Constituent Update: FDA Sends Warning Letters to Seven Companies Illegally Selling Hangover Products

Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Constituent Update

FDA Sends Warning Letters to Seven Companies Illegally Selling Hangover Products July 29, 2020 On July 29, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued warning letters to seven companies whose products claim to cure, treat, mitigate, or prevent hangovers. A hangover can occur after alcohol intoxication. Alcohol intoxication, like all poisonings, causes dose-related dysfunction and damage, ranging from mild impairments to death. Alcohol intoxication causes temporary damage to brain function, causing impairments of judgment, attention, reflexes, and coordination. The products outlined in these letters, which are labeled as dietary supplements, are unapproved new drugs and have not been evaluated by the FDA to be safe and effective for their intended use. Dietary supplements that claim to cure, treat, mitigate, or prevent hangovers could potentially harm consumers, particularly young adults, who may be led to believe that using these products, rather than drinking in moderation or not at all, can prevent or mitigate health problems caused by consuming too much alcohol. Consumers should not rely on these products as an alternative to responsibly limiting their consumption of alcoholic beverages. Warning letters were sent to the following companies: