Monday, July 28, 2008

Canada’s Crusade against Vitamins

In recent weeks, a new law has gone before Canada’s Senate that would make it illegal to buy or sell vitamins or other natural health supplements without a prescription from a doctor. The new law, known as Bill C51 effectively neutralizes an entire industry, taking off the market more than 70% of the products currently available for those who would rather control their own health. Not only does the bill make it illegal to buy and sell vitamins – it makes it so that those who do could spend as much as two years in prison or pay a fine of as much as $5,000,000 just for buying and selling vitamins.

The bill has been seen by many advocates of the natural health industry as an attempt by big business and the medical community to shut down a sector that has long been a thorn in their side. In addition, with a national run health industry, Canada stands to gain that much more from the new law, taking control of the buying and selling of vitamins and controlled substances.

What this Would Mean

For millions of individuals who every day take a vitamin or supplement to support their diet, improve digestion, or simply fight a cold would, under this new bill, be required to visit a doctor and request a prescription before being able to take the supplements they have been taking for years. In addition, with so many supplements not yet supported or recommended by the vast majority of major medical associations, most doctors won’t even consider prescription of many supplements, making it immediately illegal to obtain many products. It would immediately become easier to buy vitamins in America and a flood of cross border transfers would likely follow.

Those who are concerned that their doctors may not even prescribe natural supplements or vitamins have a good reason to be concerned as well. It is no secret that the established medical community has its fair share of issues with the natural health community, long deriding the use of products that have not been clinically tested or proven by federal organizations that are used for pharmaceuticals. While things like Vitamin C will not be an issue as doctors more or less universally agree on basic vitamin health, anything used for weight loss, muscle growth, alertness, or mental acuity is likely to receive the silent treatment from most medical communities.

There is a recent push to defeat these bills and as they came before the House of Commons and Senate on June 3, 2008, they have not yet been passed and are currently being revised and reread. Canadian and American citizens alike owe it to the natural health community to fight this potential law, writing the Canadian Health Minister Tony Clement and Prime Minister Stephen Harper to voice outrage and demand the bill be removed from consideration.



Sincerely,

Caroline Cardenas

Caroline Cardenas
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Posted by Caroline Cardenas

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