`---------------------------' --------------------------------------------' --- GoldED 2.40 * Origin: A BBS Somewhere, with a phone number. (1:340/26) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 257 ALTERN. MEDICINE Ref: EC300001Date: 08/01/97 From: FRANK STARR Time: 01:04am \/To: ALL (Read 1 times) Subj: FDA Vitamin Ban? I of II RED ALERT VITAMIN CONSUMERS: COMMENTS PERIOD ENDS AUGUST 4th ON REPORT WHICH THREATENS TO GIVE FDA MORE POWER- CREATE OTC DRUG CATEGORY FOR HERBS/ BOTANICALS. PLEASE FORWARD!!! EMAIL DIRECT TO DR.FISHER AT THE COMMISSION ON DIETARY SUPPLEMENT LABELS AT: cdsl@birchdavis.com THIS ADDRESS TO GO INTO USE ON THURSDAY 7/31. DON'T SEND EMAIL TO IT BEFORE THAT- TIL THEN FAX IN FORM LETTER BELOW TO NUMBER PROVIDED > >On August 4th, the comments period ends on the draft report on the US Commission on Dietary Supplement Labels. Following this message I have a form letter which I urge you to fax or mail in to the Commission on Dietary Supplements, as well as to your Senators and Congressmen. > >The reason you must do this is simple: we must try to extend the comments period so that more people can have the time necessary to procure copies of the 77 page draft report in order to have sufficient time to review it, discuss it, and draft comments to its many highly controversial recommendations, which includes creating an Over the Counter (OTC) drug category for herbs and botanicals and giving broad new powers to the FDA that they would use against the dietary supplement industry (to the detriment of consumers). > > When the pharmaceutical industry wants to try to push their agenda past consumers, they often wait until the summer when people are on vacation and its much harder to get organized in opposition. As a lobbyist working to defend the rights of dietary supplement consumers, I've seen this happen time and time again. > >The Report of the Commission on Dietary Supplement Labels doesn't carry the force of law, however this report is STILL very dangerous to consumers because legislators who know nothing about health freedom issues will be influenced by it, and will get behind a legislative push to give FDA added new powers to attack the dietary supplement industry and to create an OTC drug definition for herbs and botanicals. This is Codex harmonization. We worked hard to define dietary supplements and herbs as foods under DSHEA, and it is unwise to blur the line between foods and drugs that we worked so hard to create.If we don't push for an extension on the comments period on the Report of the Commission on Dietary Supplement Labels, we will be allowing a blueprint to stand unchallenged which will be used to guide a legislative campaign that will hasten the destruction of health freedom in the US. > >Please forward this alert widely, copy the enclosed form letter to your word processor, fax it in to the Commission on Dietary Supplement Labels, your Senators and Congressmen, and set up tables in front of your health food store to get people to sign lots of them which you can send in en masse. Go on the radio to talk about this, and discuss it in usenet and on online mailing lists. Remember, its summer. Each of us has to work 10x harder to compensate for all the people who aren't around to help right now > > >NO TO OTC DRUG CATEGORY FOR HERBS AND BOTANICALS >THESE COMMENTS SUBMITTED UNDER PROTEST TO DIETARY SUPPLEMENT LABEL COMMISSION PRIOR TO UNFAIR AUGUST 4, 1997 DEADLINE > >To: Kenneth D. Fisher, Ph.D. Executive Director, Commission on Dietary Supplement Labels >Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion >R. 728G Hubert H. Humphrey Building >200 Independence Ave. S.W. Washington, D.C. 20201 >Ph. 1-202-401-5811 Fax: 1-202-205-0463 Date: 1997 > >Dear Dr. Fisher: > >I understand that the Commission was (supposedly) created "as an independent agency under the executive branch" by the passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 to..."conduct a study on, and provide recommendations for, the regulation of label claims and statements for dietary supplements, including the use of literature in connection with the sale of dietary supplements and procedures for the evaluation of such claims." I understand that in making its recommendations, the Commission is to..."evaluate how best to provide truthful, scientifically valid, and not misleading information to consumers so that such consumers may make informed and appropriate health care choices for themselves and their families." (How can the Commission be said to have been "independent under the executive branch" when it was set up under HHS, the same cabinet dept. which includes FDA??? Was the Commission legally established in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, PL 92-463? Were all meetings TRULY open? Shouldn't it have been set up as a TRULY "independent agency"???) --- PCBoard/2 15.30 * Origin: The 128th Parallel Seminole,Fl 28.8k 813/397-1339 (1:3603/210) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 257 ALTERN. MEDICINE Ref: EC300002Date: 08/01/97 From: FRANK STARR Time: 01:06am \/To: ALL (Read 1 times) Subj: FDA Vitamin Ban? II of II >I gather that if I call the Commission's Information Response Center at 301-650-0382, they will send me the 77 page draft report of the Commission on Dietary Supplement Labels. Given the time constraints in obtaining this report fast enough to read it in entirety in order to file comments prior to your August 4, 1997 deadline, I am formally requesting an extension on the comments period in order to allow me sufficient time to procure the report, read it as well as to draft more extensive comments. I am appraising my Senators and Congressmen of the following concerns about the draft, which were called to my attention by International Advocates for Health Freedom: > >On p.ii, pp.16-17, and p.20 I feel that you should strike all references to ephedra posing a "safety issue" given the fact that a Medline Search indicates that you have no peer reviewed evidence to support your contention that ephedra has caused death, and given the fact that we are currently undergoing a comments period with regards to ephedra regulation. I do not feel that it is appropriate for you to cite ephedra as an example of an "unsafe" product being marketed. A search of Medline turned up zero reports of deaths caused by ephedra, and several reports of death caused by ephedrine, and pseudoephedrine products, including many commonly used OTC drugs such as children's cough syrup. If FDA is concerned with safety, let FDA regulate ephedrine, and pseudoephedrine products which have been documented to cause death. Leave ma huang/ephedra alone. We don't need or want the FDA's double standards incorporated into this report. This information comes from the affadavit of Miloslav Nosal, a biostatistician, who is serving as an expert witness in a lawsuit filed by Freedom of Choice in Health Care against the Canadian HPB. > >I feel strongly that the creation of an OTC drug category for herbs and botanicals (as described on p.vii in your report), is not in the long range best interests to consumers. Foods are not drugs. By law, DSHEA established a food definition for dietary supplements. We object strongly to the proposal to create an OTC drug category for herbs and botanicals. Our gains under DSHEA would be put at risk if an OTC drug category were created. We feel that expanded health claims should be allowed under DSHEA based on overwhelming scientific evidence attesting to both the safety and efficacy of dietary supplements for many medical conditions, and we feel that to deny these truthful claims violates our first amendment rights to free speech. We favor a split label in which FDA can say what they want on their half, and the manufacturer can offer validated information on the other half. > >We object to a comments period which effectively excludes the views of millions of concerned dietary supplement consumers who have not had sufficient time to procure your draft report, much less to read it and to submit comments. Given the enormous consumer push behind DSHEA, we feel strongly that consumers are being largely disenfranchised, and we would like the comments period to be extended until the end of October, 1997. We are outraged by the ongoing push to regulate foods as "drugs." We would like until the end of October to review your draft report and to file comments. I am appraising my Senators and Congressmen of these concerns. > >Signed: > >Address: >City: State: Zip: > >(Info courtesy I.A.H.F. 800-333-2553, http://www.pnc.com.au/~cafmr/hammell/index.html, jham@concentric.net) ****************************************** 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 --- PCBoard/2 15.30 * Origin: The 128th Parallel Seminole,Fl 28.8k 813/397-1339 (1:3603/210) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 257 ALTERN. MEDICINE Ref: EC300003Date: 08/02/97 From: GEORGE LAGERGREN Time: 11:33am \/To: FRANK STARR (Read 1 times) Subj: Re: FDA Vitamin Ban? II of II Frank -- Could you please post these two message about the proposed FDA actions to the Herbs 'N Such FIDO echo, too. *** Thanks. George --- Amie v0.98 * Origin: The Edge BBS * Severn, MD * (410)551-2586 (1:261/1454) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 257 ALTERN. MEDICINE Ref: EC300004Date: 08/02/97 From: ALEX VASAUSKAS Time: 04:27am \/To: ALAN FLETCHER (Read 1 times) Subj: Ginkgo biloba Alan Fletcher wrote in a message to Alex Vasauskas: AF> I am aware that it helps tinnitus AF> patients but all the other claims mentioned need accurate AF> scientific confirmation. Apparently it helps only tinitus patients whose condition is related to blood circulation. I know of a fellow who has tinitus and has used ginkgo without any effect on his problem, and if the claim regarding ginkgo is true he either hasn't used an effective dosage or his tinitus isn't the kind ginkgo affects or ginkgo doesn't affect tinitus. --- * Origin: 61 deg. 25' N / 149 deg. 40' W (1:17/75) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 257 ALTERN. MEDICINE Ref: EC300005Date: 08/01/97 From: STEVE KEMP Time: 02:44pm \/To: MARK PROBERT (Read 1 times) Subj: Mentol and sterility MP>LD> MP> LD> I have heard say, that mentol (e.g. in cigarets) can MP>LD> MP> LD> cause sterility in men. Is this true? It is afterall a MP>LD> MP> LD> widely marketed product. Weird. He's speaking of menthol, right? Well, I'll assume so. Sterility? Maybe low sperm count. I haven't heard of either effect from menthol cigarettes, but I could see that it might be possible. Menthol being a derivative of oil of peppermint, and oils when burnt generally emit noxious fumes. But, it certainly seems that if actual sterility were an side effect the news of this would be published....for it's a great story. MP>LD> MP> Where did you hear it? MP>LD>From my brother, who smokes himself. (not mentol cigarettes) :-) MP>If he smokes himself, doesn't he get burned up? Hee he. --- * CMPQwk #1.42* UNREGISTERED EVALUATION COPY --- HyperMail! v1.22 * Origin: CENTRAL PARK WEST - FOLSOM CA - 916.351.1476 PPI 33.6! (1:203/1476) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 257 ALTERN. MEDICINE Ref: EC300006Date: 08/02/97 From: JANE KELLEY Time: 07:36am \/To: DIA SPRIGGS (Read 1 times) Subj: ?Zen DS>> The following is exactly the kind of rambling that is DS>> outdated by what DS>I think you missed the point. It is more of a concept than a reality of how DS>the brain functions. It is trying to say basically that we are not our mind DS>or our body and they are not us; we transcend the physical in different DS>stages of life and growth and that the physical part of this life is only ON DS>part of what makes us us. "WE" can only transend the physical if "WE" fit into certain perimeters to begin with. There are some of "US" who are incapable of doing this. Some of "US" also have no idea of the things that are not seen, don't want to, and have managed to nobly resist any attempts to provide understanding of them. Others will buy and read books such as "Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain" or "Diary of a Witch" and progress to the point where we find out the truth for ourselves. But only if our brains basically are capable of honing into the electromagnetic energy around us. --- SLMR 2.1a All hope abandon, ye who enter messages here. * Origin: My Desk, Puyallup, WA (253) 845-2418 (1:138/255) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 257 ALTERN. MEDICINE Ref: EC300007Date: 08/02/97 From: JANE KELLEY Time: 07:36am \/To: JASON HUFF (Read 1 times) Subj: Expert Witness JH>JK> I've testified for both, and in one case had to shoot down written ork JH>JK> by my own agency due to an intern getting sloppy. She inserted one word JH>bet that made your boss real happy The prosecution had counted on my testimony, the defense attorney had found the one hand written word in the typed work that changed the entire meaning of one part. The intern had added this after it had been checked and typed and approved. I really didn't have a choice but to throw out the entire document. This didn't please me at all as I'd done some of the preliminary work on it. The intern may or may not have learned. She had a habit of accepting just what she wanted to know and no more. --- SLMR 2.1a My reality check just bounced. * Origin: My Desk, Puyallup, WA (253) 845-2418 (1:138/255) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 257 ALTERN. MEDICINE Ref: EC300008Date: 08/02/97 From: JANE KELLEY Time: 07:36am \/To: DIA SPRIGGS (Read 1 times) Subj: Question DS>thanks will try them...also looking for somewhere that contain the hemical DS>constiuents in food..any suggestions? Did find a great one for herbs but no DS>for foods.. I looked for nutrition on the internet and got a bunch of references. Try adding other words and see what you come up with. I'd have to get out of this and into my bookmark list. I'm writing a note to get back to you with anything that I find on this one. There is some free stuff that is factual and not selling anything but good health. --- SLMR 2.1a If this were an actual tagline, it would be funny. * Origin: My Desk, Puyallup, WA (253) 845-2418 (1:138/255)