Return-Path: jham@concentric.net Errors-To: Date: Sat, 12 Jul 1997 00:16:26 -0400 (EDT) X-Sender: jham@pop3.concentric.net To: DON & LEANNE HOUSDEN From: John Hammell Subject: Re:clarification on: German Proposal Pushed Back to Step 3 in Geneva >> >> John, >> >> Even with Codex back to step "3" does this mean in areas such as >> "PharmaPrinting" and the "geneticaly engineered foods" will continue on >> the fast track? It appears there are many players involved in attempting >> to take over our access and freedom to choose healthy foods and vitmins >> and herbs. >> >> Is this the correct preception of the issues at hand? >> >> Thanks, >> >> Leanne > > Leanne (and everyone on my list) I will be away til the 17th at the NNFA meeting in Las Vegas. You are correct when you say that there are multiple forces at work trying to strip us of our freedoms. In the US right now the biggest threat is coming at us via the Commission on Dietary Supplement Labels Draft Report which is pushing for an OTC drug category for herbs and botanicals. Another US threat is via the new GMPs which FDA is drafting. They constitute bureaucratic overkill and will drive many small manufacturers out of business. FDA was given the right to draft them via DSHEA, which most people mistakenly think is protecting them. Genetically engineered foods are not being regulated by the same Codex committee as dietary supplements, however the corporate push behind them is just as intense. PharmaPrinting is a patented process owned by PharmaPrint Inc. of Irvine CA. They are licensing pharmaceutical companies to use their patented technology which enables herbs to be patented. They have the direct backing of the WHO. This is going on independent of what happens with the German and Canadian Codex proposals. It is important to make the following distinction: there is the long range threat of the German and Canadian Codex proposals, and there is the immediate threat posed by Codex harmonization efforts which are occurring simultaneously world wide as I write this. Example: FDA has just rammed through new restrictions on ephedra/ma huang, imposing a double standard that is not supported by scientific evidence. They are now going to not allow more than 8mg per serving, or more than 24 mg to be consumed/24 hrs, and labels will be required to state "not for use for more than 7 days". This effectively kills selling ma huang for weight loss purposes. How is this justified? A medline search shows zero incidence of death caused by ephedra (ma huang) and 57 peer reviewed incidence of death caused by ephedrine and pseudoephedrine OTC and prescription drug products, yet for those products, FDA allows a far greater mg/serving, and a far greater daily serving. How do they justify this double standard? (answer: they just want to remove ma huang from the market so it won't compete with ephedrine products or with such prescription weight loss products as dexfenfluoramine, which is REALLY dangerous.) FDA's new rule will make ephedra MORE dangerous than it was before because people will now ignore the warnings on the labels, because they are used to seeing labels advising them that its ok to take 20mg 3x/day, and now with the ludicrous change, they might now ignore the quite legitimate warnings on the labels and that could cause deaths and serious injury. Maybe FDA figures this would only help them from a PR standpoint so they could point fingers at dietary supplements in general. They are not above doing this sort of thing. I've seen them do it before. Codex harmonization is occurring around the world. In many countries, such as Canada, people are fighting back hard. Freedom of Choice in Health Care in Canada has temporarily blocked the third phase of cost recovery which would drive many small manufacturers out of business by filing 2 lawsuits which challenge the overly broad Canadian definition of what constitutes a drug, as well as the illegal tax imposed by cost recover. In general, the way the game is being played world wide is the a move is afoot to classify foods as "drugs." This must be stopped, and where it has already happened, it must be reversed via grass roots action. Also: the Florida legislature has ruled that ephedrine and ephedra products (including ma huang) can't be sold in Florida without a prescription. They made the same ruling for the amino acid phenylalanine, and also for DMSO. On monday the Florida Board of Pharmacy will finalize their rules re this. I tried to get letters of protest in, but it may be too late. Its hard to keep my fingers in all the holes in the dyke. While I was fighting hard at the international level, they were coming at me right here in my own backyard. This is why I need donations- to hire a helper, and eventually a whole staff. People all over the US had damn well better pay attention, because this is Codex harmonization. There is an international crusade against ma huang, and the pharmaceutical companies are looking to attack us by any means available. Watch what happens: they just got set back at the international level, so you can be certain that they will redouble their attacks at the state and provencial levels, in hopes of loosening things up so that the next time Codex meets they hope to push their agenda some more. We also have to be very careful of new trade agreements that are waiting in the wings such as MAI (multilateral agreement on investments) through which multinationals are trying to increase control still more. Many forces are shaping this battle for health freedom. Please read Suzanne's closing warnings again carefully, then go back and re-read her whole article in order to more fully absorb what she is saying. Here is her closing statement once more: CLOSING WARNINGS AND CONCERNS >> > >> > I spoke with the NNFA non-voting delegate at the Codex Commission. He and >> > NNFA are trying to cut a deal with the Europeans and are holding a meeting >> > in Europe this fall. I think on September 23. >> > >> > Consumers should be asking: what is the nature of this deal they are trying >> > to cut; and >> > >> > What level of understanding do they have of the entire process. >> > >> > I had the definite feeling that they are trying to cut a deal without truly >> > understanding the game. This could be very, very dangerous for health >> > freedom. Not only do they not appear to understand the international >> > relationships, but they don't appear to understand the parameters of the >> > newly emerging international law in this area. There are few things more >> > dangerous than somebody who thinks he gets the game and really doesn't. >> > >> > Part of what is happening here is that the parameters of the newly >> > emerging international law are not being shared with either the public or >> > with all the lawyers whose practices overlap into this area. Thus you have >> > lawyers out there who are giving advise based on the rules that they know, >> > who haven't got a clue that brand new rules are emerging behind closed >> > doors. For example, without going into details, it became obvious to me at >> > the briefing given by the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures >> > at the WTO on June 30th that it is absolutely vital from an emerging >> > international law perspective that we keep dietary supplements, minerals, >> > herbs, and botanicals classified as foods in the USA and get them >> > reclassified as foods in Canada. ****************************************** 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