By SUZANNE DOWNING
Anchorage Democrat-caucusing nonpartisan Rep. Alyse Galvin has introduced legislation this session that would prohibit the sale of over-the-counter weight-loss drugs and dietary supplements marketed for weight loss or muscle building to minors in Alaska.
The bill would make it unlawful for a seller to provide such products to anyone under the age of 18 unless the seller verifies the buyer’s age through government-issued photo identification. For online purchases, the bill requires age verification before shipping and mandates that the named recipient of the shipment also be at least 18 years old.
Under the proposal, retailers would be responsible for checking identification in person or using an age-verification service or similar method for remote sales.
Galvin’s legislation, which does not specify which of the thousands of nutritional supplements would be impacted, mirrors a growing national trend. New York enacted a similar law in late 2023, with restrictions taking effect in April 2024. New Jersey has passed legislation requiring a parent or guardian to be present for purchases by minors. Bills restricting sales to those under 18 have also been introduced or are pending in Illinois, Maryland, Washington, Virginia, Texas, New Hampshire, California, Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, and Rhode Island.
The argument is that the products can pose health risks to adolescents and that aggressive marketing targets minors with unrealistic body standards.
In Alaska, the bill is already drawing scrutiny beyond its consumer-protection rationale, due to Galvin’s aggressive record on youth medical autonomy and gender-identity issues.
Galvin has been one of the Legislature’s most outspoken advocates for policies that support the medical transition of minors who identify as transgender, including access to hormone treatments. She has supported allowing biological males to compete on girls’ sports teams if they identify as female. Typically, these boys play-acting as girls are being treated with hormones and hormone blockers. She has spoken publicly about her own child identifying as transgender and has described how her child would not feel welcome in the Capitol if the bill to protect girl athletes passed.
This new bill highlights a contradiction in those positions. Why should the state restrict access to muscle-building or weight-loss supplements for minors while allowing, or even encouraging, far more consequential medical interventions for youth based on gender identity or mental health disorders?
The American Academy of Pediatrics specifically recommends against use of the supplement creatine by adolescents, and most of the flavored powders, tablets, energy bars and drink mixes containing creatine bear warning labels that the supplement is not recommended for anyone under 18. The academy also supports the transitioning of youth, however.
The legislation has been formally filed as a pre-filed bill and will be referred to committee for hearings later in the session, where lawmakers are expected to debate both its public-health implications and its consistency with other policies affecting minors’ health and autonomy. The bill is House Bill 236.
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5 thoughts on “Rep. Galvin targets supplements for minors while backing broader medical autonomy for youth”
Alice Galvin & Her Husband are both so far out in Left Field it’s pathetic. Thankfully she wasn’t Elected to the US House!!
That’s hypocritical coming from her and democrats to be against this pill while not being against puberty blockers, transgender procedures, and abortion pills.
I bet her own children are confused to being raised by a confused mother and weak father.
Alyse “I worked on a slime line” Galvin is a loser and typical of the party of hate and violence and hypocrisy.
Alyse Galvin’s dad broke her mom’s arm, for some reason she thought that bit of information made her fit to seek public office and put it in a campaign commercial. I only mention this because sometimes having the backstory helps explain the decision making process, assuming there is one.
Likely the most useless woman we’ve ever had in our legislature. This kind of open, blatant hypocrisy is typical for those who are too far left for even the democrats.