AER Bill Introduced in the House

On Monday, HR 6168, was introduced in the House. The lead sponsor is Chris Cannon, (R-UT), along with 8 other Republicans and 2 Democrats. The bill has been referred to the Energy and Commerce Committee, with little chance for consideration this year. Legislatively, this prevents a Senate passed bill from being held at the desk in the House, at the request of Pelosi, et al.

AER Bill Update

Tuesday morning - we've just heard that the AER bill is ready to be dropped on the floor. Please contact your representatives ASAP and help spread the word.

The latest about the AER Bill

S.3546 the Dietary Supplement and Non-Prescription Drug Consumer Protection Act (the AER bill) is the latest bill impacting dietary supplements.

If S. 3546 becomes law, it will amend the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to require the reporting of “serious” adverse events for both over the counter (OTC) drugs and dietary supplements to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

We have just heard that the AER bill has been added to the Senate calendar, and staff expect it to be considered this week. What is unknown is whether it will be a roll call vote (recorded) or under unanimous consent*. Recorded is preferable and is expected.

*unanimous consent - A Senator may request unanimous consent on the floor to set aside a specified rule of procedure so as to expedite proceedings. If no Senator objects, the Senate permits the action, but if any one Senator objects, the request is rejected. Unanimous consent requests with only immediate effects are routinely granted, but ones affecting the floor schedule, the conditions of considering a bill or other business, or the rights of other Senators, are normally not offered, or a floor leader will object to it, until all Senators concerned have had an opportunity to inform the leaders that they find it acceptable.

There is still time to halt this bill if we make our voice heard today and encourage others to contact Congress as well. Contact Congress through our online action center.

We are reading the bill report now and will post more shortly. At first glance it appears that importation will be affected, private labeling will most likely disappear, and third-party vendors will be created to handle the AER process for the manufacturers.

von Eschenbach Confirmation On Hold

Due to the negative response from thousands of people, and the backfiring on the FDA's tentative Plan B over-the-counter emergency oral contraceptive proposal, the Senate HELP Committee has delayed a vote on the nomination of Andrew von Eschenbach, MD to be the next FDA Commissioner.

HELP committee Chairman Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY) is planning to seek a vote in committee in September, when Congress returns from its August recess period. Two HELP Committee members have said that they will put a "hold" on a full Senate vote, even if approved by the HELP committee, until the Plan B issue is resolved. This means that until these "holds" are released, even if voted out of the HELP committee, the full Senate cannot vote on the nomination.

Please continue to urge your Senators to ask important health freedom questions of von Eschenbach - just click here: http://ga4.org//campaign/FDA_questions.

Breaking News: Ruling for Cherrix family

Abraham Cherrix DOES NOT have to report to a Norfolk hospital for forced chemotherapy.

That's the ruling Tuesday afternoon by an Accomack County Circuit Court judge, after lawyers for 16-year-old Starchild Abraham Cherrix appealed a ruling by a juvenile court judge.

Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell filed a brief to the Circuit Court Tuesday supporting a stay, arguing that Abraham deserves the right to appeal the order to the Circuit Court before undergoing medical treatment.

Judge Glen Tyler said Abraham and his parents will get a new trial in Circuit Court as soon as possible. (NEW: Trial is set for August 16 & 17.)

The judge also returned full custody of Abraham to his parents. That ruling suspends an order by the juvenile court judge that required Abraham's parents to share custody with the Accomack County Department of Social Services.

This is a new territory for the American Association for Health Freedom (AAHF) and Health Freedom Foundation (HFF). We were contacted last week by Sharon Smith (the Cherrix family representative) and since then we have been hearing about other cases where the parents and authorities clashed over a minor’s treatment. This is not about choosing an "alternative" treatment but about what is the legal (and constitutional) rights of parents and the state system in regards to children's health. We are gathering information and will be developing a national solution to this critical and heartbreaking issue. We are assisting the family as best as we can with legislative, legal, and PR efforts. Please share your stories and ideas (send to healthfreedom2000@yahoo.com).

You might also be interested in reading a recent article by our Vice-President, Dr. Sherri Tenpenny, titled “WHO OWNS YOUR CHILD?”

Your financial support is greatly needed and here are two ways you can help.

1) If you would like to support the Health Freedom Foundation efforts in addressing this issue, please make a tax-deductible donation today, click here.

2) If you would like to support the family directly with a financial contribution, please send your check to:
Abraham Cherrix Fund
c/o RBC Centura Bank
2422 Princess Anne Rd.
Virginia Beach, VA 23456

If you have any questions about the Cherrix fund you can email: abrahamsfund@abrahamsjourney.com

Brenna Hill
Executive Director
Health Freedom Foundation and American Association for Health Freedom
4620 Lee Highway, Suite 210
Arlington, VA 22207
1.800.230.2762
Fax: 703.294.6380
www.healthfreedom.net

Update on Abraham Cherrix

Abraham's lawyers filed a motion today at 10:30 a-m in Accomack County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court to try to stop enforcement of a judge's order requiring Abraham Cherrix, 16-year-old Eastern Shore cancer patient to report to a hospital by Tuesday, July 25th and have his parents authorize treatment (i.e., chemo).

The family will be supporting Abraham in his decision to not accept chemo and understands that this could be a long and hard struggle.

If Abraham is forced to comply with the order, "there's no way to undo the chemotherapy and radiation" and essentially that would end their path to further appeals.

As of 5:15pm (EST), they have not heard from the courts. The lawyers will be on Court TV tonight and Abraham and his father Jay will be on Hannity & Colmes tonight.

State of VA forcing a 16-year to receive chemo

Whether you believe in integrative medicine or not, this is a terrible situation.

16-year old Abraham Cherrix has cancer - Hodgkin’s. He responded poorly to chemo last summer and in fact believed that it was killing him. By the time he got home after the treatments, he couldn’t walk – his father would have to carry him into the house.

So he started to do research and decided to try a treatment (organic foods and herbal supplements – Hoxsey) in Mexico. His father, Jay, a bit skeptical, traveled with the then 15-year to Tijuana. When they returned, the parents talked to their son’s oncologist and told her that the family wanted to try an alternative therapy because the chemo was not working but wanted her to stay on and monitor the progress. She was very dismissive of their choice and told them she wanted no part of it. As soon as they left, she called family services.

Not long after, the family received a summons to family court where they erroneously thought they just needed to explain their course of treatment. They walked in with no legal representation and ultimately lost partial custody of Abraham (who was also under court orders to not leave the state of Virginia).

With the help of Sharon Smith, a local woman who read about them, the family attained lawyers and started to receive national media attention. )

They parents self-employed (run a kayaking business on an island on the Eastern Shore of VA) and do not have financial resources to undertake this type of battle so they are relying on donations and pro bono work.

The judge (who is a visiting judge, who’s expertise is real estate) was supposed to email his final ruling on Tuesday, July 18. It did not come and there was no explanation as to why or when it would be delivered. Would you be surprised to learn that the judge gave his ruling on Friday, July 21st at 5:20pm? That is a common trick that is used when people DO NOT want the media to pick up an item. It is very hard to generate action and attention over the weekend.

The judge ruled that the parents were neglectful and that they needed to go to the hospital by Tuesday, July 25th and sign the papers authorizing that the doctors could provide the treatment that they – as medical professionals – deem necessary.

We cannot allow this to happen. There are legal, PR, and legislative/political maneuvering that must start immediately.

We are working with the family and our general counsel, Mike Ruggio has been in discussion with the Cherrix’s lawyers. Additionally we are contacting members of Congress and the family has been visiting local representatives.

We will shortly have a plan of action for you and will need your support. Your voice, your outrage, your ideas, and your financial support are all greatly needed.
We will be updating the blog over the next few days with ways you can help and with any late breaking news.

Here are some of the recent news articles:

USA Today
Abraham's website (temporarily down due to exceeded bandwidth)
CNN
MSNBC

We believe our bill Access to Medical Treatment Act (HR 2792/S.2618) while addressing the issue in a peripheral manner, would not help Abraham directly because Mexico is not named as one of the countries. Though it would help other children and adults so please take a moment to support the bill.

Brenna Hill
Executive Director
Health Freedom Foundation and American Association for Health Freedom
4620 Lee Highway, Suite 210
Arlington, VA 22207
1.800.230.2762
Fax: 703.294.6380
www.healthfreedom.net
email: healthfreedomblog@yahoo.com

The Dietary Supplement AER Bill

American Association for Health Freedom would like to thank Senators Hatch and Harkin for their work on S.3546 the Dietary Supplement and Non-Prescription Drug Consumer Protection Act (the AER bill). We appreciate their long-time support and belief in the right of the consumer to access dietary supplements. Ultimately, after careful review of the bill, we DO NOT support S. 3546.

If S. 3546 becomes law, it will amend the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to require the reporting of “serious” adverse events for both over the counter (OTC) drugs and dietary supplements to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

As the bill has already been voted on by the HELP Committee, we need you to take action today and encourage your contacts to do the same. We must move fast to make our voices heard. Click here to contact Congress.

As the politically active voice of the healthcare practitioner and their patients, AAHF sees S. 3546 as part of a bigger picture that would like to treat dietary supplements more like pharmaceuticals and not as food as it currently stands. We believe that as soon as you accept differential treatment between dietary supplements (as concentrated nutrient forms) and conventional foods, you have given up very valuable ground.

S. 3546 would also discourage consumers from properly submitting their adverse events. Consumers should be discussing their adverse event reactions (especially “serious adverse events” as per the bill) with their healthcare practitioner rather than just sending a complaint to the manufacturer or retailer. There is a serious potential for abuse of the system and supplements could easily be blamed in place of things as divergent as pharmaceutical drugs, recreational drugs, genetic sensitivities, food intolerances, alcohol abuse, etc. A healthcare professional is crucial to determining the adverse event and ensuring that needless blame is not pointed towards the wrong substance.

Additionally, the FDA is already broken and this bill would just add to its misery. The FDA's own enforcement reports (for drug products) show it to be an agency under increasing pressure to do more with less. The number of warning letters issued to pharmaceutical companies has dropped over the past 10 years even as product recalls have increased. In other words, the agency is allowing more manufacturer product mistakes to reach the market. Adding supplements would reduce enforcement efficiency even more - for both drugs and supplements. This bill is a classic demonstration of the federal government wasting money to protect the public from a relatively small health threat on the part of dietary supplements. In fact, food is actually more dangerous than dietary supplements and cause 5,000 deaths and over 80 million hospitalizations a year in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

We do not wish to discourage the dietary supplement industry in reporting their adverse events and we believe that over-the-counter medications should have a mandatory adverse event reporting process but S.3546 is not what is best for the American dietary supplement consumer.

Because we’re all about the consumers right to choose and be informed, we wanted to let you know that if you decide that this a bill that you want to support, please visit Citizens for Health or National Nutritional Food Association for more information.

Brenna Hill
Executive Director
Health Freedom Foundation and American Association for Health Freedom
4620 Lee Highway, Suite 210
Arlington, VA 22207
1.800.230.2762
Fax: 703.294.6380
www.healthfreedom.net

A Bad Year for Washington Post Articles

I’m As Mad As Hell And I’m Not Going To Take It Anymore. Are You?

I opened the Washington Post this morning and discovered that once again it is slamming integrative medicine and dietary supplements. Another black eye from mainstream media. Well, enough is enough. It is time to put up our dukes and come out fighting! We need to come together as a community and educate (and shame) them into balanced and fair reporting. Isn’t it time to have our research and testimonies seen in such a major media source?

Repeatedly, the Washington Post has printed articles that are little more than press releases from pharmaceutical companies, the government, and big trade associations. Or even worse, Big Pharma-funded educational institutions with “new” studies showing the “dangers” or “ineffectiveness” of therapies and supplements that are commonly accepted in the “alternative” world as safe and effective.

Okay, so we don’t have the money to power the PR machine that the drug czars have. We do have the might on our side. Let’s use one of the best tools at our disposal. Our voice. Read below to find out how you can help make an impact.

Today’s issue of the Washington Post Health section includes the following:

A Bad Year for Favorites. When Put to the Test, Americans’ Most Trusted Supplements Failed. Highlights the following: Glucosamine & Chondroitin Sulfate; Calcium and Vitamin D; B Vitamins, Multivitamins, and Echinacea. The articles points to studies (but does not name them) to show the evidence that these supplements are ineffective. Below, we give you more information about the studies mentioned.

No Needles. Acupuncture No Better Than Placebo for Hot Flashes. Uses a study by Mayo Clinic and says that investigators were disappointed with results.

Fx for Salt. Cut it Out. The article starts off with a plug for American Medical Association and their weak resolution of “50 percent reduction in sodium content of processed foods, fast foods, and restaurant meals over the next 10 years.” I guess it’s better than nothing.

Natural Herbal. An article talking about how mostly ethnic communities don’t associate medicinal herbs with pills and instead use the leaves, roots, and roots, and fruit into teas and potions “claimed to have health benefits – though few are proved.” The article uses Consumers Reports’ Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database as source.

Please take a few moments to read for yourself the articles. Visit the Washington Post Health Section (you may have to sign up, it's free).

Then use our online action center to send your response to the Publisher, Editor, Health Section, and Reporter.

UPDATE: In less than 24 hours, over 1,500 letters have been sent. Please take a moment to write your own response!


STUDIES

Glucosamine/Chondroitin

Study: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)

A common flaw with this trial (as most clinical trials) is that they did not use the commercially available supplements.

The article almost throws away the mention that the supplements did reduce moderate-to-severe joint pain by 25%. Not mentioned are results from a 24-week clinical trial in Europe that found that glucosamine sulfate was more effective in relieving osteoarthritis pain than the pain medicine acetaminophen. The results of both the studies were presented at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Rheumatology.

Jim Roy, Pharm-D, clinical pharmacist for Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana, suggests, “The studies that have been done are not large, but the preponderance of evidence from smaller studies justifies consideration of the supplements for osteoarthritis patients.”

Also not mentioned an important study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine (July 14, 2003) showed that glucosamine and chondroitin significantly improved symptoms of osteoarthritis and also improved joint mobility for 1 in 5 patients studied.

A separate study suggests glucosamine may actually slow the progression of osteoarthritis, according to The Lancet (January 24, 2001). This three-year study involved 212 people with osteoarthritis in their knees. The study found that patients who took glucosamine experienced far less deterioration than those who did not. Patients who were given glucosamine also reported decreased joint pain.

Calcium and Vitamin D

Study: Calcium with Vitamin D (CaD)
Sponsored by Women’s Health Initative, National Institutes of Health
Trial of 36,282 postmenopausal women ages 50 to 79.

Using this study and findings feels likes a filler. The findings show that Calcium and Vitamin D help PMS. Overall, the supplements were well tolerated by participants and the only adverse effect found was a 17 percent increase in kidney stones which the experts say the benefits outweigh the negligible risk.

B Vitamins

Studies: Reported in the New England Journal of Medicine
1) Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation-2 (HEART-2)
Sponsored by Hamilton Health Sciences - McMaster University Medical Centre, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and Population Health Research Institute.
HEART-2 involved 5,522 patients, age55 or older, with vascular disease or diabetes and spread across 13 countries. They were randomly assigned to take daily doses of either a placebo or a combination of 2.5 milligrams of folic acid, 50 milligrams of vitamin B-6, and 1 milligram of vitamin B-12 over an average of five years.

2) The Norwegian Vitamin Trial (NORVIT)
Sponsored by University of Tromso, The Norwegian Research Council, The Council on Health and Rehabilitation, Norway, The Norwegian Council on Cardiovascular Disease, Northern Norway Regional Health Authority, and The Norwegian Red Cross

NORVIT enrolled 3,749 men and women ages 30 to 85 years at Norwegian hospitals, each of whom had a heart attack within a week of being assigned one of four daily treatments. Some patients received a placebo while others were given either 40 milligrams of vitamin B-6; a combination of0.8 milligrams of folic acid, 0.4 milligrams of vitamin B-12 and 40 milligrams of B-6, or 0.8 milligrams of folic acid and 0.4 milligrams of B-12.

Summary. These studies did not test if Vitamin B could keep healthy people, healthy. Instead they tested people with heart disease to see if Vitamin B could treat or reverse heart disease. The HOPE-2 study did have some positive findings, including a statistically significant 25% reduction in nonfatal strokes. There are at least nine clinical trials now on-going or recently completed looking at whether B vitamins can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease so there will be more data to review shortly.

Multivitamins

Study: National Institutes of Health, May 2006

Here are some basic flaws with the NIH findings:
1) Common multivitamins are synthetic and manufactured by Big Pharma.
2) Multivitamins could be beneficial to millions of Americans who struggle with nutrition and diet.
3) NIH used their findings to call for tighter regulations. In fact, dietary supplements have been defined by Congress as a category of food which is now more closely regulated than most other food categories. Do people get sick from eating food? Of course, in fact there are hundreds of deaths every year from food poisonings and allergic reactions. On the other hand, there are virtually no deaths from taking dietary supplements. According to date in official reports from the American Association of Poison Control Centers it is safer taking a dietary supplement than to eat a meal! Additionally, the FDA has repeatedly testified before Congress that it does not require any additional laws or changes to regulate supplements that the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act gives them all the power that they need.

Echinacea

I believe the reporter was referencing the University of Virginia study but there is a discrepencany with the number of patients. The article lists 437 study participants but the University of Virginia study had 399 patients. There was an earlier study with 407 children.

University of Virginia Health System received a $2.2 million grant from National Institutes of Health to study Echinacea in 1992. (Note: Echinacea was listed as the 5th best-selling supplement in 1999, with sales of approx. $72 million.)

Basic flaws with this study (American Botanical Council):

1) The extracts used were made in a university laboratory and do not correlate with commercial Echinacea products currently available to consumers.
2) The dosages used are considered too low to have much value. Either higher dosage levels or more frequent dosing intervals would have been better.
3) Dosage recognized by the World Health Organization is about 330% higher than the dosage used in the study.

Note: The New England Journal of Medicine ran an editorial by Wallace Sampson, MD, a well-known opponent of integrative medicine and dietary supplements. In fact, he is a “beloved” quackbuster. On April 22, 2003, a California Appeals Court declared that Wallace Sampson MD (Scientific Review of Alternative and Aberrant Medicine) "were found to be biased and unworthy of credibility."

Mercury in flu shots

This video (http://www.infowars.com/video/clips/humor/121205_airfarce_flu_vaccine.htm) from Canada underscores the public's lack of knowledge of what really goes in to flu shots. And do we really need them to begin with?

I think not.

FDA Reform Legislation

Yesterday, Jonathan Emord gave the following speech before an estimated audience of 300,000 at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. March in Atlanta, Georgia:

Ladies and Gentlemen:

I am here to report some very sad news. The Federal Food and Drug Administration is controlled by the largest drug companies in the world.

I am here to tell you that FDA serves the drug companies' interests, not yours.

FDA protects their profits at the expense of your health and your life's savings.

The solution is the Health Freedom Protection Act, H.R. 4282. Demand that Congress pass H.R. 4282. Thank Atlanta Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney for supporting H.R. 4282.

You may not know this but FDA prohibits true information about how inexpensive natural nutrients treat disease. Why? To protect drug company profits. What do we need to do? Pass H.R. 4282.

25% of African Americans have Type II diabetes. FDA censors the true claim that chromium and vanadium treat Type II diabetes. Why? To protect drug company profits. What do we need to do? Pass H.R. 4282.

40% of African Americans have heart disease. FDA censors the true claim that fish oil treats heart disease. Why? To protect drug company profits. What do we need to do? Pass H.R. 4282.

Millions of African Americans have osteoarthritis. FDA censors the true claim that chicken cartilage treats osteoarthritis. Why? To protect drug company profits. What do we need to do? Pass H.R. 4282.

FDA even censors the claim that calcium reduces the risk of bone fractures and that prune juice treats chronic constipation. Why? to protect drug company profits. What do we need to do? Pass H.R. 4282.

Please stand up to protect your rights.

Dr. Martin Luther King told us that "freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."

Lets demand an end to FDA oppression. Go to StopFDACensorship.org. Email your support for H.R. 4282 to Congress. Do it today. Its your health freedom. Protect it.

Please contact Congress today using our online Action Center, just click http://ga4.org/campaign/FDA_reform

Codex and muddy waters

We sent out a message (see below) to our email list and wanted to clarify something.

Towards the end of the message, we referred to other organizations for more information. First, we were ONLY referring to other nonprofit organizations. To list individuals (activists, journalists, or websites) would be too comprehensive for us to undertake at this time. Additionally, nonprofits are governed by a Board of Directors and have member responsibilities as well as transparency (have to file with the IRS).

Secondly, if a nonprofit is not listed it does not meant that they are not credible. We were offering referrals to only those organizations that we know personally, who were dealing with Codex, and we would be able to vouch for them without hesitation.

As always, we suggest you do your own research and pick who you listen to carefully. Best, Brenna



We know several of you are concerned and/or confused about Codex. We hope the following helps you.

Brief Codex Snapshot

On the global front, the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) is creating dozens of international food standards. There are 27 committees, each dealing with a specific area. The Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (the Committee) covers vitamins and minerals and has created the Codex Guidelines for Vitamin and Mineral Food Supplements (Guidelines) and was recently adopted by the Committee.

Why It Concerns Us

Codex Alimentarius concerns us for many reasons, listed below are a few of the reasons.

1) The United States, through representation to Codex by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should not be involved in setting international food standards. The FDA Modernization Act of 1997 expressly forbids the agency from participating in the harmonization process for foods and dietary supplements. The agency has chosen, however, to interpret this language to mean that it is not obligated to participate but it may, at its own discretion, decide to do so. This mean that unelected bureaucrats are representing the “will of the American people” even after Congress told them not to. This is the basis of our Codex position paper published several years ago.

2) While the Codex Alimentarius does not have any enforcement under its own banner, it is through the World Trade Organization (WTO) that it gets its real power. CAC is recognized by the WTO as an international reference point for the resolution of disputes and that the WTO can use any Codex document as a mandatory trade standard. While the WTO does not have the power to overturn US law, it can “force” changes through imposing trade sanctions. Fines are daily as long as the domestic law remains in place. Recently Lori Wallach from Public Citizen testified before Congress and cited that in 42 out of 48 cases the WTO has ruled against the US.

3) The CAC is representing what is best for industry, not for the people. The CAC is powered by international industrial lobbying groups. The original proposals for the food code came from Germany: they were made by a panel sponsored by three giant drug companies: Hoechst, Bayer and BASF. Countries that regulate vitamins and minerals as drugs are not covered by the Guidelines. Interestingly, herbs do not fall under the same category as vitamins and minerals – they are treated differently and have been removed from consideration by Codex, at least for the moment.

4) There is concern that the Guidelines, acting as they are intended to do, as worldwide standards for global trade, will create a momentum pressuring supplement manufacturers to reformulate their products so that they conform. This would be economically and politically coercive and could straightjacket the industry, block out innovation and remove some of the most effective products, many of which are shown to be effective at (the threatened) higher dosages. It would be difficult for the smaller to medium companies to carry two product lines, one for export and one for the domestic market, so the shelves in the U.S. could be affected - whether or not the WTO was to use legal action. The Guidelines are intended to serve as a template for containment (See Suzanne Harris’s article at the Law Loft and http://www.coalitionforhealthfreedom.org/docs/Comments_on_CAFTA_v7.pdf.) Like many changes that affect us the most, these decisions are made, not in Congress, but in boardrooms and by bureaucrats, offshore, quite beyond the reach of grassroots opinion, global regulators to whom our legislators have surrendered their power.

The framework for this is being introduced gradually and right now. Later, when the effects are felt, it may be too late to change things.
These concerns are why we organized and hosted a 2-day Codex workshop in April 2005. We brought together the leading health freedom organizations Codex experts, and activists, both domestic and international. We discussed the Codex issue and the potential threat to the US. We strategized how we could work together and what would have the most impact.

The meeting was successful on two fronts. First and foremost, it deepened relationships between organizations and showcased who we wanted to be working with (those organizations and individuals who were knowledgeable and credible). Secondly, a coalition did form from the workshop. AAHF Executive Director, Brenna Hill is on the Board of Directors along with Rob Verkerk (Alliance for Natural Health), Frank Cuny (CA Citizens for Health Freedom), Ronnie Cummins (Organic Consumers Association) among others and we’re pleased to announce that Dr. Jonathan Wright has agreed to be on the Board as well. We have been working quietly behind the scenes and will be going public with our strategies shortly. In the meantime check out http://www.coalitionforhealthfreedom.org/ for more information.

What Now?

In July 2005, the Committee adopted the Guidelines for Vitamin and Mineral Food Supplements, despite their many failings. It is important to note that the Guidelines are nothing more than a loose framework. The Committee is now turning towards the science, as Scott Tips from National Health Federation writes “filling in the framework of those Guidelines with numbers and identities.” Essentially the Committee intends to set maximum upper limits for the potency of every food-supplement ingredient (the “numbers”) that will appear on the not-yet-created positive list of allowable ingredients (the “identities”). The Guidelines are done – they are finalized and approved. We lost that battle and need to focus on the science. This is the really dangerous part and should be one of the top priorities of the health freedom movement in dealing with Codex.

Muddying the Waters

Without getting into each and every misconception out there (isn’t the Internet great?), we wanted to focus on a few common threads that come up often.

There have been claims that a Codex Congressional Hearing/Briefing was to be held last September and some people stated that they were invited to speak. That was not true and we’re unsure of where the misinformation happened. What we do know is that Rep. Ron Paul scheduled the Sept. 18 briefing to discuss his bill, HR 4282-Health Freedom Protection Act with speakers Jonathan Emord and Drs. Whitaker and Simone. Other people sent in their resumes to be considered as a speaker but they were not invited and the briefing was not about Codex (though when the time is right, we’ll work with other organizations and Congress to schedule an event). We were surprised to see an email sent a few days before the event declaring that Big Pharma was responsible for changing the agenda and getting speakers pulled. Not true. There is also no truth to the email that followed shortly “correcting” the first email by claiming it was other health freedom organizations that changed the agenda due to jealousy. Most of the organizations that we work with are here to make a difference, to achieve results – not build egos, make money, or other nefarious reasons and I think our track record shows that. I also find it a bit laugable for someone to suggest that dedicated health freedom ally, Rep. Ron Paul could be so easily swayed -- either by pharmaceutical industry or health freedom organizations.

You might have heard about a Citizen’s Petition to the FDA to abide by US laws and remove its support for Codex Alimentarius. This is ineffective but inoffensive, if it makes you feel better than by all means, sign it, but please note that in our opinion, it will have little to no effect. There is a certain attraction to “action” so we understand that it makes people feel that they are doing something but please don’t get your hopes up about its success and don't let this be your "one and only" action.

After the July 2005 meeting of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in Rome, a number of websites picked up a report from a group claiming a “miracle” had occurred, and that the WHO and the FAO had expressed “significant displeasure with the anti-health approach to nutrition taken by Codex over the past 4 decades.” Health freedom activist, Paul Taylor wrote an article for Dr. Rath Foundation which is a detailed analysis of transcripts and describes how these assertions are largely either mistaken or greatly exaggerated.

There has also been talk of the “Revised Vitamin and Mineral Guideline” which was created by Jim Turner for Citizens for Health. You might of seen news about another group that has been talking with a few small African countries about adopting these guidelines in place of the Codex guidelines. What has not been discussed is the MECHANISM that would allow countries to utilize the Guideline in place of the official Codex guidelines (at least that we’ve seen). We'd like to see what Citizens for Health does with the guidelines and how they best see these "alternatives" being used. In the meantime it’s nice to think that we can edit guidelines, legislation, and policies and then talk people into implementing them but that’s not how the world works.

When reading information online (or listening to a speaker), ask yourself the following: Is this coming from a reliable source? Do they have a history of success? Are other people or organizations that you respect involved with them? Does what they are saying make sense to you? We strongly encourage you do your own research before making your decision.

To help you in your search, here are a few of the organizations that we trust with credible knowledge about Codex:

Alliance for Natural Health (http://www.alliance-natural-health.org/)
American Holistic Health Association (http://www.ahha.org/)
Coalition for Health Freedom (http://www.coalitionforhealthfreedom.org/)
Dr. Rath Foundation (www4.dr-rath-foundation.org)
National Health Federation (http://www.thenhf.com)/)

Action

I wish we could share with you a better action plan but unfortunately we have to keep quiet a bit longer. What we can share with you is that there are organizations doing something – it’s just not always obvious or flashy.

Alliance for Natural Health is working on strategies to influence the science being decided at Codex. The National Health Federation is the only health freedom organization with official Codex observer status. And of course, several organizations ARE working together on this tough topic, under The Coalition for Health Freedom. The Coalition believes in taking pertinent action, providing credible and accurate information, and developing effective strategies.

The Health Freedom Foundation and American Association for Health Freedom looks forward to providing you with more information about Codex initiatives. In the meantime, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to The Health Freedom Foundation to fund Codex activities.

Click here to make a donation online (or print form to mail)
Call 1.800.230.2762
Mail: HFF, PO Box 1002, Great Falls, VA 22066 (Re: Codex)

You can also purchase the We Become Silent DVD (prices include shipping & handling: members $23.50/nonmembers: $27.50). This new documentary by international award-winning filmmaker Kevin P Miller of Well TV exposes the threats posed by European and global regulation to medical freedom of choice.

Click here to purchase online (or print form to mail)
Call 1.800.230.2762
Mail form and check to HFF, Po Box 1002, Great Falls, VA 22066

We hope you find this information helpful, please feel free to share. We try to do our best not to discourage individuals from supporting other organizations but sometimes the danger is too high not to speak up. We always encourage you to make your voice heard and its only fair that at critical times we share our voice with you even on subjects that we wished we did not have to broach.

Here’s to a successful and healthy year and we look forward to working with you.

Best,

Brenna Hill
Executive Director
Health Freedom Foundation/American Association for Health Freedom
PO Box 1002
Great Falls, VA 22066
1.800.230.2762
703.759.6711 (fax)
www.healthfreedom.net