Health Freedom New Zealand

**mashman** · 14th April 2010, 09:28

Passed to me by a colleague. My colleagues sister lives in Oz. She has always bought a certain product to help with cold and flu symptoms. She can't buy it any more because the homeopathic remedy is now ILLEGAL... They're now trying to do the same in NZ...

"Health Freedom NZ Newsletter Action Alert

Hi

Time Sensitive Information – Deadline for Action 17th May 2010. Please pass this on, we’d like this email to go viral.

Standby – This is a both a news and urgent action alert for those of you interested in continued access to natural products and dietary supplements.

--- Your submissions are requested ---

Most of you have undoubtedly heard that a consultation document to regulate natural products was recently released on the Ministry of Health Website in response to the Natural Products industry and consumer call for a stand alone New Zealand regulatory model for Natural Products, rather than an Australian takeover of our current regulatory body, Medsafe.

We were expecting the discussion document to be based upon the proposed Natural and Traditional Health Products Bill that was prepared in full consultation with Maoridom, Consumers, the NZ Health Trust, and the Natural Health Products Industry over a two year period.

Unfortunately the MoH Consultation Document is diametrically opposed to most of the principals outlined in the proposed Bill and has aptly been labeled the 'TGA in drag'. It is nothing short of a bureaucratic hood wink.

The bureaucrats appear to have re-instated all of the unacceptable aspects of the TGA and Trans Tasman models that Health Freedom were successful in rejecting, including:

1. The White List (Napoleonic Law - every natural ingredient to become illegal without a permit).
2. The power to make up the rules as they go along.
3. Anything in therapeutic dose be classed as a medicine and therefore regulated as a drug.
4. Excessive compliance costs that would put most small businesses under, push up the price of natural products, and see the loss of thousands of jobs and products in the industry.
5. Over the top fines that don’t make sense unless you want to send numerous small businesses to the wall.
6. Extremely limited claims. The ability to say “may support” will go, replaced by a few extremely low level claims acceptable to the drug industry this proposal seeks to protect.

Here are the details of the document and submission schedule.
http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/index...cts-bill-mar10

The MoH is inviting submissions with a short deadline which is 17th May 2010. You may wish to write to them for an extension. Since the full time employed bureaucrats had 18 months to deliberate and come up with this document, it is only fair we the public get at least 90 days.

We are currently liaising with other organisations to formulate a comprehensive strategy and will have a document of the main points of objection to the document that you can use as a reference as soon as we can.

In the mean time if you want continued access to affordable vitamins, minerals and other natural products we suggest that you:

1. Read the discussion document yourself, highlighting the points you object to with a highlighter pen.
2. Spread the word – Print this email and give it to your local health food store, natural health practitioner, family and friends.
3. Begin to plan your submission (again we’ll have our main arguments to you in next few days).
4. Don’t get hood winked and razzle dazzled by the propaganda that is currently being spread by the media, bureaucrats, bogus science, some members of the medical fraternity and the skeptic activist, Vicky Hide.

We are going to need more than 5,000 submissions made against this document in order to be effective, so everyone who wants continued access to natural products needs to act.

We believe this might well be the last opportunity we have to send a very loud and clear message that the consumers, the bureaucrats pretend they desire to protect, do not need the kind of protection the bureaucrats are offering – protection of pharmaceutical profits over our health."

**Dave Lobster** · 14th April 2010, 09:58

Maybe because too many of the stupid people take crushed up goats dung and expect it to make them well again.
Please don't say these people don't exist. They do.. otherwise that Hone character wouldn't be harping on about how smoking affects one particular race.
Stamping on ALL of the alleged medicinal properties of various rocks, minerals, elephant tusks etc. may be bit extreme. But you can't legislate against 'stupid'.

**rainman** · 14th April 2010, 10:01

I am in two minds about this.

Homeopathy flatly is a crock, by any definition (and I have a very open mind). But if people want to buy the product, and it's harmless, why not? (To head off the most likely objection, you can't force people to take good care of themselves).

Some (many) other "alternative" treatments are actually quite good, for a range of complaints. I would not try to cure cancer or a broken leg by using something from the garden (although turmeric is apparently quite prospective when it come to cancer, and aloe vera is good for skin cancers, but whatever...), but sore throats, headaches, colds, fevers, constipation, etc are all within the scope of a basic herb garden. Worked for thousands of years, and our physiology is the same, no reason why this can't carry on. Are herbal treatments more difficult than pre-built pharma? Sure. Also often not as effective and you do have to deal with dose variability, but it is within the grasp of the average gardener. Food as medicine, not a new concept.

This, big pharma does not like, so they are fighting against alternative meds with all they have. Our new nanny state government will probably happily play along, being a bit business friendly and all. And it's not a fair fight, so I feel I should oppose them, being an idealistic crusader for peace and justice, and all that.

It's kinda like GM. The science is interesting, but the politics is toxic (and the pratitioners a little too unfamiliar with the precautionary principle), so I oppose them.

Some of the other alt med treatments are also OK - I'm thinking some acupuncture, for example. Not so sure about chiropractic, but many people seem to like it, so, once again, where's the harm?

Overall, I suppose I'm on the side of Health Freedom, even though some of their ideas are a bit kooky.

**mashman** · 14th April 2010, 10:28

Originally Posted by Dave Lobster

Stamping on ALL of the alleged medicinal properties of various rocks, minerals, elephant tusks etc. may be bit extreme. But you can't legislate against 'stupid'.

But that's exactly what they're trying to do, whilst making "certain" elements illegal to have or own. Where does it stop... like you say you can't legislate against stupidity... the government begs to differ with you Dave.

**SPman** · 14th April 2010, 10:58

You can't say nanny state any more - that was a pejorative reserved for Helen & co. So it's now "daddy state"......

**Jantar** · 14th April 2010, 10:58

Originally Posted by mashman

....She can't buy it any more because the homeopathic remedy is now ILLEGAL... ......

How can it be illegal to sell water? After all that is what homeopathic rememdies are. Or is it that they are trying to make it illegal to sell water while calling it something else?

**avgas** · 14th April 2010, 11:17

Originally Posted by Dave Lobster

Stamping on ALL of the alleged medicinal properties of various rocks, minerals, elephant tusks etc. may be bit extreme. But you can't legislate against 'stupid'.

To be honest that is exactly what needs to happen. People need to be informed about what they are taking. In all industries.
How come you can't buy food in the supermarket without knowing whats in it, and I can rock up to site without as MSDS.......but your doctor can tell you to take drug A, or homepathic remedy G - and there are very little information telling me what it is.
Could be deadly nightshade in a bottle, and if I take 500mg to much I die......but the bottle will just stated "Do no exceed dossage"

**avgas** · 14th April 2010, 11:18

Originally Posted by Jantar

How can it be illegal to sell water? After all that is what homeopathic rememdies are. Or is it that they are trying to make it illegal to sell water while calling it something else?

For the same reason why it is profitable to sell it.

**avgas** · 14th April 2010, 11:19

Originally Posted by SPman

You can't say nanny state any more - that was a pejorative reserved for Helen & co. So it's now "daddy state"......

More like "Uncle Bully" state, except in this one we can't hang ourselves and the violence keeps coming.

**mashman** · 14th April 2010, 12:26

Originally Posted by Jantar

How can it be illegal to sell water? After all that is what homeopathic rememdies are. Or is it that they are trying to make it illegal to sell water while calling it something else?

You can't sell water if you are unlicensed to sell it. A sign of things to come maybe.

**Dave Lobster** · 14th April 2010, 12:40

Originally Posted by avgas

Could be deadly nightshade in a bottle, and if I take 500mg to much I die......but the bottle will just stated "Do no exceed dossage"

Could be.. but it's more likely to be diluted water.

See the link in my previous post..

**mashman** · 14th April 2010, 12:54

Originally Posted by Dave Lobster

Could be.. but it's more likely to be diluted water.

See the link in my previous post..

So why outlaw it?

**rainman** · 14th April 2010, 13:04

Originally Posted by Jantar

How can it be illegal to sell water? After all that is what homeopathic rememdies are.

But it's clever water. It remembers the properties of the substances it's been in contact with. Only the good ones, of course...

Originally Posted by avgas

To be honest that is exactly what needs to happen. People need to be informed about what they are taking. In all industries.
How come you can't buy food in the supermarket without knowing whats in it, and I can rock up to site without as MSDS.......but your doctor can tell you to take drug A, or homepathic remedy G - and there are very little information telling me what it is.
Could be deadly nightshade in a bottle, and if I take 500mg to much I die......but the bottle will just stated "Do no exceed dossage"

You mean like some statins, that are toxic in combination with some normal foodstuffs? Almost everything has a toxic level and a safe level.

BTW, I'd love to know exactly what was in my supermarket food, and better yet where it comes from. But apparently the free market can't handle that level of freedom.