How laetrile laws affect MDs.

A variety of problems exist in the 17 states that have passed laetrile laws. The precise legal relationship of these statutes to state food and drug laws and state medical practice acts is not well defined. The variability of the laws, state to state, is great and substances other than laetril are sometimes involved. The passage of substance-specific legislation confers "pseudo-approval" status on that substance in the public's mind. This results in a shifting of the drug approval process away from normal health regulatory channels into the political arena. Physicians should become familiar with the legal, medical, and social implications of such laws in their own states. More importantly, they need to articulate clearly to legislators the inherent problems and dangers in passing such legislation.