Speak Your Mind On First Amendment Issues

A couple of weeks ago I sent you an e-Alert ("Running Scared" 5/28/02) about an unusual FDA notice published in the Federal Register titled "Request for comment on First Amendment Issues." The agency is seeking comments from the public to determine if its product labeling and advertising restrictions are constitutional. Anyone who cares to weigh in on this topic has until July 30, 2002, to submit comments. Follow-up responses to that first set of comments must be received by September 13, 2002.

This week I received an email from Nancy C. asking for more information about how to find the Federal Register notice on the Internet, as well as path to the page where you can submit your comments. It's not a surprise that looking for government documents on the web can make you feel like a mouse running a maze. So if you're up for a long and winding trek, grab your running shoes…here's the way to go.

To get to the Federal Register notice:
Go to www.gpo.gov
Look for the heading, "Access to Government Information Products"
Under that, look for the "Quick Links" heading
Choose "Federal Register"
This leads to a search page - scroll about halfway down
Enter this date: 05/16/2002 (just a note: I typed in 5/16/02 and it came back blank. Apparently the government took the Y2K compliance to heart.)
In the Search Terms field enter: 02N-0209
Click Submit, which will take you to Federal Register Search Results
The first item should be "Request for Comment on First Amendment Issues"
Choose HTML or PDF to take you to the full document

To get to the FDA Comment Form:
Go to www.fda.gov/dockets/ecomments
You'll see the "Select Document for Comment" window, select:
"02N-0209-Request for Comment on First Amendment Issues"
Fill out the required fields on the form and click Continue
This will bring up the Comment Form with fields to enter your comments

There! That was easy!

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute