Natural Products Association West's commitment to advocacy apparent at recent meeting with U.S. House of Representative Lois Capps

Advocacy is a key objective of regional trade association, Natural Products Association West. The association is responsible for representing and protecting natural products retailers and suppliers in California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii and Guam. It not only means representing industry interests at the state level but also in congressional districts. With that in mind, the association has solicited manufacturers and retailers to “bring their Congressperson to work” this year. “Beginning this endeavor with Howard Schiffer and Vitamin Angels was a no-brainer,” said Dot Boyd, executive director of Natural Products Association West. Vitamin Angels ' headquarters is in District 23, represented by Congresswoman Lois Capps (D) since 1998. Representative Capps, the only registered nurse in the U.S. House of Representatives, was very involved in the Santa Barbara School District and childhood nutrition before being elected to the House. “ Vitamin Angels ' work to improve global health and their goal to eradicate childhood blindness by the year 20/20, easily represents so much of what is good about our industry – our generosity and how we impact health around the globe,” Boyd continued.

At the meeting on April 4, 2007, Representative Capps met with Howard Schiffer, his staff, David Seckman and Dot Boyd. Schiffer presented real world stories of how dietary supplements work around the world and in the United States. Schiffer stated that “vitamins can and should play an integral role in a national health strategy” as borne out by recent studies by The Lewin Group. Schiffer stated added, “Women and families should be able to buy vitamins with food stamps” as proposed in Senate Bill 770, authored by industry champions Senators Harkin and Hatch. The proposals were well received by Capps and she provided feedback and contact information useful to Schiffer's endeavor to provide pre-natal nutrition to pregnant woman throughout the country.

Seckman invited Capps to join the Dietary Supplement Caucus in Washington, D.C. along with other House members. The Caucus was created to educate lawmakers about the benefits of dietary supplements and to promote research into the health care savings these products provide. Capps was also asked for her support of H.R. 1107, the Dietary Supplement and Healthy Meal Replacement Tax Parity Act and H.R. 1353, the Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act.

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For further information on Natural Products Association West, visit Natural Products Association West (Formerly NNFA-West)
Representing and Serving the Natural Products Industry in CA, AZ, NV, HI and Guam
705-2 E. Bidwell St. #332 Folsom, CA 95630

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Vitamin Angels is a non-profit, non-sectarian organization dedicated to providing basic nutrition and fighting vitamin A deficiency childhood blindness around the world since 1994. Last year, Vitamin Angels donated more than 100 million supplements to people in need in 40 countries around the world. Their Operation 20/20 program starting in 2007 will reach 4.25 million children in 24 countries. For more information or to make a donation to Vitamin Angels visit VitaminAngels.org .