Canadian Bill C51 purportedly proposes sweeping changes to the herbal supplement and naturopathic/homeopathic remedies market. The following excerpted from an anti Bill C51 website, although not independently confirmed, suggests that the bill would (amongst other things):
1) Fasttrack pharmaceutical drug approval and
2) Make over 70% percent of current herbal drugs illegal.
Now, this was taken from an opposing website so all claims must then be taken with a grain of all natural sea salt. The Government claims that your access to Vitamin C and Echinacea is safe.
“Under Bill C-51, Canadians will continue to have access to natural health products that are safe, effective and of high quality. The Bill will not limit access to natural health products nor does it call for a change in their regulatory status (from over-the-counter to prescription)” says Health Canada spokesperson Paul Duchesne.
From that simple quote we are forced to ask the question, who and how will products be determined to be ‘safe, effective and of high quality’? The contention seems to be over semantics and the definition of exactly which products will and will not be regulated. Putting semantic issues aside, it looks as though the combatants are missing the more global issue and that is in addressing the manner in which the allopathic (mainstream) and alternative medicine operate. The issue is probably more complex than first fathomed. Both paradigms operate under different modi operandorum.
Big pharma operates under the model of providing drugs and therapies with validated claims. The drug’s claims and safety are established by clinical drug trials. The benefits here should be obvious but the weaknesses of this system may not be. The first failure of the big pharma model is that drug trials can be flawed either intentionally or just by simple lack of scope or experimental design. Take for example the drug VIOXX which did pass clinical trials and FDA approval which was later associated with heart disease and voluntarily withdrawn by its manufacturer Merck. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rofecoxib#Withdrawal The second failing of the big pharma model is even more subtle in that only patentable therapies need apply. Take for example the research Dr. Evangelos Michelak out of the university of Alberta who has come up with a cancer treatment using the chemical DCA. http://www.depmed.ualberta.ca/dca/ This treatment has been conclusively shown to remove or eradicate all manner of cancers in test animals. It is a hugely promising therapy with suprisingly few side effects. One would expect this drug to be in human trial by now. However, since DCA is not patentable, (almost as common as table salt) the drug companies have no interest. DCA will go to human trial nonetheless, but only after Dr. Evangelos Michelak is able to scrape together enough money from other philanthropic investors.
Now let’s examine the world of home or natural remedies. You can pick up a bottle of an herbal remedy which can make all manner of claims. These claims need not be validated and, indeed, the only validation you’ll receive is either from the smiling face of the salesperson at your natural foods store or the recommendation of a friend or naturopatic practitioner. However, you probably won’t be able to rely on any study and you’ll have to adopt a ‘take it and try it’ approach. The failings of this system are two fold. First, hearkening back to the days of the snake oil salesmen, there is the potential for you to waste your time and money on ineffective remedies. Second, in wasting your time on these remedies, you may delay seeking appropriate medical treatment for a potentially serious condition. The first failure — the lack of study based findings — is compelling. The natural health product industry needs to provide better support for their claims and adhere to some standard as for quality of composition. The second failure is not as compelling as people typically resort to natural health products only after the failure or reticence of allopathic medicine.
Looking at both paradigms, there is a measure which could marry their strengths and divorce ourselves of their weaknesses. The summary of bill C51 reads as follows:
This enactment amends the Food and Drugs Act to modernize the regulatory system for foods and therapeutic products, to strengthen the oversight of the benefits and risks of therapeutic products throughout their life cycle, to support effective compliance and enforcement actions and to enable a greater transparency and openness of the regulatory system.
Source :: http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=3398126&File=19
If this is indeed the goal of the Federal Government, then wouldn’t their time and efforts be better spent in implementing a system of subsidized and facilitated human trials? A subsidized and facilitated human trials system would raise the bar for natural health food products to better support their claims. Since the studies would be subsidized and facilitated we wouldn’t deny ourselves access to any reasonable therapy but as consumers, claims of product effectiveness and quality of composition could be properly backed by more than a friendly smile. All therapies, herbal and pharmaceutical would be subject to the same level of testing. This testing would be reasonably affordable for any given company. This would satisfy the allopathic community’s demands for rigorous proof and testing while at the same time allow the allopathic community to consider previously unprofitable yet promising treatments such as DCA.
There is a petition circulating to stop bill C51. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/StopC51 I would be willing to sign it if it could be proved it would make 70% of current natural health care products illegal. Would I sign a petition to have the Federal Government fund and facilitate human trials of all health care products? In a heartbeat.
You talk about the need to regulate natural and herbal remedies, but a body has already been set up in Canada to do this, the NHPD.
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/branch-dirgen/hpfb-dgpsa/nhpd-dpsn/index_e.html
They are going through all kinds of natural remedies to study the safety and efficacy of them. If you look at most bottles of supplements there are no claims on them. They are not allowed to make claims without evidence. Producs with a claim have research to back them up. You might also be interested to know that there is tonnes of research out there on natural health products. Check out IN-Cam http://www.incamresearch.ca/
good luck
>>If you look at most bottles of supplements there are no claims on them.
Where have you been shopping? 🙂
http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/tecedmonton/images/coldFXbottle.gif
Cold Fx (ginseng) :: “Prevention and Relief of Cold and Flu, Non Drowsy”
http://www.canadapharmacy.com/webdocs/cart/productimages/3739.jpg
Ginko Biloba :: “Restores Mental Alertness”
http://www.canadapharmacy.com/webdocs/cart/productimages/3732.jpg
Echinacea :: “Relieves Sore Throats, Cough and Flu”
http://www.newleafonline.com.au/shop/images/microgenics-stress-relief-30c.jpg
St John’s Wort :: “Stress Relief”
>>”Producs with a claim have research to back them up.”
There are some backing claims to the efficacy of St. Johns Wort. Other than that, most herbal supplements are regarded as useless by allopathic medicine by virtue of the lack of reputable studies.
If there was open and equal access to facilities to run human trials, we could be closer to the truth and cure the ills of both homeopathic and allopathic medicine in a single stroke.
Thanks for the info, good to know.
Existing natural health product regulations, not Bill C-51, make a large percentage of natural health products illegal, according to the argument by lawyer and regulations expert, Shawn Buckley, who is also president of the Natural Health Products Protection Association: http://nhppa.org/?p=16
What Bill C-51 may do, among other things and in conjunction with Bill C-52, is strengthen the enforcement powers of Health Canada. At http://www.nhppa.org, there is also a draft discussion paper about other points of contention within the two Bills.
Speaking by phone from Ottawa, Clement told the Straight the regulations contained in Bill C-51 “are no different than what is currently in place”, then added: “The difference is we are going to add more inspectors and the fines are going to be higher.”
Clement said natural health products “absolutely” can survive under Bill C-51’s conditions.
“I think they are going to thrive,” he added. “What we are going to do is weed out the bad guys, and that will increase credibility and legitimacy of the industry.”
— http://www.straight.com/article-144802/natural-health-crackdown
I need more proof that this bill will make 70% of current natural products illegal. Anyone have such proof?
Those in Ottawa are trying to reasure us that Bills C-51 and C-52 are in our best interest and they will not be taking our rights away, they will only be ‘regulating’ an industry that requires it. What they are not telling Canadians is that most of what they are saying is an outright LIE. The ‘credibility and legitimacy of the Industry’ that is in question, according to Clement, has never been in question in the minds of most Canadians. When was the last time you heard someone start a petition against the dangerous uses of Oil of Oregano?
Our Government is lying to us! I have yet to see any media coverage on the news of any of the Rallies that have been taking place in Calgary, Edmonton and Lethbridge! The Government is hiding the passing of Bill C-51/52 behind the terrible news of the earthquake in China, the disaster in Burma and the current Global Food Crisis.
How low can you go to hide a Bill that steals the rights of Canadians by hiding it behind other Global news that outranks it?
I’m stilling waiting to hear anything on the local news concerning this Bill.
Personally, I’m neither against nor for this bill. The purpose of my article was to state that it’s off the mark. We need to provide easy affordable access to clinical trials such that pharmeceutical and natural health products can equally make study backed claims.
In order for me to move into the category of ‘against’ this bill, I’d need more conclusive proof that it would make 70% of current natural health products illegal. All my googling of bill c51 produces are rants like:
http://www.healthyyounaturally.com/c51canada.htm
which contain no evidence.
>The Government is hiding the passing of Bill C-51/52 behind the terrible news of the >earthquake in China, the disaster in Burma and the current Global Food Crisis.
Do you expect me to believe that a small group of protestors on a lawn
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=-oA-5xG3N1I&feature=related
is more newsworthy than the earthquake in China, the disaster in Burma or the Global Food Crisis? Come on. If you want to change people’s opinions, present them with substantiative facts.
Did you know that there is MUCH more to Bill C51? Do you think it’s
JUST
natural health products?? Check out what else this Bill is going to
allow the
government to do:
-Enter private property without a warrant Section 23.4
-Confiscate your property at their discretion Section 23.2 a
-Dispose of your property at their discretion Section 23.3 c
-Seize your bank accounts without a warrant
-Charge you for shipping and storage of your property Section
23.3a-b
-Store your property Indefinitely without paying you for damages
Section 23.2 d
-Levy fines of up to $5,000,000.00 / 2 years in jail per offence.
Check out this website. It’s very informative.
http://www.stopc51.com
also…
http://www.canadianactionparty.ca
I could go into a written rant about how the New World Order are going to use food to bring us to our knees which they have already started(e.g;the rise in basic commodities like rice and flour which unleashed riots in Haiti and other places). But here i will plead with all the slaves who think we are free, to look up and research CODEX ALIMENTARIUS, and the big picture will be a little clearer.Or if you don’t like to read, go to Google Video and type in ;Nutricide -criminalizing natural health,vitamins and herbs
RE: Codex Alimentarius
I’m not a big fan of conspiracy theories. The government can’t deliver the mail yet they seem to be able to carry out fantastic feats of subterfuge.
Assuming the government could manage to deliver our mail and accomplish these remarkeable schemes, would they then focus their powers on controlling money people power or natural vitamins?
Yes, natural vitamins… admittedly the government is capable of making a decision this stupid, you’ve got me there. 🙂
I’m with you Mark. I do like conspiracy theories however although this looks nothing like one. Perhaps in the US but we are pretty small potatoes although you never know so it’s worth looking into it. The one thing that strikes me as odd is that everyone that is opposed to C51 simply quotes some other websites and talks about how it’s like the USA PATRIOT act. It appears that most people have not even read C51 or the USA PATRIOT act (Yes, it’s an acronym). I want some proof! I get an email saying that this will allow the government to fine us millions for having bottled water. Give me a break! Are the C51 opponents really afraid of this? What are the 70% of natural health products that are going to be off shelves? If the number is 70% then certainly there is a list somewhere or is that a random number? I will make up the number 10% instead. Now one of the C51 opponents please prove to me that it is not 10%.
Also, misinformation seems to be leading the way. The act does not allow someone to enter your personal residence without a warrant.
————-
23.1 (1) If the place referred to in subsection 23(1) is a dwelling-house, an inspector may not enter it without the consent of the occupant except under the authority of a warrant issued under subsection (2).
————-
That being said, I do not like that there are parts that are unconstitutional and feel that for that reason part of the bill needs to be rewritten. At the same time I see that people want protection from everyone on pretty much anything so in a sense it’s what we asked for. We constantly cry for government to step in when we are getting lead painted toys from China or food that is contaminated but it seems like the natural health advocates are fighting this.
I am open to more info.
Please wake up!
To alleviate your naivety visit naturalnews.com – here Mike Adams exposes (with a little help from other experts) the type of scams that BigBusiness too frequently use to make huge profits – their best weapon in this silent war is legislation – there is no better way to profit, especially if you do NOT have the best interests of human beings at heart!
My understanding is that the federal Health Minister had (still has?) 25% share in a biotech / pharmaceutical company – AND Bill C-51 was actually introduced to the House on April 8, by federal Health Minister Tony Clement. This conflict of interest alone is enough to invalidate Bill C-51.
Please wake up. No one dies from natural health supplements – MILLIONS die from pharmaceutical chemicals – thus, there is no need for supplement regulation – unless of course you are selling drugs (health minister?) and you wish to eliminate the competition and create a virtual monoploy (I’ve just invented a new word to describe this type of scam).
Let us work together to bring sanity into the world.
Please wake up!
I think Martin truly hit the mark on this issue. Many of the advocates and opponents of the Bill clearly have not taken the time to read the Bill thoroughly. I do agree that there is a fine line between rights and safety. The issue at hand really is about funding for clinical trials and finding a better regulatory scheme for both mainstream medicine and alternative medicine. I had the opportunity to attend a rally in Toronto against Bill C-51 and spent time talking with both advocates and opponents of the Bill. It was clear that both sides took extreme viewpoints and used common tactics in political rallies such as yelling and abusive language.
I see the introduction of Bill C-51 as an opportunity for Canadians to get together and unite and bring awareness to a global issue. Pointing the finger and attacking individuals without a sound argument falls on deaf ears. I do realize in the case for many advocates and opponents of Bill C-51, that they do have the best of intentions, but I think it’s time to take a step back, emotions aside and look at the facts.
The mail? First of all, the government has no inherent interest in delivering our mail properly. Do they have an inherent interest in collecting fine money? Do they have an inherent interest in their pharma investments increasing in value? You bet. It is not comparable.
Secondly I would like to say that I think that most people understand that claims on natural health products are just that. I don’t go to the store, buy an herb and think oh it says such and such so it must be so and if it isn’t I need some new laws to protect me. No not at all. Everyone’s body is different. People in general are not stupid and should do their own research or consult a health care practitioner whom they trust. The fact is pharmaceutical drugs kill – natural health products rarely even cause problems, they are not the same. IMHO.
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I consider myself a well informed adult with regards to what is happening with the issues of Natural products vs big Pharma. There are huge problems with the tainted studies that are being used & the slash in time from presentation to market sales. I no longer have faith that our Golden protectors at Health Canada are there to protect us. They have shown time & again to be the champions of big pharma & the almighty dollar at any cost to us, the people that pay them for protection. Think I’m blind on this? No sadly I am not. Look at how many drugs they have permitted for use in this country when there are huge class action suits talking place in the US. Example: Yaz birth control, causing blood clots in healthy young women. Not so serious you think? Think again they are dying from heart attacks, having massive strokes, etc. SSRI’s are inadequately tested yet handed out like candy, causing depression to morph into rage, violence against others & suicide rates higher than imaginable. For the official Health Canada line to be Natural health is new science is nothing buy idiotic, sorry it’s been around for a very long time. The research is there, look for it. Oh it’s not in the regular journals, they wouldn’t risk losing millions in advertising money from big pharma if they started to present equal studies for both. Vitamins & minerals will not kill my loved one if you are aware of who specializes in these things, but my doctors prescription pad may. Health Canada is bragging up the top rate scientists we have? Hmmm, well would those be the same ones Harper is gagging at this time? Weird, right? All us simpletons wouldn’t understand the big science terms I guess. Look at the lead scientist who would not allow rBGH in our dairy cows. They were fired for insubordination. Dr. Chopra was a top scientist for over 35 years, he lost his job for this country! Probably saving millions from a deadly form of breast cancer. Check out what is happening in the US where it was simply allowed 20 years ago, the public as lab rats. Shame on the whole process. I see there are quacks on the other side as well. I could write my own book, mixing random natural products & sell as snake oil. That we do not disagree on, bit I am talking about Naturopathic doctors who also go to school for 7 years. In a perfect world both MD’s & NPD’s would work out of the same office to consult with patients. As they say follow the money…big Pharma raking I’m billions a day with huge lobby power vs vitamin money which is not patentable. Classic David & Goliath tale.