Is your peanut butter safe? Is it safe to order drugs online? The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates products that we use everyday – food, human and animal drugs, dietary supplements, medical devices, vaccines, tobacco – the list sometimes seems endless.
The FDA shares information about these products every day, so it’s essential that they write clearly so you can understand and use their information easily to protect your health.
The FDA Commissioner recognized the second anniversary of the Plain Writing Act by sending a message to all FDA staff.
Read the FDA Commissioner’s Plain Language Email »
Like many FDA commissioners before her, she encourages everyone in the FDA to be “clear, concise and reader-friendly.”
The FDA also provides tips to staff to help them write plainly and clearly. These tips, available online in the FDA’s “Plain Language: An FDA Initiative for Written Communications,” include suggestions like:
- Identify your audience and the point you’re trying to make
- Put the most important point at the beginning
- Use common, easily understood words
View the FDA’s plain language tips page »
We encourage all federal agencies to follow the FDA’s example and support plain language by celebrating the Plain Writing Act.