To all concerned about health freedom: 
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Subject: German WHO Codex Dietary Regulations

The Germans have the largest phytopharmaceutical industry in the world. They want to dominate the world wide sale of herbal products. Other multinational pharmaceutical companies want to control herbs, but also ALL OTHER dietary supplements, and they're trying to on a country by country basis as well as through the Codex commission.

Who's on the 'Dietary supplement label commission?

First- for those who I'm bccing this to: the Label Commission was installed into DSHEA as a Trojan Horse, and there is a comments period on their draft report til August 4 unless we get it extended. Get a copy of the report by calling the Commission's Response Center at 301-650-0382, or by fax 301-650-0398. Its free. The Label Commission is dominated by pro-pharmaceutical forces, although some of its members are on our side.

The pro pharmaceutical forces are trying to push for an OTC drug category for herbs. They are also attacking ephedra in the report, even though the comments period for rulemaking on ephedra haven't concluded. There is no peer reviewed scientific evidence that ephedra is dangerous. Do a medline search. No mention of ephedra, only of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. Majority of label commission members support FDA's proposed double standard whereby ma huang, ephedra would be regulated far more stringently than ephedrine OTC drug products which have been documented to cause deaths, whereas ephedra has not been.

  They want to create an OTC drug category for herbs and botanicals which would move everything in the wrong direction. Their report doesn't carry the force of law, but will be used as a prelude to rulemaking that could destroy all gains made under DSHEA. Rather than trying to legislate an OTC category for herbs, it makes a lot more sense to stand firm on first amendment grounds and sue the FDA in order to make truthful health claims. We don't need an OTC category for herbs- that would be a slippery slope to disaster for our industry and for consumers.

Members of the Commission on Dietary Supplement Labels Chair: Malden C. Nesheim, Ph.D. Provost Emeritus, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.

Annette Dickinson, Ph.D., Director, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs, Council for Responsible Nutrition, Washington DC

Norman R. Farnsworth, Ph.D., Research Professor of Pharmacognosy and Senior University Scholar, College of Pharmacy, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.

Margaret Gilhooley, L.L.B., Professor, Seton Hall University School of Law, Newark, New Jersey

Kenneth D. Fisher, Ph.D., Executive Director

C. Elizabeth Castro, Ph.D., Senior Research Fellow

Kathryn Y. Mc Murry, M.S., Nutrition and Food Science Advisor

Shiriki K. Kumanyika, Ph.D., M.P.H., Professor and Head Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

Robert S. McCaleb, President, The Herb Research Foundation, Boulder, Colorado

Anthony Podesta, President, Podesta Associates, Washington DC

Linda D. Meyers, Ph.D., Deputy Director of Science and Nutrition

Sandy Saunders, Secretary

Address: Commission on Dietary Supplement Labels Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Hubert H. Humphrey Building Rm 738 G 200 Independence Ave. SW Washington, DC 20201

Why, given all the 'new' emphasis on 'alternative medicine' is this not being better 'fought' by those involved (e.g.,Dr. Andrew Weil?)

Andrew Weil undoubtedly either does not see this issue, or if he does see it, he is either not aware of its significance or is taking the side of the pharmaceutical industry. I need help in reaching out to a lot of people who need to be educated on the issue because I'm working alone, trying to do the work of 6 people.

There are a lot of people who appear to be on our side, who really aren't. Appearances can be deceiving. For example, Nature's Way vitamin company is in a joint venture with Madaus AG and Schwabe, the two largest German phytopharmaceutical companies. They have been doing everything humanly possible to drive their smaller competition completely out of business. They don't mind the FDA's proposed pharmaceutical GMPs for that reason, and in Canada, they don't mind the Drug Identification Number classification system because it will drive a lot of their smaller competition out of business. Also, Canada's largest vitamin company, Quest, is owned by Boerhinger Ingleheim, a large German pharmaceutical company. Mergers, alliances, and acquisitions are occurring all over the supplement industry right now as people sell out to offshore drug companies in an effort to get close to sources of money and patents. Companies that sell out, don't usually advertise it. Nature's Way initially had prominent mention of their German affliations in their web site, but removed them when my efforts caused them to be boycotted by a lot of people.

Why haven't all the various 'supplement' manufacturers and distributors (i.e.Natrol,GNC,Sunshine Health Group) banded together to provide funds for those such as yourself and other lobbyists? (this last one REALLY worries me).

See above. Some have sold out. Others aren't aware of the threat, which is rather complex and not easily seen or understood. Then some belong to trade associations, and some trade associations are fighting back, while some have sold out. I haven't had time to solicit heavily for donations from these companies. My back is to the wall. I have been in there pitching at a grass roots level. I was instrumental in getting the German Codex proposal knocked back to step 3 from step 5 at the recent Codex meeting in Geneva due to catalyzing awareness of the issue all over the world. However, country by country takeover campaigns are ongoing,and the Germans won't rest easy with what just happened in Geneva- they'll be out in force trying to shmooze third world countrys in an effort to line up votes for the next meeting.

In ending, let me also mention something I've become aware of recently that makes GATT and NAFTA pale in comparison: it is the 'Multilateral Agreement on Investments';with this in place, multinational corporation WILL 'rule the world'. What is truly sad is the lack of publicity -even in the 'alternative world'- concerning it. Even tho' I haven't any money to contribute to you at this time, please feel free to ask for that which I can contribute (time,energy,and desire). Bruce

Bruce- Some people I'm working closely with are very concerned about MAI. I haven't had time yet to begin to research it, but need to. I've been told some basic things about it and am very concerned. You could help me a lot by providing information about MAI as well as by telling me sources to go to in order to learn more. Debbie Anderson in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada has been studying MAI as has Bruce Johnston of Toronto, Canada. They are both very active in Freedom of Choice in Health Care which is suing the HPB in an effort to defend natural products in Canada. I need to rapidly get more up to speed on MAI, and welcome your assistance. What is your phone number so I can call you about this?

Regards, John Hammell

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International Advocates for Health Freedom
John C. Hammell, Legislative Advocate
2411 Monroe St.#2 Hollywood, FL 33020 USA
800-333-2553, 954-929-2905, FAX 954-929-0507,
FAX ON DEMAND 954-927-8795,jham@concentric.net
http://www.pnc.com.au/~cafmr/hammell/index.html