Imagine dropping
by your favorite health food store to find it boarded up and out of
business. So you go around to your local drug mart to pick up some
vitamin C, but the only dosage on the shelf is ridiculously low. The
druggist informs you that 60 mg is now the maximum dosage available
without a prescription. So if you've been taking a mega dosage of
vitamin C to help fight heart disease or build up your immunity against
cancer, you'll have to find a doctor willing to prescribe that dosage -
you're no longer free to decide on your own how much of this natural
vitamin you want to take.
Sounds like a nightmare? It gets worse.
Imagine that all of this is the result of new legislation imposed by
lawmakers with direct ties to pharmaceutical companies - powerful
companies that will use the law to create an enormous new source of
profits. Now that's a real nightmare. But what makes it truly
nightmarish is that, incredibly, it will soon become a reality in the
United Kingdom and most of Europe - if the global pharmaceutical
industry has its way.
On March 13th the European Parliament - a 626-member legislative body
representing the 15 European Union countries - passed the "EU Directive
on Dietary Supplements," which classifies vitamins as medical drugs
rather than food supplements. The Directive grants a transition period
of three years for vitamin supplements already on the market. But in
2005, every EU country will be required to implement the Directive.
As it currently stands, in just three years a wide range of natural
remedies will be banned across most of Europe, making as many as 300
ingredients - including chromium picolinate, yeast, lysine, and selenium
- illegal for over-the-counter sale. Other supplements that remain in
stores will contain very low dosage amounts - not enough to provide any
real therapeutic value.
It's almost like they're passing a law against prevention. So not only
are the pharmaceutical companies eliminating competition from natural
products for treating illnesses, they are essentially forcing greater
need for prescription products for citizens of the EU. After all,
without prevention, where will people be forced to turn when they get
even the slightest bit ill? To physicians who will prescribe mainstream
pharmaceuticals or super-strength, prescription-only vitamins supplied
by - guess who - the Pfizers, Mercks, and Bayers of the world.
To make things even worse, a number of European Union Commissioners
have direct links to international pharmaceutical companies. For
instance, a prominent EU Commissioner, Frits Bolkenstein of the
Netherlands, is also a member of the supervisory board of the second
largest pharmaceutical company in the world - Merck, Sharp and Dohme.
The blatant pharmaceutical industry influence on this directive would be
laughable if the consequences weren't so great.
In a smooth double-speak that's almost frightening, the EU Directive
states: "In order to ensure a high level of protection for consumers and
facilitate their choice, the products that will be put on the market
must be safe and bear adequate and appropriate labeling."
The good news is that the "consumers" are not buying it. "Protection?"
To "facilitate their choice?" More than 600 million people read that and
shouted back a resounding, "No!" In what is believed to be the largest
global online petition ever, a staggering 604 million people (to date)
have added their names, demanding continued free access to natural
remedies.
I have signed the petition and I encourage you to do so too if you
believe the availability of natural supplements should not be controlled
by the international pharmaceutical industry. Anyone can sign the
petition - you don't have to be a citizen of a European Union nation to
add your name - and you can find more information and read the petition
at www.vitamins-for-all.org. This web site was created by Dr. Matthias
Rath, a leading researcher in the field of natural treatments for
cancer, and one of the most prominent campaigners against the EU
Directive
And for those of you who think this is a European issue - that this
couldn't happen here - consider this: the United States and the European
Union are each other's largest trade and investment partners. In 2000,
two-way trade in goods and services between the EU and the US totaled
more than $557 billion. With economic ties this deep, any European law
that gives the global pharmaceutical industry such sweeping power over
the health choices of millions, will have global effects. Once they've
conquered Europe, how long before they set their sights on the US
marketplace? Just look at recent directives from the FDA; it's already
happening.
The EU Directive is not yet law. Our HSI associates in London believe
that by the time the Directive is implemented in 2005 there's a chance
that the most oppressive aspects of the legislation might be eliminated,
especially if enough people raise their voices and mobilize against it.
But you can be certain that the Commissioners of the European
Parliament, with special interests and billions of dollars in the
balance, will not back down without a prolonged fight.
In the meantime, we'll be watching, and I'll keep you informed of
developments as they unfold. And we encourage you to sign the petition
demanding open, unrestricted access to natural medicine and supplements
for ALL of us.
To Your Good Health,
Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute
Sources:
Health Confidential; May 2002, Vol 1, No 3
European Union "Directive on Dietary Supplements,"
www.healthchoice.org.uk
European Union in the US: www.eurunion.org
Petition 450/2001: www.vitamins-for-all.org |
