Monday, March 07, 2005

* Dealing the Deathblow to Supplements *

For over a decade world governments have tried to restrict your access to supplements through something called the Codex Alimentarius. The Codex was set up among 165 nations to govern food standards...supposedly to ensure international food safety.

But like most things governments get their hands on, it turned into something much different.

In the late '90s German drug companies got Codex to start pushing the idea to classify all supplements as DRUGS! Plus, under the German proposal, Codex would create its own list of "approved" supplements. All others become illegal. Two years ago, the European Union accepted this directive and plans to enforce it starting next August. It is a deathblow to supplements in Europe.

I thought the U.S. would never adopt such an extreme restriction but I've had to think again. In 1997, only an 11th-hour blitz by consumer advocates prevented it from happening here. And the matter has come under consideration again.

But Codex isn't the only threat to supplements in the U.S. A recent action in Europe spearheaded by the Germans may still get those restrictions enacted another way: through the World Trade Organization.

When we signed on with the WTO, we agreed to revise our regulations to comply with WTO policies. If we don't, the WTO can bring us before their Dispute Resolution Panel and force us to do so!

If they have their way, you'll lose access to thousands of natural products forever.

It recently happened in Australia. Over 1,300 products were recalled by a government agency. Under very suspicious circumstances. And it devastated health stores there. They had to pull 80% of their inventory off their shelves!

* What You Can Do *


If we want to keep our rights to alternative medicine, we have to stand together. And here's how you can help. Support the case brought by the British Alliance for Natural Health. They've filed suit to overturn the European Food Supplements Directive. You can get more information about it at www.alliance-natural-health.org. Write your state and national politicians and tell them to oppose these two acts: S.722, the Dietary Supplement Act, and H.R. 377, the Dietary Supplement Access and Awareness Act.

Time is running out. Promise yourself to do these two things today.






Wednesday, March 02, 2005