Sen. Tom Udall

If there is one thing in the concussion issue that really draws my ire its the false and sometimes fraudulent advertising of some companies claiming they can prevent concussions with a product. There has been a good effort to reduce this, however now there may be some serious teeth behind the problem. A press release;

For Immediate Release

May 22, 2013

Contacts:

Tom Udall Press Office / 202.228.6870 / news@tomudall.senate.gov

Kevin McAlister (Rockefeller) 202.224.8374 / kevin_mcalister@commerce.senate.gov

Udall, Rockefeller Introduce Bill to Help Protect Young Athletes from Sports-Related Traumatic Brain Injuries

WASHINGTON – To mark National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and John D. “Jay” Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today introduced legislation that seeks to protect youth athletes from the dangers of sports-related traumatic brain injuries by improving equipment safety standards and curbing false advertising claims.

The Youth Sports Concussion Act will help ensure that safety standards for sports equipment are up to date and informed by the latest science. The bill will also increase potential penalties for using false injury prevention claims to sell youth sports equipment.

“We want our children to be active and participate in sports, but we must take every precaution to protect them from traumatic head injuries,” said Udall. “There will always be some risk, but athletes, coaches and parents need to be aware of Continue reading →

Senator Tom Udall (D) N.M. is asking that the Federal Trade Commission take a closer look at what helmet manufacturers and re-conditioners are promoting in terms of helmet safety.

In a letter dated Tuesday — a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press on Monday night — Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., tells FTC chairman Jon Leibowitz that helmet companies “appear to be using misleading advertising claims” and that “some helmet reconditioning companies may be falsely selling used helmets as meeting an industry safety standard.”

In his letter to the FTC’s Leibowitz, Udall says he is “troubled by misleading marketing claims by Riddell, a leading helmet maker that supplies the official helmet to the National Football League.”

In particular, Sen. Udall called out both Riddell and Schutt for their actions. Both companies are welcoming the concern and look forward to helping in any matter possible.

Regardless of the charge, helmet standards need to be changed and addressed now. The current standards are only for skull fractures and have nothing to do with concussions or traumatic brain injury. An outdated and archaic NOCSAE is in charge of this “certification” for football helmets, but technology and information about the head injuries have changed. It is time for new standards, but it is too bad that it takes “big government” to make changes.

AP Story via Manufacturing.net