Re: Major Confrontation Brewing Between Big Pharma and Natural Health Movement

From: drlaibow (healthfreedom_at_optonline.net)
Date: 02/01/05 

Date: 1 Feb 2005 11:47:44 -0800

drlaibow Jan 31, 12:01 am show options

Newsgroups: sci.med.nutrition
From: "drlaibow" <healthfree...@optonline.net> - Find messages by this
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Date: 31 Jan 2005 00:01:15 -0800
Local: Mon, Jan 31 2005 12:01 am
Subject: HEALTH THREAT!
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I am an MD who uses natural treatments (Nutritional Medicine­, herbs,
etc.) with my patients. But unless we, the health-oriented ­public,
take action now, in a very short time we will no longer have­ the
legal
right to make these choices. CODEX ALIMENTARIUS (CA) is alr­eady law
in
Australia, Canada and the European Union. As you correctly point out,
CA makes it a cri­me to use,
buy, sell, reccomend or manufacture any natural substance at­ any but
ultra low doses. Unfortunatley, most people in the US tend to resp-ond
to this information as if they were certain it must be an urban legend.

I have created a not-for-profit foundation, the Natural Solution
Foundation, to deal with the problem. I believe that we can create a
network of networks to effectively create a dialogue and effective
action in this country BEFORE CA comes upon us.I would appreciate
contact with others intere
Yours,
Rima E. Laibow, MD
PS: Please feel free to contact me directly at
healthfreedom@optonline.net for more informa­tion on
this serious threat to your health and mine. REL

john wrote:
> Major Confrontation Brewing Between Big Pharma and Natural Health
Movement
>
>
>
> In a strange twist of fate, 2005 has turned out to be the
year
> that the long running battle between big pharma and the entire
natural
> health movement clashes on the world stage. Insidious plans were set
in
> motion many years ago to severely restrict the sale of nutritional
> supplements worldwide using a two-pronged attack in the form of the
EU Food
> Supplements Directive (FSD) and Codex Alimentarius.
>
>
>
> The FSD was passed into law in June 2002 and is scheduled to go into
effect
> in August 2005. The only obstacle that stands between its final
> implementation is a pending lawsuit brought by the Alliance For
Natural
> Health based in the UK. If they aren't successful in overturning the
> Directive in court, it will impact all 25 EU member nations and all
the
> countries that do business with the EU.
>
>
>
> Many of you may wonder why what happens in Europe should concern us
here in
> the US. This is where the second pronged attack in the form of Codex
comes
> into play. After a critical meeting with all member nations in Bonn,
Germany
> in early November 2004, Codex came within one step of ratifying of an
> international agreement to harmonize dietary supplements worldwide.
All that
> 's left to resolve is what the "allowable potency levels" of vitamins
and
> minerals will be. This will be decided in a workshop organized by the
World
> Health Organization (WHO) in May. The reason why supplement consumers
in the
> US need to be concerned is because the EU is going to try and use
what they'
> ve established as "safe upper limits" for the EU Food Supplements
Directive
> as the template for Codex standards. In the minds of these big power
> players, why would they reinvent the wheel? The problem is the US has
one
> vote verses all the votes of the European Union, which is heavily
influenced
> and financed by big pharma.
>
>
>
> I'm sure I'm not the only one who seriously distrusts WHO to decide
> allowable potency levels for vitamins and minerals? In my opinion
this
> organization should be tried for crimes against humanity for the
wholesale
> deaths they've caused worldwide through their mass vaccination
programs.
> These are the kind of dark forces we're up against and that's why
it's
> imperative that ALL of us who enjoy our supplements and distrust
> pharmaceutical drugs should take a firm stand now before these
Gestapo
> tactics are allowed to be implemented.
>
>
>
> The next Codex meeting convenes in July 2005 in Rome, Italy and many
believe
> that a ratified agreement will come out of this meeting. Despite all
the
> double talk from some health food industry trade associations and the
FDA,
> our supplement laws are in grave danger of being replaced with Codex
> standards. The FDA has even gone on record in 1997 stating that US
laws will
> be harmonized to Codex.
>
>
>
> We need to flood Senate and Congress with letters of protest
demanding that
> they protect DSHEA. We also need to tell our representatives that we
refuse
> to allow US laws to be replaced by Codex standards. Our national
sovereignty
> is at stake; Codex represents just one of many steps that are being
taken to
> internationalize the United States. If we can't win on this issue,
how will
> we be able to win on any other issues dealing with international law?
This
> is the biggest attack ever launched by big pharma to wipe out their
> competition and completely control our access to safe, high potency
dietary
> supplements. Instead of being blatantly obvious about it though, they
are
> operating in stealth mode in foreign countries where few in the US
take
> notice of their nefarious deeds.
>
>
>
> While we have a major uphill battle ahead of us, some serious cracks
are
> beginning to show in the pharmaceutical empire. As these powerful
world
> bodies work relentlessly to restrict our free access to life saving
> supplements in 2005, God seems to be allowing this battle to come to
a
> climactic head. Don't you find it rather ironic that at the same time
the
> pharmaceutical industry has upped the ante, their entire industry is
under
> the gun like never before since their 100-year reign of terror began?
Vioxx
> has been pulled from the market, at least five other drugs are listed
as
> dangerously risky, warnings are now required on antidepressant drugs
due the
> possibility of suicidal tendencies, whistleblowers are coming forward
from
> the FDA, pharmaceutical companies, and major journals like the New
England
> Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical
Association
> exposing the corruption and collusion going on. I could spend an
entire
> issue of CRUSADOR just covering the corruption and lies that are now
being
> exposed.
>
>
>
> This is all positive news. As the sleeping masses awaken and start
calling
> pharmaceutical drugs, vaccines, and outdated medical treatments into
> question, the better chance we'll have at winning this battle. All it
takes
> to pierce the darkness is the light of truth. With truth on our side,
there'
> s nothing that these world bodies and world leaders will be able to
do to
> hold us back from eventually winning. We need to unite together with
one
> voice now before it's too late.
>
>
>
> Greg Ciola
>
> Editor
>
>
****************************************************************************
> ************************************************
>
> http://www.rense.com/general62/case.htm
>
> Last-Ditch Bid To Stop
> UK Ban On Supplements
> By Geoffrey Lean and Steve Bloomfield
> The Independent - UK
> 1-24-5
>
> Consumers and producers of popular vitamin and mineral supplements
used by
> thousands every day will this week make a last-ditch attempt to
prevent a
> European Union directive from banning them.
>
> Campaigners claim products from well-known brands including Holland
and
> Barrett, Solgar and Viridian will be removed from the shelves unless
they
> are reformulated.
>
> The campaign against the directive has enlisted the help of a number
of
> high-profile supporters, including Cherie Blair's former lifestyle
adviser
> Carole Caplin and the actress Jenny Seagrove. Dame Judi Dench and
Bianca
> Jagger are also backing the campaign.
>
> A third of women and a quarter of men take health food supplements in
the UK
> and the market is thought to be worth at least £350m a year.
>
> The EU directive lists only 28 vitamins and minerals, and 112 sources
from
> which they were derived for use in food supplements, which can be
sold
> legally after it comes into force on 1 August. It would threaten up
to 5,000
> products, containing more than 200 nutrients, which campaigners claim
have
> been used safely in specialist supplements for many years.
>
> Some large chains, such as Boots, have already reformulated their
products
> to meet the new EU rules and say their customers will see no
difference when
> the directive comes into force. Also, manufacturers who submit
detailed
> scientific dossiers by July this year that prove their ingredients
are safe
> will still be allowed to sell their products.
>
> Campaigners say the cost on suppliers could force smaller firms into
> bankruptcy. Few of the small health food companies can manage the
expense -
> up to £250,000 for each ingredient - and only a handful of safety
dossiers
> are being prepared.
>
> Consumers for Health Choice, who have been leading the campaign
against the
> directive, said that products under threat include Solgar Prenatal
> Nutrients, which contain nutrient sources not on the EU's list, and
Holland
> and Barrett's ABC Plus, which has a high dose of vitamin C.
>
> A court case brought by the National Association of Health Stores and
the
> British Health Foods Manufacturers Association will argue on Tuesday
that
> Brussels is exceeding its powers by imposing a blanket ban. It is
being
> contested by the EU's institutions and by the governments of Greece
and
> Portugal as well as Britain.
>
> On the same day, the Conservatives, who say the measure will outlaw
> virtually every popular multi-vitamin pill sold in the country, will
call in
> the Commons for the ban to be scrapped.
>
> Ministers are concerned that growing public opposition to the ban
will
> affect the referendum on the European Constitution, due after the
general
> election.
>
> Peter Hain, the Leader of the House of Commons, has called it
"unnecessary
> interference" by Brussels, and other ministers have privately
expressed
> sympathy with the protesters. But the Government is still pressing
ahead
> with the ban, and will defend it in the European Court case.
>
> Some reports suggest that some products could cause problems in high
doses,
> but a major body of research demonstrates that deficiencies in
minerals and
> vitamins, levels of which are falling in modern diets, can cause
heart
> disease, osteoporosis, cancer and other conditions.
>
> A recent study published by the American Medical Association shows
that
> taking some mineral and vitamin pills reduces the risk of contracting
cancer
> and cardiovascular disease, and protects foetuses.
>
> The ban, the first of a series of EU measures designed to outlaw a
range of
> alternative medicines, is contained in the Food Supplements
Directive,
> passed in 2002 to harmonise the trade in supplements between EU
member
> states and after lobbying from the pharmaceutical industry.
>
> Sue Croft, a spokeswoman for Consumers for Health Choice, said: "If
this
> directive comes into force it will affect the lives of millions. To
have
> these supplements removed and to put more strain on the NHS is
nothing short
> of a crime. At the election we will be targeting those MPs who do not
vote
> to stop this."
>
> A spokeswoman for Boots, however, which has a third of the vitamin
> supplement market, said the company had been gradually reducing the
level of
> vitamins and minerals in own-brand supplements in line with new
safety
> levels.
>
> "Consumers won't see a huge change," a spokeswoman said. "We fully
support
> this EU directive."
>
> ©2005 Independent News & Media (UK) Ltd.
>
> http://news.independent.co.uk/
>
>
****************************************************************************
> *************************************************
>
> From: Alliance for Natural Health
> To: info@thehealthcrusader.com
> Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2005 12:12 PM
> Subject: EU BAN IS AS TRANSPARENT AS A BLACK BOX
>
> PRESS RELEASE
> For immediate release 25 January 2005
>
> EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE ADVOCATE GENERAL DESCRIBES VITAMIN AND
MINERAL BAN
> "AS TRANSPARENT AS A BLACK BOX"
> UK GOVERNMENT DECIDES NOT TO ATTEND COURT HEARING TO MAKE ITS
OBJECTIONS TO
> THE CHALLENGE
> The Alliance for Natural Health today presented its oral submission
to the
> European Court of Justice in Luxembourg in its landmark case
challenging the
> ban in the EU Food Supplements Directive on 75% of vitamin and
mineral forms
> currently sold in the EU market.
>
> Opposing oral submissions were made by the European Commission, the
Council
> of Ministers, the European Parliament and only one EU Member State,
Greece.
>
> UK Government does not present its objections to the challenge.
> Interestingly, neither the UK government nor Portugal attended to
present
> oral arguments despite having filed Written Observations in the case.
This
> means that none of the major EU countries felt the need to oppose the
ANH's
> application for a declaration that the ban in the Directive was
unlawful.
>
> David Hinde Solicitor and ANH Legal Director said:
>
> "Given the vigour with which the UK government resisted this
application at
> the Judicial Review stage, it was extraordinary it did not now think
the
> issue sufficiently important to warrant being represented at the ECJ
to make
> oral submissions. The question inevitably arises whether this
signifies a
> change of attitude on their part and a retreat from their previously
bullish
> position about the legality of the Directive."
> Paul Lasok QC, a world leading expert on EU law, representing the ANH
opened
> the proceedings and systematically undermined the legal and
scientific basis
> of the Directive, highlighting contradictions between various
arguments put
> forward by the key bodies involved in developing the Directive,
namely the
> European Commission, the Council of Ministers and the European
Parliament.
>
> When asked by Judge Lenaerts as to the origin of the positive list
which
> appeared to have been derived from an old list produced by the
European
> Commission, and so omitted a vast array of nutrients that can
normally be
> found in food, Mr Lasok responded:
>
> "The list was put together without adding, without subtracting and
without
> thinking."
> Advocate General Geelhoed, the senior judge at today's hearing,
appeared to
> be baffled by the procedure for adding nutrients to the positive
list, which
> he described:
>
> "As transparent as a black box."
> Dr Robert Verkerk, executive director of the ANH said after the
hearing:
>
> "It was remarkable that the vast majority of points that we had gone
to
> great length to show the Court were not countered in any effective
way by
> the opposing parties. The Commission, the Council and the Parliament
were
> not able to give any adequate scientific explanations for why so many
forms
> of vitamins and minerals that naturally occur in foods could be
banned
> across the EU."
> Final judgement expected in June 2005
> The Advocate General announced that he would deliver his opinion on 5
April
> 2005, while the Court is expected to give its judgment in June,
shortly
> before the ban would otherwise be set to come into effect on 1 August
2005.
>
> ENDS
>
> For enquiries and further information contact:
>
> Alliance for Natural Health
> www.alliance-natural-health.org
>
> David C. Hinde, Solicitor, Legal Director
> Tel: 0207 738 1640
> Mobile: 07958 548 186
> E-mail: davidh@alliance-natural-health.org
>
> Dr Robert Verkerk, Executive Director
> Tel: 01252 371 275
> Mobile: 0771 484 7225
> E-mail: robv@alliance-natural-health.org
>
> IKON Associates
> (PR for the Alliance for Natural Health)
>
> Adrian Shaw
> Tel: 01483 535102
> Mobile: 0797 9900733
> E-mail: adrian@ikonassociates.com
>
> Notes for editors:
>
> The Alliance for Natural Health is a Europe-wide association of
> manufacturers, distributors, retailers, consumers and complimentary
> practitioners who have an interest in food supplements. More
information,
> including details of members, will be found at
> www.alliance-natural-health.org
>
> Good science and good law underpin all of the ANH's work, and the
scientific
> reports produced by the ANH are endorsed by many of the world's
leading
> doctors and scientists working in the field of nutrition.
>
> If the ban on vitamins and minerals is implemented there is much at
stake:
>
> Over 5000 products will disappear from the shelves of UK health
stores as a
> result of the ban removing access to over 300 vitamin and mineral
> ingredients (out of a total of 420). These include amongst others the
main
> natural forms of Vitamin E, many forms of vitamin C and MSM and
minerals
> such as vanadium, silicon and boron, all being products which
millions of
> consumers choose to take as part of their regular health regime and
have
> done so without any ill effects for many years.
> An individual's freedom of choice to take safe natural health
products will
> be removed - 40% of the UK's population take vitamins and minerals.
> Products are to be banned with absolutely no scientific
justification. Many
> of the world's leading scientific and medical experts in nutrition
support
> this.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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