California Sets Age Checks for Some Supplements
California retailers will have to check identification when a customer’s age is unclear before selling dietary products promoted for slimming or muscle growth. The law, Assembly Bill 2030, bars selling, delivering or giving covered products to anyone under 18 unless they have a prescription. Creatine and some products containing green tea or green coffee bean extract may be included, depending on how they are marketed.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the measure on September 28, after it passed both chambers of the state Legislature. Businesses that break the rules could incur civil fines of up to $500 for each violation, and state or local authorities may seek court orders to halt violations.
Supporters say the restrictions address health concerns for teenagers. A legislative analysis cited a 2024 study finding that about one in 10 teens had tried over-the-counter slimming products without medical approval. Researchers have linked such use with risks including eating disorders and later-life weight gain. Legislators have additionally expressed concern about potentially harmful ingredients in muscle-building supplements that are not disclosed on labels.
The supplement industry has objected that the law could cover legal, beneficial products and leave businesses uncertain about which items qualify. The American Herbal Products Association also warned that online sellers could face added costs. A similar measure was vetoed by Newsom in 2022; a state workgroup later recommended restrictions and stronger enforcement.
California’s Supplement Limits Aim to Protect Teens
California is putting youth health ahead of supplement marketing, requiring age checks for products sold for weight loss or muscle building when a buyer’s age is unclear. Assembly Bill 2030 bars retailers from providing covered supplements to anyone under 18 without a prescription.
Supporters point to evidence of risks during adolescence. A legislative analysis cited a 2024 study in which about one in 10 teens had tried over-the-counter slimming products without medical approval. Researchers warned of possible links to eating disorders and later-life weight gain. Legislators further pointed to concerns that muscle-building supplements can contain harmful substances absent from their labels.
The law, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on September 28, takes effect January 1, 2027. Violations can bring civil penalties of up to $500 each, and authorities can seek court orders to stop unlawful sales.
The supplement industry says the restrictions may ensnare legal and beneficial products and confuse sellers about what is covered. But that objection does not erase the safety concerns the law addresses: dietary supplements generally reach stores without the FDA first evaluating their safety and effectiveness. A similar proposal was vetoed in 2022, after which a state workgroup recommended adult-only limits for some products and stronger enforcement.
California’s New Supplement Rules Burden Buyers and Businesses
California’s new supplement law puts state restrictions between customers and products that may be legal and useful. Under Assembly Bill 2030, retailers must check identification when a buyer’s age is unclear and cannot sell covered products to anyone under 18 without a prescription. Creatine and certain extracts may be swept in when marketed for weight loss or muscle building.
The American Herbal Products Association has warned that the measure could make it difficult for sellers to determine which products are covered and add costs for businesses shipping orders to California. Those concerns matter for online sellers and customers as well as stores facing penalties of up to $500 for each violation.
Supporters frame the restrictions as child protection, citing research on adolescent use of nonprescription weight-loss products and concerns about undisclosed ingredients in some muscle-building supplements. But the law also reaches products the industry says can be legal and beneficial. California already rejected a similar approach when Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill in 2022; the new measure, signed September 28, takes effect January 1, 2027.
The debate is not simply whether teenagers deserve protection. It is also whether broad age-check rules and uncertain product definitions are the right way to provide it.
Reported by New York Post, Deseret News, Fox News, Breitbart, FOX 11 Los Angeles.
