Cliff Stearns: “counterfeiting is a growing international concern that requires international cooperation to defeat. It threatens our…”

“counterfeiting is a growing international concern that requires international cooperation to defeat. It threatens our national security interests in areas of health, economics, and of course homeland defense. The Food and Drug Administration estimates that counterfeit drugs account for 10 percent of all drugs that are sold in the United States. An estimated 14 percent of these drugs that are sold through the mail are counterfeit, they are mishandled, or expired. Pfizer Pharmaceutical recalled 16.5 million Lipitor pills nationwide as a result of an FDA investigation that uncovered evidence that these pills were counterfeit. Counterfeit technologies have caused immense harm as well. For example, in California a 13-year-old boy sustained severe injuries from a counterfeit battery that exploded in his cell phone. The phone exploded with such force that fragments of the phone lodged into the ceiling of his family's home. Exploding batteries, doctored medications, foods, dangerous cosmetics and skin products, fake shampoos and soaps, doctored teas, substandard auto and airplane components, the list of counterfeit goods grows daily. Even fake and dangerous baby foods have been reported. In China, for example, infants suffered severe malnourishment and a dozen died after being fed fake infant formula that contained few nutrients. The hazards of counterfeit products have also affected our transportation.…”