House Unit Votes to Require Reye’s Warning on Aspirin

With the winter flu season fast approaching, a House subcommittee voted today to require labels on aspirin bottles warning that use of the pain reliever by flu-stricken children may increase their risk of the often fatal illness known as Reye’s syndrome.

The house energy and commerce subcommittee on health adopted the provision on a 9-7 vote despite claims by the Reagan Administration that voluntary labeling is working.

The Administration position is disputed by the chairman of the subcommittee, Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Los Angeles), and by the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Robert Haggerty. Both say the voluntary labeling campaign has fallen short of public health needs.

The Food and Drug Administration reported Tuesday that 58% of the children’s aspirin on store shelves in early October carried voluntary warning labels. Most of those labels do not mention the syndrome, but do advise parents to call a doctor before giving aspirin to children or teen-agers with flu.

Rep. Edward R. Madigan (R-Ill.), who offered the compromise warning label language approved by the subcommittee, said he appreciated voluntary efforts undertaken so far by the industry, but that too many companies are not going along.