The people of New Zealand are clearly rejecting attempts to impose the
Australian "listings" system on them. They are also calling on their government
to send a qualified person to the Codex meetings to represent them. Its
about time people fought back like this! Please Read on for details. -
John Hammell, April 1, 1998
86% are not pleased, unhappy and very unhappy with the present Health Care System in New Zealand.
58% are in favour of 30% or more of the Health Budget being allocated for Natural Therapies.
87% would be unhappy if the government limited or prohibited their freedom of choice and access to Natural Health Therapies and Products.
79% would be unhappy if the Government banned the practice of Natural Health Therapies and the sale of Natural Health products.
88% not in favour of Vitamins, Minerals, Amino Acids and Herbs being only available on a Doctors prescription.
82% are in favour of, (if Natural Health products were classified as prescription medicines), Qualified Natural Health Practitioners having the legal right to prescribe Vitamins, Minerals, Amino Acids and Herbs.
74% of New Zealand Households use Vitamins, Minerals, Amino Acids and Herbs or other natural health products. (According to N.Z. statistics for 1996 from 900,000 to 2,660,000 New Zealanders have access to Vitamins, Minerals, Amino Acids and Herbs or other natural health products in their own home).
91% are in favour of the New Zealand representative to overseas organisations that set world standards for Foods and Natural Health Products being a Qualified Natural Health Practitioner.
78% would be happy if Qualified Health Practitioners are included as part of the total health care system. This result strongly indicates that the New Zealand Charter, the largest organisation of qualified Natural Health Practitioners in the Southern Hemisphere have the support of the New Zealand public in their request that the Government include Natural Health Practitioners at all levels of the Public Health System including Core Health Services.
Results from 705 respondents constituting a cross section of the voting public.
Margin for error plus or minus three to five percent
Conduct for the Charter by: The Independent Survey Group. August 1997.
Only 13% of respondents are in favour of the present Health Care System
policies. This is a clear indication that Government needs to reform its
approach and priorities in regard to Health Care in New Zealand.
2. That the Minister also request "that the World Health Organisation set up within the Codex Alimentarious Commission a special committee to be in empowered to set standards relating to Health Foods and Natural Health Products. The Committee to consist of Qualified Health Practitioners and Traditional Natural Medicine Practitioners who do not have a pecuniary interest in the manufacture of Health Foods and Natural Health Products".
3. The New Zealand Charter of Health Practitioners Incorporated have formally requested that, the Minister of Health meet with Charter representatives for full discussions involving the future of Natural Health Therapies in New Zealand and particularly the cost savings that could accrue from the integration of preventative health care in the public health system.
The basis for the above request arises from the direction of standard setting embraced by the Codex Alimentarious Commission, overseas legislation, the present crisis in hospital funding and the perceived need for a change of direction in public health care.
The New Zealand Charters requests are fully supported by the New Zealand public as can been seen from the 1997 Public Opinion Poll conducted for the Charter by The Independent Survey Group.
Over the years the Natural Health Industry has been fragmented and has not been in a position to speak to Government with a single voice and as such has not been taken seriously. This is not the situation today.
The New Zealand Charter of Health Practitioners Incorporated is fully established with sixty-seven Affiliate Signatories representing a membership of 6,500 and has established codes of practice and standards of ethics embraced by its qualified practitioners and is the primary body representing the Natural Health Industry.
The New Zealand Charter of Health Practitioners Incorporated is available to negotiate with and assist Government in all areas of primary and tertiary health care and to provide qualified practitioners as Government representatives for standard setting bodies both within New Zealand and overseas.
The New Zealand Charter requests the support of all-political parties and organisations to achieve the above aims on behalf of the public of New Zealand.
Following, Forwarded to Health Activists and Health Food retailers.
Royal Jelly used in the diet has been found to beneficially assist the immune system, the body energy system and depression.
Your Government is allowing Shark Cartilage and Shark Liver Oil products to be regulated as Drugs.
Shark products used in the diet have been found to beneficially assist with health problems such as cancer and arthritis.
Make your voice heard on Wednesday 29th April by ringing the following Ministers and telling them of your concern that:
Foods should not be regulated as Drugs.
Minister of Health. Ph.: 04-471 9994 ext. 9931 or ext. 9660 Fax: 04-473 7614
Minister of Trade. Ph: 04-471 9983 Fax: 04- 471 2918
If the lines are busy or you are unable to get through, wait and try again. If you are still not able to get through ring the Parliament switchboard and ask to be connected.
Parliament Switchboard: Ph: 04-471 9999
Above all be polite but firm and ensure that your Government gets the message from the general public that Foods are not to be regulated as Drugs.
Support the New Zealand Charter of Health Practitioners Inc. and your local food supplier to ensure that foods are not regulated as Drugs.
The New Zealand Charter of Health Practitioners Incorporated
P.O. Box 36 588 Northcote Auckland New Zealand
Telephone (0064) (09) 443 6255 Fax (0064) (09) 443 2336
Your Health Freedom on the Line
Take Action Now - Your access to health foods under attack
Your Government is committed to making legislation the same as Canada's where Vitamins, Minerals, Amino Acids and over 150 common Herbs are classified as drugs. Where possession of Wild Yam extract carries the same penalty as possession of Illegal Street drugs.
Your Government is committed to Therapeutic Goods Regulations with a systematic plan to regulate all Therapeutic Natural Health Products as drugs.
Your Freedom of Choice and access to low cost over-the-counter Natural Health Products is under attack.
Take Action Now
Read the Foods are Not Drugs pamphlet.
Telephone or fax The Minister of Health, Minister of Trade and your own Member of Parliament and state your concerns.
Telephone your friends and encourage them to Take Action Now.
Spend an hour or more ringing people in your area and informing them of this vital issue. Ring people at random and if they use Vitamins, Minerals etc encourage them to take action.
Some suggestions to the points that you need to make in your own words, use any two or three from the list below, above all use your own words.
1. As a user of Natural Health Products I believe that;
2. Foods and food products should not be regulated as drugs.
3. Foods and food products should not be listed by regulation as this will limit my access and force up the cost of health foods and home health maintenance.
4. I am opposed to Royal Jelly being listed as this is a Natural Health product to which I demand unrestricted access.
5. I am opposed to Shark Cartilage and Shark oil products being regulated as drugs as this will restrict access and increase the cost.
6. These new regulations will act as a technical barrier to trade and place in jeopardy New Zealand's multi-million dollar export potential.
Become a Health Activist today. Protect your own and your children's
future.
To: The Secretary
Therapeutic Goods Administration
PO Box 100
Woden ACT 2606
Australia
Re: Royal Jelly, Shark Cartilage and Shark Oil Products
Dear Secretary,
The New Zealand Charter of Health Practitioners Incorporated is the largest Natural Health Organisation in the Southern Hemisphere with over 6,500 affiliated members. We have been informed that your Administration advised the pharmaceutical industry on the proposed classification of Shark cartilage and shark oil products but to our knowledge failed to inform the Health Industry, Practitioners and the general public. We do know for a fact that our Incorporated Society and New Zealand Practitioners were not aware of your moves until after the date submissions was closed.
Please Note:
Your Administration has taken action to classify the natural food product Royal Jelly as a "Listable product". Further your Administration has taken action to classify the natural food products derived from the shark, namely "shark cartilage and shark oil products" as drugs.
Be it hereby known to all, "that if your Administration proceeds with the above classifications. The New Zealand Charter of Health Practitioners Incorporated, on behalf of the public, product manufacturers and product exporters of New Zealand, will formulate a case to be placed before the World Trade Organisation against your Administration for creating a technical barrier to trade without scientific justification.
The New Zealand Charter of Health Practitioners Incorporated and the public of New Zealand view your actions with grave concern and point out that according to the most recent New Zealand Public Opinion Poll 87% of respondents were not in favour of the Government limiting or prohibiting the freedom of choice and access to Natural Therapies or Products.
Royal Jelly has been traditionally used for centuries as a beneficial food to support the immune system, improve body energy production and assist in depression. Regardless of any spurious evidence to the contrary Royal Jelly enjoys an enviable reputation for its safety, especially when compared with the results from existing pharmaceutical medical prescriptions and over the counter drugs.
If Royal Jelly is listed by the Therapeutic Goods Administration the cost will escalate and the availability to the general public will be limited, as has been the case with natural products that have been so classified in other countries.
Please inform your expert committee who stated that "Shark Cartilage has no principle use as food". That their statement indicates a high degree of ignorance and is politically insensitive. For over 5,000 years, billions of Chinese have ingested shark cartilage as a food for its known health benefits and that for centuries the indigenous people of New Zealand have consumed every part of the shark.
Our members are of the opinion that a food containing beneficial health properties should not be classified as a drug because of those properties. Nutriments obtainable from foods are still foods and should remain classified as foods even when ingested with the intention of improving wellbeing.
Shark Cartilage and Shark Liver Oil products and Royal Jelly are foods and are not drugs and as such their availability and classification as a food should be retained.
Looking forward to your early reply that your administration has revoked the above action.
Yours in health
Patrick F. Fahy
Secretary. The New Zealand Charter of Health Practitioners Incorporated.
The New Zealand Charter of Health Practitioners has informed The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration that they are formulating a case to be placed before the World Trade organisation against the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration for creating technical barriers to trade without scientific justification.
Yours in health,
Patrick. F. Fahy
Secretary The New Zealand Charter of Health Practitioners Inc.
Forwarded to Canberra Senators and all New Zealand Parliamentary Members.
2 April 1998
Parliamentary Inquiry required for Therapeutic Goods Administration Fraud
The New Zealand Charter of Health Practitioners are asking both the Australian and New Zealand Parliamentarians to institute a parliamentary inquiry into the actions of the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration based on flawed or fraudulent science.
The New Zealand Charter of Health Practitioners have also forwarded by fax a letter pointing out that the Therapeutic Goods Administration Complimentary Medicine Evaluation Committee and the Australian New Zealand Food Authority are creating technical barriers to trade without scientific evidence. A copy of this letter is attached at the bottom of this article.
Are there Members of Parliament or a Political Party in Australia and New Zealand with the courage to press for a full inquiry into, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration and the New Zealand Ministry of Health's ongoing process of converting proven safe natural health products from over-the counter availability to drug or listable category without correct and proper scientific justification.
Acceptable scientific evidence is subject to peer review, clinical trials and double blind trials
A reading of the National Nutritional Foods Association of New Zealand Submissions relating to ANZFA proposal P161 clearly indicates the possibility that the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration Expert Reference Panel presented their own limited biased opinion as scientific evidence, backed up by a discredited unpublished paper (ref EPARF, p 37)
The Submissions also points out on page 9 that "An Analysis of the report presented by the ANZFA Expert Panel on Adverse Reactions to Food is seriously flawed. In the past there has also been other instances where the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration has acted on flawed scientific evidence. The present move to classify Shark Cartilage and Shark Liver Oil products which are 10 times more effective than pharmaceutical synthetic counterparts is also based on opinion, not scientific evidence. Which raises the question of some disturbing ethical and undisclosed conflicts of interests.
The National Nutritional Foods Association of New Zealand Submissions relating to ANZFA proposal P161 is obtainable from the Association at P.O. Box 100-538 N.S.M.C. Auckland New Zealand. Telephone 0064 9 832 4773 Fax 0064 9 832 4883.
Will you as a Parliamentary Representative of the Electorate take a stand on the above issue and press for a full inquiry into the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration classification of products based on false-fraudulent and un-scientific evidence or information?
Yours in Health
Patrick F. Fahy
Secretary. The New Zealand Charter of Health Practitioners Incorporated.
The New Zealand Charter of Health Practitioners has requested Parliamentarians in both Canberra and Wellington to establish a Parliamentary Inquiry into Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration fraud.
Yours in health,
Patrick. F. Fahy
Secretary The New Zealand Charter of Health Practitioners Inc.