From: atfurman@cup.portal.com (A T Furman)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.drugs
Subject: Re: The Health Freedom Act of 1992
Date: Wed,  2 Sep 92 17:50:48 PDT
Organization: The Portal System (TM)

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| LIBERTARIAN PARTY                                       Libertarian Party |
| Defenders of Liberty           NEWS              1528 Pennsylvania Ave SE |
|                                ----                  Washington, DC 20003 |
|                                                              202-543-1988 |
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
For immediate release.                             FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
27 August 1992                  Mary Gingell, LP National Chair: 415-858-1842
                               Gary Johnson, LP Media Relations: 512-441-6378

                LIBERTARIAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE ENDORSES BILL
   
                    TO STOP CENSORSHIP OF VITAMIN LABELS


SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH -- The Libertarian Party has endorsed a bill by U.S.
Senator Orrin G. Hatch of Utah, a Republican, to stop the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration from censoring labels for vitamins, minerals, and herbs,
Libertarian Party national chair Mary Gingell (JING'-gel) said today.

The Libertarian National Committee voted unanimously on Saturday, 
August 22, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to endorse Senate Bill 2835, The Health 
Freedom Act of 1992.

The bill would exempt vitamins, minerals, and herbs from food supplement
regulations that prohibit labels not approved by the FDA from claiming a
health benefit.

"This bill is a good first step in limiting the FDA's control over our life
and our health.  Americans should not need permission from the FDA to 
take vitamins, minerals, and herbs.  The consumer can read a label as well 
as any bureaucrat can," Ms. Gingell said.

"The FDA tries to stop any practice it considers unconventional, or outside
mainstream medicine, even when there is evidence that a treatment can be
beneficial," she added.

"The FDA is controlled by the medical establishment, and the medical
establishment has a clear bias against alternative medical care," she said.
"The medical establishment enjoys its government-sponsored monopoly on
health care that allows it to charge exorbitant prices to consumers and
control our lives."

Ms. Gingell sharply criticized recent raids on health food stores and
clinics to seize vitamins with unapproved labels. "The FDA has resorted 
to police state tactics in Arizona, California, Florida, Oregon, Texas, 
and now Washington state."

"I am particularly alarmed by the May 6 raid of the Tahoma Clinic in 
Kent, Washington.  Two dozen heavily armed state and federal agents, dressed 
in flak jackets, busted down the doors of the clinic and held employees at
gunpoint.  Agents then ripped phone lines out of the walls and seized 
not only vitamin B products but Dr. Wright's business and medical files and
computer disks and tapes."

"The FDA is supposed to protect consumers.  But who will protect us 
from the armed and dangerous goon squads at the FDA?"  Ms. Gingell asked.

"This is not law enforcement by any stretch of the imagination. It is brutal 
harassment of peaceful Americans.  This is Big Government run amok," Ms.
Gingell concluded.

Libertarians believe "That government is best which governs least."  The
party platform says, in part, "We advocate the abolition of the Food and
Drug Administration and particularly its policies of mandating specific
nutritional requirements and denying the right of manufacturers to make
non-fraudulent claims concerning their products."

The Libertarian Party expects to be the only political party, other than the
Democratic and Republican parties, on the ballot in all 50 states and 
the District of Columbia this November. In addition to its presidential
candidate Andre Marrou and vice-presidential candidate Nancy Lord, 
America's third largest party is running more than 700 other candidates, 
including over 100 for Congress.

                                   [END]



---------


    Alan T. Furman         | VOTE LIBERTARIAN!!  Marrou/Lord in 92!!
---------------------------+----------------------------------------
  atfurman@cup.portal.sig  |   (800)682-1776 for more information
Newsgroups: talk.politics.drugs