Ohio House Introduces Legislation Restricting Supplement Sales to Minors

The Ohio House of Representatives recently introduced House Bill 943 (HB 943), a bipartisan piece of legislation aimed at regulating the retail availability of specific dietary supplements to individuals under the age of 18.¹ Primary sponsors Representative Jodi Salvo and Representative Rachel B. Baker introduced the bill during the 136th General Assembly in May 2026. It has since been referred to the House Children and Human Services Committee for further legislative review.

Which Products and Code Sections are Targeted?

HB 943 seeks to amend section 3715.99 and enact sections 3715.811, 3715.812, and 3715.813 of the Ohio Revised Code.² The primary objective of the bill is to “prohibit the sale of over-the-counter diet pills and dietary supplements for weight loss or muscle building to minors.” Under this statutory framework, retail establishments would be legally barred from selling, distributing, or offering these specific categories of products to anyone under the age of 18. Violations would be punishable with a fine of up to $1,000.

What Criteria Determine if a Supplement Targets Weight Loss or Muscle Building?

According to the bill, the director of agriculture must evaluate specific criteria to determine if a product is intended for weight loss or muscle building. Considerations include whether the product contains steroids, FDA-approved weight-loss or muscle-building ingredients, creatine, green tea extract, raspberry ketone, garcinia cambogia, or green coffee bean extract. Officials will also review how the product or its ingredients are represented, and whether retailers have utilized categorized signage, tagging, or grouped placement alongside known weight-loss or muscle-building items.

How Will This Impact Supplement Manufacturers and Retailers?

For supplement manufacturers, this pending legislation represents a potential shift in the regulatory environment of a major state market. If enacted, businesses operating within Ohio or shipping to Ohio-based retailers could face new operational and compliance obligations. Retailers would be required to implement age-verification protocols at the point of sale.

Furthermore, the bill's focus on products marketed for "weight loss or muscle building" will require clear definitions regarding product labeling, marketing claims, and formulation ingredients to determine which specific products fall under the restriction.

The outcome of this legislative effort could influence regional market access and join broader state-level regulatory trends affecting the distribution of sports nutrition and weight management products.

How Has the Industry Responded to State-Level Supplement Regulation?

In June 2026, the Alliance for Natural Health USA (ANH-USA) stated its position against the Ohio bill.³ “Ohio HB 943 would impose age checks, database verification, delivery burdens, and penalties on lawful supplement sales,” the organization explained. “Even if the stated target is minors, these laws inevitably affect adults, retailers, and consumers of all ages. Products hidden behind compliance barriers are less visible, less available, and more stigmatized. That reduces access not just for minors, but for everyone.”

ANH-USA also highlighted the Dietary Supplement Regulatory Uniformity Act, introduced by Representative Nick Langworthy in February 2026, which would limit state-level requirements on supplement regulation and maintain federal authority and oversight on supplements.⁴ Several industry organizations voiced support for the Act, including Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA; Washington, D.C.), the Natural Products Association (NPA; Washington, D.C.), the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA; Silver Spring, MD) and the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN; Washington, D.C.).

Ohio's HB 943 follows a precedent established in New York in 2023, when Governor Kathy Hochul signed similar legislation restricting the sale of weight management and muscle-building supplements to minors.⁵ The New York law explicitly targets products containing ingredients like creatine and green tea extract, and prompted strong disappointment from trade organizations like the CHPA and CRN over concerns of broad language harming consumer choice. In March 2026, CRN filed a petition for a writ of certiorari, asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review the law.⁶ CRN argues the statute imposes content-based, speech-focused restrictions on commercial marketing without adequate empirical evidence, potentially violating First Amendment protections.

References

1. Ohio House of Representatives. House Bill 943. Ohio House of Representatives website. Accessed July 9, 2026. https://ohiohouse.gov/legislation/136/hb943
2. Ohio General Assembly. House Bill 943: Prohibit sale of diet pills, certain supplements to minors. Ohio Legislature website. Accessed July 9, 2026. https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/legislation/hb943/00_IN/pdf/
3. Alliance for Natural Health USA. Ohio Shows Why Congress Must Act Now to Stop State-by-State Supplement Restrictions. June 18, 2026. Accessed July 9, 2026. https://anh-usa.org/ohio-shows-why-congress-must-act-now-to-stop-state-by-state-supplement-restrictions/
4. McEvoy E. New legislation aims to reaffirm FDA authority over supplements. Nutritional Outlook. February 4, 2026. Accessed July 9, 2026. https://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/view/new-legislation-aims-to-reaffirm-fda-authority-over-supplements
5. Krawiec S. NY Governor Hochul signs bill banning the sale of weight management and “muscle building” supplements to minors. Nutritional Outlook. October 27, 2023. Accessed July 9, 2026. https://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/view/ny-governor-hochul-signs-bill-banning-the-sale-of-weight-management-and-muscle-building-supplements-to-minors
6. Saraceno N. CRN petitions US Supreme Court over New York supplement sales law. Nutritional Outlook. March 31, 2026. Accessed July 9, 2026. https://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/view/crn-petitions-us-supreme-court-over-new-york-supplement-sales-law