Return-Path: jham@concentric.net Subject: GIVE THIS TO YOUR LOCAL HEALTH FOOD STORE-URGE THEM TO TUNE IN TO TRUTH!!! Date: Mon, 22 Dec 1997 01:33:16 +0500 From: John Hammell To: cafmr@pnc.com.au > What is the current outlook re CODEX and related legislative health > freedom initiatives worldwide? > How do you respond to folks who say (like at my local healthfood store + > everyone I've e-mailed or talked to) that the passing of this regulation is > too inconceivable because of the large nutritional supplement industry & > consumer base that exist in this country who would *subsequently* > protest? What & when is the next step when Congress reconvenes? The people who tell you that the passing of the German Codex proposal is inconceivable fail to grasp a number of very important facts that totally refute the spin control of Citizens for Health and NNFA (which are being manipulated by companies that have sold out): 1) Since the advent of NAFTA and GATT, the world has changed. Worldwide, nations are losing sovereignty by the slice--sort of like pizza by the slice flying out of the box, being devoured by the gluttony of the Medical Industrial Complex and other multi-national harlots. Unless it is stopped, MAI (Multilateral Agreement on Investments) will become the next household acronym, after NAFTA and GATT. It MUST be stopped! See the IAHF website for links to anti-MAI and anti-IRS websites. MAI would give the multi-nationals the right to sue federal, state, provincial governments--something they cannot do right now. They could uproot their factories at will, with no penalty, and move anywhere in search of slave labor. MAI would usher in rapid harmonization with the EU, where dietary supplements are regulated as "drugs" and where the imposition of ludicrous maximum potency levels are being threatened--opposed only by the UK and Holland. 2) In the Federal Register, on July 7, 1997, the FDA published a frightening "Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" (Vol. 62, #129, pp.36243-36248). I can almost guarantee you that NONE of the people in your local health food stores knows ANYTHING about this, unless they happen to be on my e-mail distribution list. I can also guarantee you that VERY FEW of the companies in the supplement industry know about this ANPR either. BY SLEIGHT OF HAND, via this ANPR, the FDA is attempting to give the Codex Commission more power over the American consumer than even the most expansive reading of current international agreements would warrant. HEADS UP PEOPLE!! Anyone who tries to tell you that FDA is "on our side" is either trying to deceive you, or is simply scratching the surface in their awareness of what is REALLY going on, behind the scenes. ON THE SURFACE, the FDA is upholding US law at Codex meetings, while BENEATH the surface they are quietly publishing their ANPRs in the Federal Register, announcing their TRUE intentions. But how many people read the Federal Register?? You have been FOREWARNED!!! 3) In comments submitted before the deadline on October 6, 1997, Suzanne Harris, JD, of the Law Loft, acting on behalf of the Life Extension Foundation and the National Health Federation, stated: "Nowhere in its advance notice of proposed rulemaking does the FDA, in a straightforward fashion, address the DIFFERENCES inherent in the determination [as to] whether a Codex standard, guideline or regulation falls under the Sanitary Phytosanitary Agreement (SPS) or the Technical Barriers on Trade (TBT) agreement of the GATT. Yet there are very substantial differences between the two. "The Sanitary Phytosanitary Agreement acts as an exception to the general parameters of the Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement. If a Codex standard, guideline or regulation falls under the SPS, certain very specific and highly detailed rules of interpretation, with few exceptions or escape clauses, apply. In its essence, the SPS makes Codex standards, guidelines and recommendations [regarding] the international standards for food safety." --excerpted from Harris comments to FDA By not making any distinction between the TBT and SPS agreements, FDA is doing nothing to protect the American consumer, and they are setting us up for so called "harmonization" with the EU. We set them back by getting dietary supplements specifically exempted from the harmonization language in the FDA Reform Bill; however, due to our successful efforts at the international level in getting the German Codex proposal knocked back to step 3, when they tried to move it to Step 5, the multi-nationals have REDOUBLED their takeover campaign at the national level all over the world. To illustrate this: * In the US, the Commission on Dietary Supplements is seeking to facilitate the making of OTC drug claims on herbs by strongly advising Congress that the FDA should create a special panel for this purpose. Although, technically, this is not creating a "new OTC category," in reality, this move is still encouraging a shift from FOOD to "DRUG", and they are trying to make it seem INNOCUOUS. * In the UK, MAFF is attempting to restrict B-6 to just 10 mg, without prescription, and they may succeed with this criminal action unless enough consumers fight back. Although the UK is currently with us in opposition to the German Codex proposal, MAFF's action could result in the German proposal being foisted off on the people of the UK in this indirect way, because if MAFF can get away with imposing arbitrary restrictions on B-6 this way there wouldn't be anything to stop them from imposing similarly arbitrary restrictions on any OTHER nutrient. * In Australia, the Competition Tribunal is attempting to create a new advertising code that would become a part of the Therapeutic Goods Act, which is similar to the American Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The problem is that drug companies will exercise MAJOR CONTROL over how the Act is administered by having over HALF the votes in the "Code Council". Joshua Shaw, who is on my e-mail distribution list, sells a device called a "Negative Ioniser" which threatens pharmaceutical profits just like vitamins do, and he is planning to file a lawsuit in February, because this is racketeering. There are different variations on the same theme unfolding worldwide, as the multi-national pharmaceutical industry tightens its control by continuously eroding national sovereignty. In her comments to the aforementioned ANPR, Suzanne Harris asked the FDA why they intend to toss the Constitution out the window as they seem so eager to do. She told them that rather than harmonize their regs. with Codex standards, they should petition the appropriate Federal District Court to ask for declaratory relief: to ask for the interpretation of the Codex standards based on our Constitution. FDA did not do this. I leave it to you to decide if you think we are currently AT RISK. If you feel, as I do, that it is a good idea for all of us to stand on basic principles, then I need you to show this to people in the health food stores, the people who are NOT focused on any of this, and ask them TO JOIN US in getting cosponsors on HR 2868. "Well, Gee--the storekeeper assured me that if there really WAS a problem, as John Hammell says there is, why isn't Citizens for Health concerned about it? Why doesn't NNFA do something? How can Hammell possibly be correct if THEY don't show concern? Aren't THEY the experts?" Actually, NNFA is being manipulated by companies that have SOLD OUT, by companies that have formed partnerships with pharmaceutical companies and that have NO qualms about blurring the lines between foods and DRUGS. These people lobbied the Presidential Commission on Dietary Supplement Labels TO PUSH for a botanical review board at FDA so that they can make therapeutic claims. It is to THEIR advantage if smaller competitors can't clear the hurdles--because then THEY grab the market share. These same companies are funding an alleged "health freedom organization" called Citizens for Health, which is nothing more than a FRONT GROUP for industry--for an industry SELLING OUT increasingly with each passing day. CFH and NNFA have the ability TO MOLD public opinion via their spin-controlled articles and with their influence over Natural Foods Merchandizer and other publications health food store owners read. Don't you think the health food store owners would see things DIFFERENTLY if they could read my information on a regular basis in order TO SEE what is actually going on? An important purpose of IAHF is to compare notes with other health freedom fighters worldwide and discover the hidden agendas--and EXPOSE them! After all, the FDA is part of an international umbrella group called the ICDRA (International Council of Drug Regulating Authorities), which is the UN entity through which ALL "FDAs" WORLDWIDE compare notes. You've got the FDA, the HPB, the TGA, the MCA, the MCC...etc., ad nauseum...and they are ALL THE SAME. And they serve as TRADE ASSOCIATIONS for--guess who?--The Multi-national Pharmaceutical Industry. And, so, Citizens for Health puts out spin control attempting to paint me as an extremist, as a "reactionary" because they are conducting PR on behalf of American herb companies that have formed German partnerships with phytopharmaceutical companies and that have designs on the North American market--US and Canada. As these American herb companies sprout dollar signs in their beady little eyes, GREED causes them to abandon their principles. The steps used by bureaucrats the world over in response to pressure groups like our health freedom lobby are: 1. Deny 2. Delay 3. Divide 4. Discredit 5. Destroy The goal of the multi-nationals is to DESTROY the supplement industry. So first they and their government STOOGES deny that a takeover threat exists. They deny that there is any problem, whatsoever, and they try to tell all of us to go back to sleep. When that doesn't work (and it hasn't), THEN they go to #2: DELAY: The Presidentially-appointed Commission on Dietary Supplement Labels is a delaying tactic to buy time and to figure out how TO DIVIDE us. They have needed time to figure out who the players are in the game--the hardliners like me, who refuse to compromise, the people they can get to kiss their ass, and the people in the middle...the sheep. Once they figure out who is who, they move beyond DO-NOTHING "Commissions" to the next step, DIVIDE: they try to pit one segment of the opposition against another, usually using MONEY to play off people's greed. So. Right now we have a number of herb companies who figure they are going to be the survivors in the long run, and maybe some of them are even correct about that, but in the meantime what do we have? * We have the hurdles being raised so that only the big companies can get over them. * We have the FDA about to unleash new GMP regs. in the spring. * We have some herb companies trying to turn herbs into DRUGS so they can control the market when their smaller competition won't be able to clear the hurdles. * And, at the top of the food chain, we have the pharmaceutical giants surveying the scene, licking their chops, biding their time, knowing if they continue obscuring what is going on not enough people will see the truth in time to fight back. So please forward this to more people, and please download the form letter for HR 2868, because this bill will allow us to make therapeutic claims on dietary supplements, something we SHOULD be able to do RIGHT NOW, WITHOUT DELAYING TACTICS of a so-called "Presidential Commission on Dietary Supplement Labels". One last thing: do NOT believe anyone who tries to tell you DSHEA is protecting us! That is a pathetic lie, because all legislation exists as part of a continuum, including the adversarial efforts like this so-called Presidential Commission, which is rapidly undermining our protection. THIS is why we need HR 2868. Also, some vitamin companies will not want the bill because it allows food manufacturers to make claims--claims they are currently blocked from asserting. All I can say is a rising tide raises all boats: we either have a first amendment, for EVERYONE, or we don't have freedom here in America. I hope this answers your questions, and I hope you will show this to more people. Please encourage more people to learn the UNCENSORED TRUTH! Anyone can join this e-mail distribution list just by sending me e-mail with "ADD" in the subject line. Anyone wishing to help improve or add to the IAHF website is welcome. Also, donations are needed to help IAHF hire Jata full-time. He is an able assistant--a licensed acupuncturist, practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, shiatsu, and teacher of tai chi. Hailing from the island of Jamaica, Jata has lived and worked all over the world. Please help me bring Jata on board full-time. Please help me bring Ron Birckhead over from Norway to shoot a health freedom video to distribute to the health food stores. ****************************************** Donations Needed- Need Help to Keep Helper On International Advocates for Health Freedom John C. Hammell, Legislative Advocate 2411 Monroe St.#2 Hollywood, FL 33020 USA 800-333-2553, 954-929-2905, FAX 954-929-0507, FAX ON DEMAND 954-927-8795,jham@concentric.net http://www.pnc.com.au/~cafmr/hammell/index.html