The FDA continues its war on consumer choice

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), having long served as the gatekeeper of the American medical industry, is setting its sights on increased regulation of homeopathic medicine, a form of extremely diluted drug marketed under the theory that “like cures like” and popular in alternative medicine circles.

Homeopathy has been lightly regulated for much of its history, and suppliers are currently allowed to sell their products (which conventional science says are almost indistinguishable from water) over the counter with minimal government interference. All that may be about to change, however, as the FDA mulls over the idea of treating these products in the same way as real – excuse me – conventional drugs.

The question is why the FDA feels the need to interfere with people buying and selling what they want. If customers are not satisfied with the efficacy of homeopathy, they are free not to spend their money on it. If people are allowed to buy expensive bottled “spring” water that is indistinguishable from what comes out of the tap, they should equally be able to buy water masquerading as medicine. Who knows? It may actually do them some good (which it presumably does, or else they would discontinue its use.)