Let Your Voice Be Heard
Two weeks ago I sent you a pair of e-Alerts (World Domination - Parts I & II" 9/16 & 9/17/02) about the European Union Directive on Dietary Supplements and the United Nations' Codex Alimentarius - two major threats to our freedom to make our own health choices. Then last week I told you about an e-mail that I received from an HSI member named Mykola asking me to provide a form letter to use in preparing an e-mail to send messages to your senators, representatives, and the White House. Which I thought was a great idea, until this e-mail, from a member named James, made me reconsider:
"In regard to making a form letter concerning the future of vitamins, I would like to offer some advice from one who has worked with those in power. Form letters are ignored. Let everyone say it their own way. They [congressional members] do notice constituent letters when plentiful, original, and ones that tell the member that they vote." That sounds like reasonable advice, so I've decided to combine Mykola's idea with James'. Instead of creating a form letter, I'll suggest some important points to highlight, then you can write your own e-mail in your own words. First, we'll start with the basics. A web site called Congress.org provides a complete listing of government e-mail addresses. And, as James suggested, remember to mention that you're a registered voter. Here are the primary points: - Something is happening in Europe that I fear could happen here in the U.S. if it is ignored.
- The European Union recently passed a directive that reclassifies vitamin and herbal supplements as medical drugs (available only by prescription), and outlaws many supplement ingredients that are currently widely available.
- Created to "protect" consumers, I believe this directive will do exactly the opposite.
- When dietary supplements are available over-the-counter, consumers are free to make their own choices.
- Many studies have proven that even potent dietary supplements are far safer than pharmaceuticals.
- The U.S. is one of the 165 member countries of the Codex Alimentarius Commission - an international food standards program created by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) of the United Nations.
- The Codex Alimentarius Commission has made it very clear that it wants to limit over-the-counter sales of some dietary supplements while reclassifying others as pharmaceuticals, available only through a pharmacist.
- The U.S. has one vote on the Codex Commission. The European Union represents 27 votes on the commission: the 15 votes of its member countries and 12 votes of the 12 EU candidate countries.
- Under World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, Codex decisions override national and local decisions.
- Member countries (including the U.S.) that refuse to "harmonize" with WTO directives may be subject to restrictive trade sanctions, designed to persuade agreements by using severe economic pressure.
But no matter how you state it, I urge you to tell the Bush administration and your congressmen to be diligent in protecting U.S. laws that continue to allow all citizens the freedom to make their own health choices. To Your Good Health, Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute
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