Canada clamps down on "dangerous" supplements
Some years ago, Canada has held public consultations on establishing a "third way" for food supplements, saying they are neither drugs nor normal foods. Recognizing the particular nature of Natural Health Products, the parliamentary Standing Committee on Health discussing the issue recommended to create a new department for regulating supplements, to be separate from both the Food Department and the Medicines Department.
Apparently the recommendations were just so much PR - a public relations ploy.
Anthony Stephan of True Hope, a group caring for mentally impaired people using nutrients, gives us the latest information abut where the Canadians are headed and what is happening to their supplements.
Canadians - for campaign information see Friends of Freedom
From: Anthony Stephan
Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2003 6:14 AM
Subject: Canada Gazette 2 -Food & Drugs ActHi to all:
Here is the official copy of the new regs from the Canada Gazette 2 site. They bear very little resemblance to the Transition Team Report and the 53 recommendations provided by the Standing Committee on Health.Its beginning to look like Australia all over again with 1300 - 1600 products removed off of the shelves in the past year.
Many of the small and mid size companies are out of business, with a vigorous campaign on radio and T.V. warning the public about the dangers of Natural Health Products. It took 3 years for Australia to implement the program ... where will we be in three years?Yes we have only seen 168 products removed in Canada but these regs are more controlling then ever before.
Our law suit against Health Canada points the muzzle at the very heart of these issues:
(a) A declaration that the Applicants' rights under sections 2(b), 7, 8 and 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (the "Charter"), have been infringed by the seizures;
(b) A declaration that sections 23 and 26 of the Food and Drugs Act, R.S. 1985, c. F-27 (the "Act") and sections A.01.040, A.01.041, and A.01.042 of the Food and Drug Regulation C.R.C. c. 870 (the "Regulation") infringe sections 7 and 8 of the Charter and are of no force and effect;
(c) A declaration that the definition of "drug" in the Act is overly broad and vague and violates sections 2,7 and 15 of the Charter.
(d) An order quashing the decision of the Respondents to treat Empowerplus as a "drug" within the Act and classify Empowerplus as a "Type 2 health risk" to Canadians;
(e) An order quashing any decision by the Respondents that there may have been a violation of s. 9(1) and 9(2) of the Act;
(f) An order quashing any assessment by the Respondents that there may have been a violation of A.01.040 and C.01.014 of the Regulation;
(g) A declaration that a drug identification number (D.I.N.) or establishment license (E.L.) is not required before individuals may import Empowerplus into Canada for personal use;
"Parliament has not given or delegated legislative authority under the provisions of the Act to create regulations that propound a scheme for establishing, licensing, or requiring submission of production for approval in respect of manufacturing or distributing traditional herbal products, natural health products, vitamins and minerals and dietary supplements. Therefore, any definition of "drug" should be read down to exclude natural health products and dietary supplements, including Empowerplus"
The previous statements are found in our suit, now before the federal courts. We need a groundswell of support financially for the suit and there must be massive action taken by Canadians everywhere to direct their M.P.s to eliminate this nonsense.
Think about it. Health Canada approves the sale of a known carcinogen "cigarettes" with less regulation in comparison to natural health products ... If an NHP had the same effect as tobacco, would it be removed? Where is Kava Kava, Sami, the soon to be removed MSM and Kelp products? Are they known carcinogens? NO
Time to listen up and ask yourself where is this going?
This is a huge election issue.
I think CTV NEWS had it right when they announced... Tough new regulations from Ottawa will make it more difficult to purchase natural health products.
Time for action ... Health Canada must be held in contempt of parliament.Tony
And here some additional comments:
This issue is extremely important because these totally unwarranted new restrictions - now applicable to healthy foods and food supplements - will result in most of these products disappearing from the open market, and will thus fundamentally limit the ability of the individual to exercise jurisdiction, self-sufficiency, independence and responsibility for maintaining and restoring his/her own health.
For many people, this is a matter of life and death, since the "Medical Establishment" has never been able or willing to serve their needs. Nutrients - the building blocks of health - will now be classified and regulated as "drugs", and so that they can become the legal jurisdiction of the pharmaceutical empire - which means the citizens will now serve as the "pawns" of the agenda and profits of the drug-centered "sickness industry".
These regulations are a drastic and despicable move toward actually "PREVENTING HEALTH and PREVENTING the ABILITY of CITIZENS to SOLVE THEIR OWN HEALTH PROBLEMS AND TO MAINTAIN THEIR HEALTH." This is truly a criminal attack by the government on the health of the entire Canadian population! Whoever controls the levers of your health, CONTROLS YOU - These regulations make us all slaves of the pharmaceutical and medical establishment - through which we will now have to go for "PERMISSION" to remain healthy. While safe health-sustaining nutrition is being restricted and removed from the open market, dangerous drugs are being openly advertised directly to the consumer to increase drug sales and profits.
I urge you to study these regulations, and to flood the MPs, Senators, letters to newspapers etc. with your protests. I also urge you to help support the legal action for an injunction being taken on behalf of all citizens of Canada by a few very dedicated individuals. (Court cases are expensive!).- However all Canaidans must retain the right to freely access products that have been inherently safe for centuries, and are now being regulated, not because they are dangerous, but "because they are healthy" and threaten the profits of the drug-centered sickness industry.
This is a war that we cannot afford to lose. Your health hangs in the balance.
PLEASE TAKE ACTION IMMEDIATELY!
Health Canada to take six years to pull all natural remedies under new rules
Here is the official story as the press in Canada sees it
(with a comment from Croft Woodruff at the end)
Canadian PressJune 18, 2003
OTTAWA (CP) - New rules governing natural health products will go into effect in January but it will take about six years to pull all such products under the umbrella, Health Canada said Wednesday.
Tradition will play a role in drafting of the new rules governing products including traditional Chinese herbal and aboriginal medicines, vitamin and mineral concoctions and homeopathic products, the agency announced. The regulations require good manufacturing practices, improved labelling and product and site licensing. They will also require that health claims be backed up by evidence.
Previously, many products escaped regulation and there was little policing of dubious claims of effectiveness.
Philip Waddington of Health Canada said the regulations go into effect next January, but it will take about six years to cover all such products.
Natural health products will have to be licensed and to get a licence, the manufacturer or importer must provide detailed information on ingredients, their source, the potency of the products and its recommended use.
"With improved, standardized labelling, consumers will be able to make more informed decisions about the natural health products they buy," the department said in an announcement. "Labels will be required to specify directions for use, the recommended use or purpose (health claim), medicinal and non-medicinal ingredients, and any cautions, contra-indications or known adverse reactions associated with the product."
However, while Health Canada will assess claims of effectiveness, these products won't be held to the strict scientific standards used for mainstream drugs and treatments.
Tradition will play a role in assessment.
Waddington said most jurisdictions make allowance for using traditional literature in gauging the effectiveness of natural medicines.
"What we're doing is responding to what the Canadian population has requested," he said.
With the new labelling rules, consumers will be able to judge whether they want to rely on traditional claims or go for more mainstream science, he said.
The first priority is to ensure that products are safe.
Health Canada will spend $5 million over the next five years to investigate claims made for natural products.
Asked about some new nostrums being sold in Toronto with the claim that they can stave off SARS by strengthening the immune system, Waddington said any natural remedy making that claim would likely not meet the new requirements.
"If it's a natural health product, that reported claim would be reviewed by Health Canada," he said. "I suspect, although I cannot conclude, that it would not pass because it would not have the standard of evidence to support that claim."
The regulations were brought in following wide consultations, from which a Commons committee produced 53 recommendations about policing natural remedies.
© The Canadian Press, 2003In the above paragraph you will note that as usual the media got it wrong when they report
"The regulations were brought in following wide consultations, from which a Commons committee produced 53 recommendations about policing natural remedies."
The bottom line is Health Canada completely ignored those 53 recommendations and followed thorough with their anti nutritional supplement agenda."
Expect to see the demise of the health food industry within the next three years. After several attempts since 1965 the pharmacartels have got their way.. CW
posted by Sepp Hasslberger on Friday June 20 2003
updated on Tuesday December 21 2010URL of this article:
http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/2003/06/20/canada_clamps_down_on_dangerous_supplements.htm
