system: You are George Lagergren, a caller on a 1990s BBS posting in the Altern. Medicine message echo. Write like a real BBS user of the era — plain, direct, in your own voice, no modern polish.

user: You are replying to All about "CODEX ban on herbs".

They wrote:
-=> Quoting Wd to  <=-
Wd> Subject: Sorry, no more vitamins and herbs for you!
Wd> Newsgroups: misc.health.alternative
Wd> THE GOVERNMENT AND THE DRUG COMPANIES ARE TRYING TO STEAL YOUR RIGHT
Wd> TO VITAMINS, HERBS AND OTHER SUPPLEMENTS!!!!!!!!!!
Wd> Immediate action by *YOU* is required *NOW*!!!!!!!!!
Wd> SUGGESTED LETTER -- Fill in the blanks!
Wd> ================================================================
Wd> Date:____________________
Wd> The Honorable: ____________________________________
Wd> Dear Member of Congress:
Wd> I am firmly *AGAINST* any and all bills that implement 'CODEX LAW' or
Wd> the 'CODEX ALIMENTARIUS' or restrict my right to information about,
Wd> and access to, vitamins, minerals, herbs, food supplements, that can be
Wd> sold for preventative health maintenance, or therapeutic use.
Wd> I am firmly *FOR* any and all bills that retain my right of access to
Wd> vitamins, minerals, herbs, food supplements, that can be sold for
Wd> preventative health maintenance, or therapeutic use.
Wd> I request that you SPONSOR AND SUPPORT an amendment to the House
Wd> companion bill to S.830, the FDA Reform Bill, which was recently
Wd> passed in the Senate.  This amendment is needed to address a clause in
Wd> the bill that calls for the 'HARMONIZATION' of U.S. Food and Drug law
Wd> with the European Union (EU).
Wd> If the FDA reform bill is not changed to: ELIMINATE THE CALL FOR
Wd> HARMONIZATION with food and drug laws in Europe, it will give the FDA
Wd> a legal mandate to regulate dietary supplements as "drugs", which will
Wd> rob Americans of free access to vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs
Wd> and other nutrients, and will lead to much higher prices for these
Wd> supplements.
Wd> The reason for this is that access to dietary supplements is highly
Wd> restricted in Europe.  In Norway, for example, it is illegal to buy
Wd> vitamin C in doses higher than 200 mg. without a doctor's
Wd> prescription. In the United Kingdom (UK), there is a move to make it
Wd> illegal to purchase doses of vitamin B-6 higher than 10 mg. without a
Wd> doctor's prescription.  Thus, it is clearly not in the best interests
Wd> of Americans for our food and drug laws to be "harmonized" with the
Wd> laws in Europe.
Wd> You may have heard that the harmonization language in S.830 just
Wd> pertains to medical devices, but that is not the case.  It applies to
Wd> the entire food, drug, and cosmetic act, which includes dietary
Wd> supplements.  If you have any doubts about this, please read section
Wd> 202 of the bill, which I have reproduced below:
Wd> "Sense of the Committee Regarding Mutual Recognition Agreements
Wd> and Global Harmonization Efforts: (1) the Secretary of Health and
Wd> Human Services should support the Office of the United States Trade
Wd> Representative, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, in
Wd> efforts to  move towards the regulation of drugs, biological
Wd> products, devices, foods, [which includes dietary supplements]
Wd> food additives, and color additives, and the regulation of good
Wd> manufacturing practices between the European Union and the United
Wd> States.
Wd> "(2) the Secretary of Health and Human Services should regularly
Wd> participate in meetings with representatives of other foreign
Wd> governments to discuss and reach agreement on methods and
Wd> approaches to harmonize regulatory requirements, and;
Wd> (3) the Office of International Relations of the Department of
Wd> health and Human Services (as established under section 803 of the
Wd> Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 USC 383)) should have the
Wd> responsibility of ensuring that the process of harmonizing
Wd> international regulatory requirements is continuous."
Wd> The FDA reform bill is on a very fast track through Congress. The
Wd> Senate ignored citizens' efforts to remove the harmonization clause, so
Wd> we are now appealing to members of the house, to keep Americans from
Wd> losing their right to free access to dietary supplements. (As of Oct.
Wd> 1, 1997, the House companion bill to S.830 did not yet have a number.)
Wd> If you are a member of the Senate, please support your colleagues in
Wd> the House in their efforts to amend the bill.
Wd> HR 1411 is one of three bills currently being combined to form the
Wd> House companion bill to S.830.  What follows is the language I would
Wd> like you to sponsor, as an amendment to the bill.
Wd> "(C) The secretary shall participate in meetings with
Wd> representatives of other countries to discuss methods and
Wd> approaches to reduce the burden of regulation and harmonize
Wd> regulatory requirements if the secretary determines that such
Wd> harmonization will continue consumer protections consistent with
Wd> the purposes of this Act.  The Secretary shall report to the
Wd> Committee on Commerce of the House of Representatives of the Senate
Wd> at least 120 (instead of 60) days before executing any bilateral or
Wd> multilateral agreements, and all harmonization agreements entered
Wd> into must be approved by Congress following an open public hearing,
Wd> in which citizens are given adequate notice and time to comment on
Wd> all aspects of the bill."
Wd> This amendment would provide Americans with badly needed oversight
Wd> that doesn't exist in the bill at present.  If this change is not made,
Wd> I will lobby to veto the bill and will encourage others to do so as
Wd> well.
Wd> Your Constituent,
Wd> Constituent ____________________________________________________
Wd> Address:_______________________________________________________
Wd> City_________________________________ST________ZIP____________
Wd> Date:_____________________

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assistant: More  material about the CODEX treaty on dietary supplements
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