NCL statement applauding CA legislation to ban vaccine personal exemptions – National Consumers League

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May 15, 2015

Contact: NCL Communications, Carol McKay (412) 945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—On the heels of a California Senate move to ban the personal belief exemptions for vaccinations, the National Consumers League has issued the following statement, which may be attributed to Executive Director Sally Greenberg: 

“We applaud the leadership in California, where too many people had been choosing to go without vaccines based on personal belief – or, in many cases, misinformation – and where an outbreak of measles at Disneyland last December sickened 136 people. The science has been proven time and again. Vaccines are safe and effective—in individuals and for the greater community—and only those with health reasons should be exempted.

“Our own research has shown that Americans are confused about vaccines, and understandably so. For over a generation, we have lived virtually free from many of these diseases due to the effectiveness of the vaccines that have stamped them out. We have lost perspective on how deadly they can be. Now, we are dealing with a group of Americans who don’t appreciate the severity of these illnesses, are exercising personal choice to abstain from vaccinating, and are enabling these deadly diseases to start to infiltrate our communities once again. California is taking a step in the right direction by sending a very clear message about how narrow the exceptions should be in order to keep us safe as a community.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Statement on Bostick v. Herbalife settlement – National Consumers League

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May 15, 2015

Contact: NCL Communications, Carol McKay (412) 945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–The following statement can be attributed to National Consumers League Executive Director Sally Greenberg:

While yesterday’s decision is another reminder that Herbalife faces serious scrutiny of its business operations, the National Consumers League (NCL) is disappointed that the Court has approved an inadequate settlement in the case of Dana Bostick v. Herbalife International of America Inc et al.. We remain concerned about the allegations against Herbalife and if true, this settlement is woefully inadequate. Among other things the company was not required to make any substantive changes to its structure and will be able to continue to promote and operate the potentially deceptive business practices identified in the complaint. 

Additionally, the monetary relief that this settlement provides leaves the vast majority of the 1.55 million class members with vastly inadequate compensation. 
 
As an organization that advocates on behalf of consumers affected by consumer fraud, including pyramid schemes, particularly those that may be disguised as multi-level marketing businesses, NCL was the first consumer organization to call on the Federal Trade Commission to look into whether Herbalife is a sophisticated pyramid scheme or a legitimate MLM. We believe this investigation is critical  to protecting consumers hurt by frauds and fraudulent companies, and urge the FTC to continue looking into this and other companies to determine whether they are engaged in legitimate business practices or are illegal pyramid schemes.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL statement on settlement with Doctor’s Associates Inc. – National Consumers League

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May 11, 2015

Contact: NCL Communications, Carol McKay (412) 945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC-The National Consumers League (“NCL”) and Doctor’s Associates Inc. (“DAI”) are pleased to announce that they have resolved consumer-related litigation pending in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, NCL v. DAI, Case No. 2013-CA-006549 B. NCL and DAI recognize the importance of a focus on nutritional content in restaurant menu offerings and ensuring that customers have healthful menu options.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

National Consumers League statement on introduction of Online Consumer Privacy and Data Security Act of 2015 – National Consumers League

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April 30, 2015

Contact: NCL Communications, Carol McKay (412) 945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League, America’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy organization, today applauded the introduction of the Consumer Privacy Protection Act of 2015 by Senator Leahy and others.

The following statement is attributable to John Breyault, NCL Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud:

“It is critically important that Congress gets it right on consumer protections related to data breaches. One need only read the headlines to see the havoc that mega-breaches at our nation’s largest companies are wreaking on tens of millions of consumers. That is why we are pleased to support Senator Leahy’s efforts to craft strongly pro-consumer data security and data breach notification legislation. The Consumer Privacy Protection Act of 2015 would create strong incentives for businesses to better protect the vast amounts of consumer data they are collecting. Importantly, the bill allows states to continue to serve as laboratories of democracy by innovating beyond the consumer protection floor set by this bill. We urge Chairman Grassley and the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to support this common sense consumer protection legislation.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Blue Bell listeria recall too little, too late – National Consumers League

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April 22, 2015

Contact: NCL Communications, Carol McKay (412) 945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington DC— As of Monday, Blue Bell Creameries, a Texas based ice cream company, issued a voluntary recall of all of its products presently in stores, originating from any of its processing facilities. Blue Bell slowly expanded the recall when original clean up efforts to rid its production facilities of Listeria monocytogenes, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in vulnerable populations, were ineffective. Last month, Blue Bell issued its first recall, which covered ten varieties of its frozen desserts. On Monday, two tubs of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream tested positive for listeria, prompting the widespread voluntary recall. So far, three deaths and several illnesses have been linked to the outbreak. 

The following statement is attributable to Sally Greenberg, executive director of the National Consumers League:

“This is a sad outcome. Vulnerable hospital patients fell victim to this terrible listeria pathogen, which demonstrates the extreme importance of having stringent food safety standards in the United States. Consumers assume their food is safe. We applaud Blue Bell’s willingness to conduct a voluntary recall of products, however, we are disappointed by how long it took for the company and the federal government to address the situation.  It’s up to retailers and producers to do the right thing when a problem arises.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Students from Jacksonville, FL take 2015 National LifeSmarts Championship – National Consumers League

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April 20, 2015

Contact: Carol McKay, (724) 799-5392, carolm@nclnet.org

Seattle, WA—The student team from Paxon School for Advanced Studies in Jacksonville, FL, coached by Kathie Logie, was crowned national LifeSmarts champions in Seattle on Monday, April 20 at the 21st annual National LifeSmarts Championship. In a historically tight final match against the second-place team from Rhode Island’s Barrington High School, the teens from Florida outplayed their opponents in an exciting end to the 4-day competition. The Paxon team took the national title in 2013 as well.

Teams from Honolulu, Hawaii, and Fenton, Michigan placed third.

“We are so proud of these students from Florida, who represented their state program with class and pride,” said LifeSmarts Program Director Lisa Hertzberg. “They played hard and demonstrated their consumer smarts throughout the four-day event. They are true LifeSmarts champions.”

LifeSmarts is a program run by the Washington, DC-based National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s oldest consumer advocacy organization. It competitively tests high school students’ knowledge of consumer awareness, with subjects including personal finance, health and safety, consumer rights and responsibility, technology, and the environment. LifeSmarts is available in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and in partnership programs with student leadership programs FBLA and FCCLA.

Teens from each of the 34 state champion teams represented at nationals competed as individuals, and the top five scorers received scholarships from NCL. This year’s winners were:

  • Environment: Chris Biesecker, Pennsylvania
  • Personal Finance: Matthew Lamontagne, Rhode Island
  • Health and Safety: Taylor Heslop, Kansas
  • Consumer Rights and Responsibilities: Steven Forte, Rhode Island
  • Technology: Teddy Ni, Rhode Island

Kelsey Becker, from North Dakota, and Matthew Lamontagne from the Rhode Island team, were named the 2015 Students of the Year. Jennifer Bearchell, from Flagstaff, AZ, was named LifeSmarts Coach of the Year. Long-time State Coordinators Bill Wilcox and Joan Kinney, from Wisconsin, earned the Coordinators of the Year honor.

“NCL’s LifeSmarts program is allowing us to rear a generation of consumer-savvy teenagers who often outsmart their parents on issues related to avoiding fraud, credit and debt, and complicated healthcare decisions,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. In the 21 years that LifeSmarts has been educating high school and middle school teens on consumer issues, it has grown dramatically, with more than 3 million consumer questions answered at www.lifesmarts.org in the online competition during the 2014-2015 program year.

For team photos, event schedules, grid standings, and more, log on to www.facebook.com/LifeSmarts

All winners at the national LifeSmarts Competition received valuable prizes donated by sponsors to the National Consumers League, including scholarships, savings bonds, gift cards, and more. To learn more about the program, contact NCL’s Lisa Hertzberg at 202-835-3323.

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About LifeSmarts and the National Consumers League

LifeSmarts is a program of the National Consumers League. State coordinators run the programs on a volunteer basis. For more information, visit: www.lifesmarts.org, email lifesmarts@nclnet.org or call the National Consumers League’s communications department at 202-835-3323.

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL statement on Commerce Committee markup of the Data Security and Breach Notification Act of 2015 – National Consumers League

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April 15, 2015

Contact: NCL Communications, Carol McKay (412) 945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC – Today, the House Energy & Commerce Committee approved HR 1770, the Data Security and Breach Notification Act of 2015. NCL had previously hoped that this bill would be improved in committee. Unfortunately, as today’s partisan vote made clear, that has not happened. The following statement is attributable to John Breyault, NCL Vice President, Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud:

At a time when millions of consumers are increasingly at risk of identity theft due to massive data breaches, it boggles the mind that Congress is contemplating reducing data security protections. Unfortunately, that is exactly what will happen if H.R. 1770, the Data Security and Breach Notification Act of 2015, becomes the law. The bill, which today passed out of committee on a party-line vote, would actually weaken existing consumer protections in 38 states. No major consumer groups are supporting this bill. Even Congressman Welch, who co-sponsored the bill, did not vote to move it to the floor.

Despite massive breaches at companies like Target, Home Depot, Anthem, Primera and countless others, it seems clear that the majority in Congress is intent on crafting a bill that weakens consumer protections by reducing or removing businesses’ data security obligations. Any Member of Congress who claims to be pro-consumer should oppose this bill in its current form. 

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL statement on introduction of Data Security and Breach Notification Act of 2015 – National Consumers League

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March 13, 2015

Contact: NCL Communications, Ben Klein (202) 835-3323, benk@nclnet.org

Washington, DC — The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy organization today expressed its disappointment with the introduction by Rep. Marsha Blackburn and Rep. Peter Welch of the “Data Security and Breach Notification Act of 2015.” The following statement may be attributed to John Breyault, NCL vice president of public policy, telecommunications and fraud:

“At a time when millions of consumers suffer the effects of data breaches, it is disappointing that Congress would propose a bill that actually reduces consumer protections in this space. NCL supports a strong national data breach notification standard. Unfortunately, the bill proposed by Rep. Blackburn and Welch would preempt stronger existing state laws. For example, the bill covers fewer types of sensitive information, such as e-mail addresses, than many state laws.  In addition, the bill creates a disincentive for companies to notify affected consumers by instituting a ‘harm trigger’ that would enable breached companies to determine for themselves whether their customers should be notified of a breach. It is our sincere hope that this bill will be improved through the legislative process, rather that simply serving as a way for businesses to reduce their data security compliance burden. Failing that, it should be opposed as an anti-consumer measure.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL releases “10 things you didn’t know about caffeine” for Caffeine Awareness Month – National Consumers League

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March 10, 2015

Contact: Ben Klein, National Consumers League (202) 835-3323, benk@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—During March, which is both National Nutrition Month and Caffeine Awareness Month, the National Consumers League (NCL) is calling on consumers to turn their attention to the world’s favorite pick-me-up: caffeine. Coincidentally—for the first time in its 35-year history—the Scientific Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, released last month for public comment, addresses caffeine safety and consumption. 

“Whether it’s a strong cup of morning Joe, a green tea with sushi, a chocolate bar at the movies, or an energy drink to get through the work day, the fact is that 85% of the U.S. population consumes caffeine every single day,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL’s executive director. “And while we know where to find it, and consume a lot of it, the majority of Americans are not ‘caffeine literate.’”

In the interest of informing American consumers and promoting moderation, NCL has released a guide that reveals 10 facts you likely didn’t know about caffeine.

  1. The earliest rumored consumption of caffeine was by a Chinese emperor in 3,000 BC who is said to have accidentally discovered that when certain leaves fell into boiling water, a fragrant and restorative drink resulted. We commonly know this drink as tea.
  2. Caffeine is found in the seeds and leaves of more than 60 plants around the world. Coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa beans, kola nuts, guarana plants, and yerba mate are just a few that contain caffeine.  
  3. Regardless of whether caffeine is naturally occurring (coffee or tea), or in its synthetic form (cola or energy drink), the chemical structure is identical, and its effect on the human body is the same.
  4. Birds, dogs, and cats cannot metabolize caffeine – so don’t feed your pets chocolate (or give them coffee)!
  5. The darker the coffee roast, the less caffeine in the coffee bean. Unroasted, green coffee beans have a higher concentration of caffeine. For teas, it’s the opposite: the darker the tea, the higher the caffeine.
  6. Around 400mg of caffeine per day is commonly cited as a safe intake level for healthy adults. That’s about 6-7 cups of black tea, 4-5 cups of home brew coffee, 2-3 Starbucks Grande Lattes, 8 cans of Diet Coke, or 5 cans of Red Bull. A typical serving or portion of caffeine is usually an 8 fl oz cup of home brewed coffee, a 20 fl oz diet cola, a 1.5 fl oz espresso shot and an 8.4 fl oz energy drink, all of which are about equal with a range of approximately 70-90mg of caffeine.
  7. Aside from the ‘pick-me-up’ that is a well-known effect of caffeine, there is evidence that caffeine has some positive effects against some diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. But too much caffeine can result in side effects like nervousness, anxiety, nausea, sleeplessness, and jitteriness.
  8. Eighty five percent of the US population consumes caffeine daily. How is it split? 64 percent from coffee, 17 percent from tea, 17 percent from sodas, and 2 percent from energy drinks.
  9. Caffeine takes 15-45 minutes to take effect. The average person will eliminate half of the original amount consumed between 4-6 hours.
  10. Pregnant women should avoid caffeine, and it is not recommended for children.

To maximize transparency for consumers, NCL believes that all products containing caffeine should declare the total amount of caffeine per serving—and per container—on their product labels or packaging.

“The FDA should provide the public with clear guidance on safe upper limits of caffeine intake for the general population of healthy adults and for other relevant age and gender groups, including pregnant women and young children,” said Greenberg. “If the FDA is still reviewing the science, it can at least provide interim advice, as Health Canada has done, in order for consumers to have some guidance to go on in the meantime.”

“The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans—which will be current for the five years following publication—should address caffeine holistically instead of implying, as recommended by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, that caffeine is only a potential concern when it is consumed via energy drinks or ‘high dose caffeine products,’” said Greenberg. “To deliver consumers with useable guidance, and common sense educational tools, the Dietary Guidelines should educate the public about the primary food and beverage sources of caffeine, and the amount of caffeine they contain.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL praises McDonalds move towards antibiotic-free chicken – National Consumers League

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March 4, 2015

Contact: Ben Klein, National Consumers League (202) 835-3323, benk@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL) welcomes the announcement by McDonald’s Corp. that its American restaurants will stop serving chicken raised with antibiotics that are vital to fighting human infections. Reports call this the most aggressive step by a major food company to change chicken producers’ practices in the fight against dangerous ‘superbugs.’ The following can be attributed to NCL’s Executive Director Sally Greenberg:

“We are pleased that the world’s biggest restaurant chain will discontinue serving chicken raised with human antibiotics within two years.  Antibiotic resistance is a serious public health problem that requires a range of approaches, including the prevention of the overuse and misuse of antibiotics. McDonald’s is a key player in the fast food industry—and in Americans’ eating habits. NCL is on record calling for the reduction and eventual elimination of unnecessary and dangerous use of antibiotics in our food supply. This is an important step forward towards achieving that goal.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.