Fwd: Doctor Yourself News EXTRA (Vol. 3, No 22-A) September 26, 2003

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In a message dated 09/26/2003 12:14:21 PM Eastern Daylight Time, drsaul@... writes:

http://www.doctoryourself.com/write_now.html

Doctor Yourself Newsletter **EXTRA** (Vol. 3, No 22-A) September 26, 2003

Written by Saul, PhD, of http://www.doctoryourself.com , a free

online library of over 350 natural healing articles with nearly 4,000

scientific references.

SUPPLEMENT RESTRICTION: AMERICA IS THE NEXT TARGET

Make no mistake about it: there is a movement afoot to take away your access

to vitamin supplements in the USA, as in Europe. If passed, Senate bill S.

722, the so-called " Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2003 " will insure that

this happens.

For example, this proposed law contains the following words:

`SEC. 416. ADVERSE EXPERIENCES WITH DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS. (a) DEFINITIONS

" (1) ADVERSE DIETARY SUPPLEMENT EXPERIENCE- The term `adverse dietary

supplement experience' means an adverse event that is associated with the

use of a dietary supplement in a human, without regard to whether the event

is known to be causally related to the dietary supplement. "

Think about that and re-read it. This is federal legislation based on

hear-say. Do you think that is a good idea?

How about this section:

`(d) SAFETY REVIEW FOR POSSIBLY DANGEROUS DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS

`(1) IN GENERAL- If a clinical evaluation by the Secretary (of the FDA) of 1

or more serious adverse events indicates that a dietary supplement or a

dietary ingredient contained in a dietary supplement appears to present a

significant or unreasonable risk of illness, the Secretary may require the

manufacturers of the dietary supplement, or of a dietary ingredient

contained in a dietary supplement, to submit to the Secretary data

demonstrating that the dietary supplement containing the dietary ingredient

is safe.

`(2) APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL OF CONTINUED MARKETING- As soon as practicable

after receiving data required under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall

review the data and issue a determination that--

`(A)(i) the dietary supplement is safe; and

`(ii) the continued marketing of the dietary supplement is approved; or

`((i) the dietary supplement is not safe or has not been shown to be safe

under ordinary or frequent conditions of use; and

`(ii) the continued marketing of the dietary supplement is disapproved.'.

THIS WORDING GIVES THE SECRETARY OF THE U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION

ABSOLUTE POWER TO REGULATE EVERY SINGLE SUPPLEMENT.

Do you think that is right?

Read the full text of this proposed law at http://thomas.loc.gov/ by typing

in " S. 722. " 722 alone will not work. You have to type " S. 722. " ( " S "

indicates Senate.)

http://www.greatestherbsonearth.com/nsparticles/ama_dshea.htm contains a

good commentary article on S. 722, with a ready-to-print-and-use form letter

provided at

http://www.greatestherbsonearth.com/nsparticles/s722_letter.htm so you can

write to your senator immediately. (I have no financial connection with this

website, and make no recommendation or endorsement of its products or other

commercial content.)

You can send your comments electronically, by email, for free, at

http://www.congress.org . I just cut-and-pasted the form letter into a plain

text format ( " Notepad " ) and then edited it a bit. You can, too, or if you

prefer you can just use my letter, below, which I have already to both my

U.S. Senators.

Here it is:

Dear Senator:

I respectfully urge you to do all in your power to kill S-722 (the " Dietary

Supplement Safety Act of 2003, " introduced March 26th, 2003 by Senator

J. Durbin (D-IL). The bill's intent is to overturn the main

provisions of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994

(DSHEA).

I think S-722 and its congressional backers will be very unpopular with the

American people. I can say this because more citizen letters were sent to

Congress in 1992-1994 in support of DSHEA than over any other issue in

American history. If you have a hand in overturning the freedoms that DSHEA

provides, voters will strongly disapprove.

DSHEA was enacted after years of debate in Congress. During the process, it

became very clear that there was overwhelming public support for ensuring

free access to dietary supplements.

S-722 would give the FDA the potential power to remove thousands of herbs

and other dietary supplements from the marketplace, as it has tried to do

many times already, literally for decades. S-722 would give FDA complete

discretion to make such a determination. That is wrong. It was the will of

the people and of Congress, as stated in DSHEA, that supplement availability

in America is not to be regulated or restricted.

S-722 would require premarket approval for caffeine in herbs and dietary

supplements but would specifically exempt manufacturers of drugs and foods

like coffee, tea, and soft drinks from that requirement. Do you really think

that is right?

You are almost certainly most concerned with the safety of your

constituents, but you may not be aware of this: There is not even one death

per year from vitamins. S. 722 gives FDA power to control access to

vitamins, and not just other, more questionable products. And as for unsafe

products, you should be fully aware that DSHEA already provides FDA with

very ample authority to remove any dangerous product at any time. FDA has

always had this authority. They still have it. S. 722 is essentially a power

grab that undermines DSHEA and the rights of your constituents.

Please oppose S. 722, and please write back to me on this subject.

Respectfully yours,

W. Saul

My Senator's office tells me that we can check and see to what extent this

bill is making progress at

http://thomas.loc.gov/

There is more information, and important links, concerning attempts to

restrict access to vitamin supplements at

http://www.doctoryourself.com/news/v3n21.txt and

http://www.doctoryourself.com/supplement_limit.html .

Dr. Hoffer offers this comment on Europe's recently approved, continent-wide

ban on consumer access to vitamin supplements:

" Your recent newsletter (http://www.doctoryourself.com/news/v3n21.txt)

proves very clearly that modern medicine is not scientific, that it is full

of prejudice, illogic and susceptible to advertising. Doctors are not taught

to reason. They are programmed to believe in whatever their medical schools

teach them and the leading doctors tell them. And over the past 20 years the

drug companies with their enormous wealth have taken medicine over and now

control its research, what is taught and the information released to the

public. Very important information in your newsletter. If the European Union

has its way, all consumer access to nutrients throughout Europe will be

prohibited, while the massive drug companies will still be permitted to

experiment all they like with their dangerous potions. "

Please write to both your Senators today. And how about sending a letter to

your local newspaper? My easy how-to hints to help you are at

http://www.doctoryourself.com/write_now.html

" When I feel the heat, I see the light. " (Senator Everett Dirksen)

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Best wishes,

A. Saul

Contributing Editor

Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine

http://www.orthomed.org

My website: http://www.doctoryourself.com

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For information about my new book, " DOCTOR YOURSELF: Natural Healing that

Works, " please go to

http://www.letsliveonline.com/BasicHealth/doctorYourself.html . This book

will be in bookstores in October.

(Persons interested in my only currently available book PAPERBACK CLINIC: A

Simplified Manual of Natural Therapeutics, may obtain it directly from me at

8 Van Buren Street, Holley, NY 14470, USA for $35.00 postpaid in the USA; US

$40.00 to Canada, and US $55.00 airmail to all other countries. I will be

happy to autograph your copy if you so request with your order. Reviews of

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