviate the boot shaking.

Of course, we don't want the FDA regulating what substances citizens can and cannot purchase! So, let's assume that any food and drug evaluations and safety determinations are handles by privates companies. (Much like insurance companies do their own crash testing of cars.)

My plan: restructure the FDA so that it is under the jurisdiction of the US Attorney General. It will be stripped of regulatory authority and will instead work towards prosecuting fraudulent claims filed against food and drug producers and any private companies performing safety tests and evaluations.

See ... No more boot-shaking. No more dairy-farm raiding.

[Seraphim]

Good idea. + rep

[Simple]

The same can be done with the EPA, gut the regulation and turn the focus to helping enforce property rights.

[Peace&Freedom]

The repurposing must be accompanied by law changes that specifically restrict the agency from having regulatory authority over the efficacy of food or drugs, or from asserting it is the sole arbiter of the efficacy or therapeutic value of products. "This entity shall have no authority to.." language should be in the law, otherwise a future door is left open for the monopoly regulations to slip right back in.

[Acala]

How about first making the FDA an advisory board with no authority to restrict freedom? Then require it to contract out the work over time to develop private sector expertise. Then kill it.

EPA and all of its regulations could be replaced by a handful of laws simply prohibiting the release of toxic substances into the air, water, or across property lines. What makes EPA so egregious is the permitting system that limits everyone's activity pre-emptively and without much real concern about pollution.

[Warrior_of_Freedom]

The FDA passes dangerous substances all the time, anyway. The worst IMO was aspartame.

[Ekrub]

FDA should be privatized. There is a market for safe food and drugs.

[Czolgosz]

There's definitely something here, Kruger. I've often thought that many agencies should be public service rather than regulatory. As others have suggested, they of course would have to be caged in order to prevent growing their authority or finding other avenues to steal money from the public.

[Krugerrand]

There's definitely something here, Kruger. I've often thought that many agencies should be public service rather than regulatory. As others have suggested, they of course would have to be caged in order to prevent growing their authority or finding other avenues to steal money from the public.

There is such an ingrained mind-set that these agencies are needed. While I'd be thrilled to see them abolished, I think we'd find a lot less resistance if we restructured them (strip of regulatory authority) and suggest that they will help people against law-violating major corporations.

[rambone]

I will not rest until the FDA is gone.

[maqsur]

How about having the FDA as an advisory board, as suggested above, and have consumers make the choice to buy products with or without the FDA approved label. kinda like underwriter laboratories, etc.

No more billions spent, years wasted for potentially beneficial drugs to come to market. No monopolies by drug companies, no favors, no muscling independent drug and natural products makers out of business.