15 replies to this topic

[kevin]

This article from Life Extension Foundation should give all of us pause. It outlines how natural health products will more than likely become regulated to the point that we will no longer be able to purchase some of the proven beneficial anti-aging supplements. The international drug cartel is trying to get control of the lucrative supplement industry under the guise of protecting the public. Personal freedom of choice is again the victim. Please read the following and be aware that our liberties are being slowly whittled away.

Europe Threatening To Ban Dietary Supplements

Edited by kperrott, 26 July 2003 - 06:44 AM.

[kevin]

Looks like Canada is about to join Australia...

Visit IAHF Website to get the full story but here is a letter they sent out just today...

Breaking News, Whats New, Canada, and All Countries

Edited by kperrott, 19 June 2003 - 05:39 AM.

[DJS]

Do you really think something like that could happen in the United States? Do you think the American public would stand for it? This is something I was not aware of and it concerns me... [ph34r]

[kevin]

It is VERY disturbing...

In the wake of terrorist threats and with the sound of war drums in their ears, I think the American public might be more than a little prone to giving up freedoms for security. With the divide and conquer approach that the PHARMACARTEL's are attempting in surrounding the U.S. with countries which have already harmonized their legislations with the CODEX ALIMENTARIUS. The American public may have no choice but to follow suit if other countries of the WTO have already done so.

Check out this link that outlines how insidious the process is and how the FDA is trying to sneak this one through Congress without a big fuss.

http://www.garynull..../aboutcodex.htm

A search on CODEX ALIMENTARIUS will bring up more than enough information to choke on.. I know I did..

If you're interested please sign the petition against the PHARMACARTEL's EU attempts to control the supplements industry.

http://www.laleva.cc.../intro_eng.html

and add this website to your favorites as well..

http://www.codexalimentarius.org/

Here's a good article (from 1997) on the threat of the Codex..

http://www.ahha.org/codexbuchanan.htm

Edited by kperrott, 20 June 2003 - 05:33 AM.

[kevin]

Below is a link to a letter from Congressmen Paul and Defazio which echoes the concerns of vitamin consumers around the world regarding the immense threat posed by the UN Codex Commission to block our access to therapeutic potencies of vitamins, minerals, and other dietary supplements.

Congressional Oversight Letter

[kevin]

A Dr. Rath, co-publisher with Linus Pauling in a number of papers dealing with the effectiveness of Vitamin C against heart disease, has launched a complaint with the Hague against the pharmaceutical companies. His website, which is shamelessly self promoting, is an interesting read on the current state of affairs with the Pharmacartels and their fight to survive.

Complaint Against Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity Committed in Connection With The Pharmaceutical 'Business With Disease' And The Recent War Against Iraq

On his site are listed a number of lawsuits, one which is the recall of the statin drug 'cervestatin' for treating high cholesterol. It was recalled in Aug 2001 for causing over 40 deaths worldwide. The current number of litigation cases has reach over 8000 and BAYER's insurance may not be able to cover the costs of the damages.

Edited by kperrott, 26 July 2003 - 06:52 AM.

[kevin]

Here's a copy of an e-mail sent out to supporters of the Life Extension Foundation that speaks to attempts of the pharmacartels and the FDA to keep American's paying the highest prices for drugs in the world.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Life Extension Defeats The Behemoth
House Votes To Allow Importation
of Lower Priced Prescription Drugs

Dear Life Extension Supporters,

Two days ago, everyone we talked to on Capitol Hill said there was NO chance the drug importation bill (H.R. 2427: The Pharmaceutical Market Access Act of 2003) would pass the House of Representatives.

Today--July 25--right before the House vote, I was told that there were so many drug lobbyists on Capitol Hill urging Representatives to defeat this bill that the lobbyists were standing in line to get into Congressional offices.

The pharmaceutical industry made it appear that everyone was against the right of Americans to purchase lower cost medications from other countries. The Wall Street Journal wrote an editorial against it, the FDA said it would open the floodgates to dangerous drugs, and even some religious groups went into overdrive to oppose it.

The drug lobby even induced Reverend Jerry Falwell to publish a vicious and slanderous attack against The Life Extension Foundation for supporting this bill. (Look forward to a fierce rebuttal to Jerry Falwell’s baseless allegations against LEF very soon at www.lef.org.)

Eight days after Falwell’s editorial appeared in The Washington Times newspaper, an FDA agent showed up at Life Extension’s facilities. A seven-day intrusive inspection commenced that distracted our legal team from following the bill. This is why you were sent, at the last minute, the emergency email urging you to call, email or fax your Congressional Representative to support the bill.

The incredible news is that The Pharmaceutical Market Access Act of 2003 passed the House early this morning by a margin of 243 to 186. We, the people, defeated the drug industry’s mammoth multi-million dollar attempt to keep this consumer-based legislation from passing.

Life Extension believes the drug lobby induced the FDA to initiate this inspection for the purpose of finding a way to destroy our organization. The drug cartel views The Life Extension Foundation as a threat to their profits and has demonstrated--through Jerry Falwell--how far they will go to discredit us.

Life Extension is preparing a detailed response to the FDA’s assertions that we may not be allowed to relate the findings of peer-reviewed published studies (e.g., that folic acid reduces homocysteine levels) to our members. The FDA inspector even indicated that the agency might not allow our medical doctors to discuss this type of information when members call to ask questions about their blood test results. Life Extension has retained First Amendment attorney Jonathon Emord to initiate litigation against the FDA to protect our right to communicate truthful and legitimate information, as we have always done. (bold my emphasis)

This bill now faces an uphill battle in the Senate, which is more heavily influenced by massive pharmaceutical company campaign contributions and lobbying. I am asking each of you to log on to www.senate.gov to obtain the names and addresses of your two Senators. Please handwrite, type or copy to them a personalized letter along the following lines:


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Honorable Senator___________

Washington, D.C. 20510

The crisis of costly healthcare can be mitigated if Americans are allowed to import lower-priced, identical FDA approved drugs from other countries. On July 25, the House passed the Pharmaceutical Market Access Act of 2003 (H.R.2427) by a margin of 243 to 186. This bill has strict safety standards in place that will ensure imported prescription drugs as safe as those I buy from my local pharmacy.

This prescription drug importation bill will soon be introduced in the Senate. I insist that you put your full support behind it, despite the intensive and deceptive lobbying efforts you will encounter.

This is my first letter to notify you how important this issue is to me. I understand that the Senate may be voting on this in September, and I will write you again to encourage you to vote for the Senate version of this House bill that will enable Americans to access lower-priced medications that have similar safety standards of this country from other countries.

Please let me know what your position on this drug import bill is now, as I would welcome the opportunity to clarify why it is so important that this bill pass the Senate as well.

Sincerely,

Name:

Address:

City: State: Zip:


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Life Extension is risking its future by taking on the behemoth drug cartel. Please take the time to write to your two Senators now, and again in September. The upcoming October issue of Life Extension magazine that you will receive in September will contain an in-depth update as to the status of this bill in the Senate.

I want to personally thank everyone who phoned, faxed and/or emailed their Congressional Representative. Your efforts have paid off big time. For those who did not contact their Congressional representative, you now have the opportunity to speak out for your rights by writing to your two Senators.

You can follow the progress of this bill by logging on to www.lef.org regularly.

Together in Victory,



William Faloon

Life Extension Foundation Buyers Club


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Following is the House action summary on this H.R.2427

H.R.2427

Title: To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to promulgate regulations for the reimportation of prescription drugs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Gutknecht, Gil [MN-1] (introduced 6/11/2003) Cosponsors: 53

Related Bills: H.RES.335

Latest Major Action: 7/25/2003 Passed/agreed to in House. Status: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 243 - 186 (Roll no. 445).


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jul 25, 7:58 AM EDT

House OKs Importation of Lower-Cost Drugs

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House approved legislation early Friday allowing Americans to purchase prescription medicine abroad, voting 243-186 after a clash that pitted the hope of lower prices against the fear of counterfeit drugs.

The vote marked a defeat for the pharmaceutical industry, which spends millions lobbying Congress, and was repeatedly criticized by lawmakers in both parties for putting profits ahead of patients.

"It's not about safety, it's about money," said conservative Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., practically hissing the word. "There's a woman ... who's dying of breast cancer," he added. "... How do you tell her when she goes to buy tamoxifen that she can't afford it but she could go right across the border to Canada and get it for one sixth or one seventh the cost."

"The country is going to be flooded with unsafe pharmaceutical counterfeits, over-age pharmaceuticals, pharmaceuticals that don't preserve and protect the safety of our citizens," countered Rep. John Dingell, a Michigan Democrat who has long worked on drug issues.

The vote sent the bill to the Senate, and House supporters hoped it would be incorporated, as well, in any final compromise on Medicare prescription drug legislation.

But the chances of that appeared to dim even as the debate unfolded on the House floor, when 53 senators announced their opposition to any change in the current law, which allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to decide whether importation would be safe.

Among those signing a letter on the issue were Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Don Nickles, R-Okla., both of whom are part of the group hoping to craft a final Medicare bill this fall.

Congress has approved legislation twice before dealing with the drug importation issue, but both times said the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services would first have to certify that the drugs would be safe. Neither Donna Shalala, who served under former President Clinton, nor Tommy Thompson, who holds office under President Bush, was willing to do so.

This time, the bill backed by Republican Reps. Gil Gutknecht of Minnesota, Rep. Jo Ann Emerson of Missouri and Democratic Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, ordered HHS to set up a system to allow importation of FDA-approved drugs from FDA-approved facilities in Canada, the European Union and seven other nations.

The measure also would require imported medicine to be shipped in anti-tampering and anti-counterfeiting packaging.

Even so, the Bush administration issued a statement calling the bill "dangerous legislation."

And FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan said the measure "creates a wide channel for large volumes of unapproved drugs and other products to enter the United States that are potentially injurious to public health and pose a threat to the security of our nation's drug supply."

The vote crossed the customary party and ideological lines in the House. There were 155 Democrats, 87 Republicans and 1 independent in favor, and 45 Democrats and 141 Republicans opposed.

The vote capped an emotional debate, supporters repeatedly referring to cancer victims who must pay more for medicine at home than they would in Canada or Germany, and opponents warning of drugs that look legitimate, but are worthless, or even hazardous.

Gutknecht held up two packages of the drug tamoxifen, used to combat breast cancer. "Why is it that Americans have to spend $260 for this life-saving drug when Germans can buy it for $60," he said.

But Rep. W.J. Tauzin, R-La., countered by showing the website of a Canadian prescription drug house. He said FDA officials had purchased anti-seizure medication from the company, but found it was made in India, not Canada. "It is water inside this package," he said.

The measure had wide appeal to consumers - thousands of whom have ridden in buses to Canada in recent years to buy lower-cost drugs. And several lawmakers accused the drug industry of merely trying to protect its own profits. Liberal Rep. Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., said it had spread "lies, lies, and lies again" in an effort to kill the bill.

"We do believe there is a safety problem," said Mark Grayson, a spokesman for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, known as PhRMA. He also said the legislation would import the system of price controls that foreign government impose on drugs.

He said he didn't know how much the group was spending to defeat the bill, adding, "We don't discuss that."

The pharmaceutical industry made more than $20 million in political contributions in the past election, with roughly $8 of every $10 going to Republicans, according to an analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics.

PhRMA itself gave more than $3 million and spent more than $14 million lobbying Congress on various issues last year. In addition, the organization gave millions last year to an organization that aired television commercials on behalf of candidates who backed a GOP-written prescription drug bill.

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Edited by kperrott, 26 July 2003 - 06:54 AM.

[Bruce Klein]

Saul Kent and William Foloon deserve an ImmInst Medal of Freedom for putting up such a fight... they've been at battle with the law for more than 20 years now it seems with cryonics and supplements.

--

Actually they were arrested by the FDA back in the late 80's. They successfully faught the FDA, quite a story... http://www.benbest.c...con/fdalef.html

[kevin]

It looks like importing cheaper drugs from Canada and other countries will be possible but here's a new article on just how sneaky the pharmaceutical companies can be. They've been caught working through church groups, using importation of an abortion drug as the basis for an argument against cheaper imports, not because they're against abortion, but because it erodes their profits.

This article from the Washington Post on MSNBC illustrates how the pharmacartels operate. We all better stay aware that they want to keep us sick and pumping money into their pockets.

-------------------------------------------
Drug Firms Aid Church Group

Claim about import measure stirs anger

By Jim VandeHei and Juliet Eilperin
THE WASHINGTON POST

July 23 — A Christian lobbying group fighting the proposed importation of low-cost prescription drugs has received behind-the-scenes help from the drug industry, the latest example of pharmaceutical companies trying to influence Congress clandestinely.

THE TRADITIONAL Values Coalition, which bills itself as a Christian advocacy group representing 43,000 churches, has mailed to the districts of several conservative House Republicans this sharply disputed warning: Legislation to allow the importation of U.S.-made pharmaceuticals from Canada and Europe might make RU-486, called the “abortion pill,” as easy to get as aspirin.
The Traditional Values Coalition (TVC) portrays its campaign as a moral fight for the “sanctity of life.” Documents provided to The Washington Post, however, show that drug lobbyists played a key role in crafting its argument and in disseminating the information to lawmakers. Pharmaceutical companies oppose the legislation — which would legalize the reimportation of U.S.-made prescription drugs that sell for less in Canada than in the United States — not over abortion but because it would erode their profits.

The bill, likely to be voted on this week, is popular with many lawmakers seeking to reduce the cost of medicine for older Americans without relying on government subsidies. Opponents say it would open the door to unsafe and less regulated drugs and drain profits that companies use, in part, to research and develop new medicines.
A recent TVC letter sent to Congress was signed by the coalition’s executive director, Andrea Sheldon Lafferty. It was originally drafted, however, by Tony Rudy, a lobbyist for pharmaceutical companies and a former top aide to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), computer records show. Lafferty also circulated a memo — linking the legislation to RU-486’s availability — that was drafted by Bruce Kuhlik, a senior vice president at the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), a trade group funded by the nation’s biggest pharmaceutical firms.

FUNDS FOR DIRECT-MAIL
A Republican close to TVC said Rudy also helped arrange funding for the group’s direct-mail campaign, which targeted nearly two dozen Republicans even though they generally oppose abortion rights. Several Republicans said pharmaceutical companies, through their lobbyists, contacted other conservative groups, including the Christian Coalition, about waging a similar campaign against the reimportation measure. The Traditional Values Coalition was the only taker because several abortion opponents questioned the accuracy of the drug industry’s argument, according to lawmakers and conservative activists.
PhRMA, one of Washington’s most influential lobbying groups, has long paid other organizations — often those with friendly-sounding names such as the United Seniors Association — to promote legislation favored by Pfizer Inc., Eli Lilly and Co. and other leading drugmakers. The idea is to make the campaigns appear driven by seniors, who spend the most on medicines, or, in this case, Christian activists. Government watchdog groups say such campaigns, which generally do not have to disclose their financing, are deceptive and misleading. In the legislative fight over imported drugs, the United Seniors Association is warning lawmakers and voters of the “dangers of imported drugs.”
In a letter to lawmakers, Lafferty said the reimportation bill would create new “avenues” for buying abortion drugs and would “effectively repeal” the law that prohibits the sale of abortion products through the mail. Proponents of the bill say it would do nothing to make RU-486 more available, because patients would still need a doctor’s prescription.
With the House vote expected to be close, PhRMA is trying to peel off supporters one by one, tailoring its argument to individual lawmakers’ concerns. In this case, the TVC mailings to abortion opponents included a picture of a baby and asked whether the targeted lawmakers will “miss an opportunity to protect the sanctity of human life.”

‘UNACCEPTABLE TACTICS’
House Republicans were so offended by the mailings that they recently barred the TVC and its leader, the Rev. Louis P. Sheldon, from attending future meetings of the Values Action Team, an umbrella group of socially conservative Republicans. “We stand united in opposition to the unethical and unacceptable tactics you have employed to force pro-life members of Congress to support your views,” Rep. Joseph R. Pitts (R-Pa.) said in a letter to Sheldon.
Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.), an abortion opponent who was targeted by the TVC mailings, said in an interview: “It makes me so angry I could spit.”
It is unclear who paid for the direct-mail campaign, although several Republicans said drug companies were behind it. Rudy, whose clients include PhRMA and Eli Lilly, declined to comment for this story.
Lafferty said she promised the House “leadership” she would not talk to reporters about the matter. She neither confirmed nor denied that the TVC received money from Alexander Strategy Group, which is headed by Rudy and former DeLay chief of staff Ed Buckham. PhRMA spokesman Jeff Truitt would not comment.
Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) and several other conservatives are blaming the drug companies for the mailing campaign, though they offered no specific evidence linking the mailing to PhRMA or individual companies.
“I do not understand . . . how a religious organization can be manipulated by the pharmaceutical industry to do this sort of thing,” Burton said. “They are supposed to be moral people. And yet I am confident, in fact I am dead sure, that the Traditional Values Coalition did not have the money to mail this kind of trash out to congressional districts all across the country.”
The National Review, a conservative magazine, reported last week that other socially conservative groups were offered money to spread the message that the legislation could lead to more abortions. Since then, several GOP lawmakers have called on Sheldon to disclose who paid for the campaign.
DeLay, an ally of the drug companies, vowed yesterday to defeat the legislation, which he called “horrible policy.”

© 2003 The Washington Post Company

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[RuiFS]

The Drug Cartel belongs to the Illuminati, like most of the world economy. Drugs are used to induce desease and to kill. There is an US law, called NESARA [National Economic Stabilization and Recovery Act], signed by Bill Clinton but not announced, that will downgrade the power of these people [including the FDA] and give much more freedom for the common citizen. Alternative medicine (that do not use drugs) will have free practicing. Nesara is in the threshold of announcement, see www.fourwinds10.com - Dove of Oneness Reports.

Wishes of Peace, Love and Health for all.
Rui.

[kevin]

The National Economic Stabilization and Recovery Act (NESARA). is a proposed bill that has been around for sometime and deals with establishing a new monetary policy to effect a better distribution of wealth in the U.S. It has also been part of the platform of many a crackpot group dealing with conspiracy theories of government and special interest group control. It has been even stated that the signing of the NESARA was to occur the morning of 9/11 and that the US gov't itself was involved in the terrorism in New York, timed to prevent the signing.

from http://www.quatloos.com/NESARA.htm

Although the NESARA proposal has been presented to many Congresspersons over the years, and some have expressed interest in the proposal, it hasn't yet built up sufficient support for even introduction to Committee, much less to a full vote by Congress.

There is more than enough information for those interested about NESARA at http://nesara.org/articles/index.htm. Ruifs, unless you have some relevant links that say otherwise or would like to point out exactly how the it will provide individuals with freedom from interference, it seems to me that it is not realisitic to see the NESARA as a tool to limit the power of the FDA, even if it were passed into law.

Edited by kevin, 06 August 2003 - 03:45 PM.

[kevin]

Ron Petizione of the Consumer Association for freedom of choice is one of the people drawing attention to the threat of the pharmacartel's efforts to play the magician, knowing that if they distract you with one hand you won't notice what the other is doing. This is exactly what is happening with all the attention being put on Ephedra, a substance which athletes take to increase their energy. The public really do not consider that the pharmaceutical companies may not have their best interests at heart, and blind trust in the medical community is largely to blame for the situation we find ourselves in.

Here's what Petizione has to say...

It’s fascinating how when there is one suspected adverse reaction to a dietary supplement it makes the headlines, and yet officials and the media are oblivious to the plethora of deaths due to properly regulated, properly prescribed and properly used drugs – not to mention avoidable deaths due to medical misadventure. This graph highlights the relative safety of dietary supplements compared to many other causes of death. Although they are USA figures, by and large they compare with NZ figures....

Properly researched, regulated, prescribed and properly used drugs are the fourth most common cause of death – but they are never reported. (Source, Journal of the American Medical Association - Range 90,000 to 160,000 deaths per year.) That’s a Boeing 747 crashing every day! 46 people die every day from Aspirin alone in the USA.

Now a single person dies from ephedra, not to mitigate the tragedy of it, and there is an immediate uproar in the media. Why are we not as upset at the tragedies caused by prescription drugs. The answer is simple, we don't here about them.

The page from which this quote was obtained, http://www.laleva.cc...ronlaw_eng.html, is a good source of statistics that draw attention to the real causes of death by substances in developed nations.

Edited by kevin, 13 August 2003 - 12:50 AM.

[shpongled]

"DSHEA is under attack in Washington. Powerful special interest lobbying forces have supported legislation to eradicate an entire spectrum of dietary supplements from the market. Under the guise of restricting adolescent access to androstenedione and other muscle-building steroid precursors, several new legislative efforts would have devastating effects on mature adults throughout America.


One such measure, H.R. 207, would grant alarmingly broad powers to the Attorney General to turn a wide variety of currently over-the-counter nutritional supplements into controlled substances. Controlled substance status is a serious categorization, reserved only for dangerous, addictive drugs of abuse. There is no evidence that the products covered by this bill meet these criteria. To use the Controlled Substances Act to ban many of these products is an abuse of the law, and would set a disturbing precedent that might open the door for the criminalization of other healthful dietary supplements. In effect, this bill could drag millions of aging Americans into the federal criminal justice system for the mere possession of popular and innocuous dietary supplements like DHEA, 7-keto DHEA, and pregnenolone. Life extensionists and anti-aging enthusiasts would face arrest and criminal prosecution, and would even be subject to federal asset forfeiture laws.


Another pending bill, S. 722, introduced by Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois would place unreasonable burdens on supplement manufacturers and would classify prohormones as controlled substances based only on advertising claims. This bill is of serious concern because some insiders fear it may be tacked onto more benign legislation, such as the agricultural appropriations bill, in the very near future. "

http://www.usfa.biz/

[kevin]

Thanks shpongled... life-extensionists and supplement takers everywhere should take note and act to protect their freedoms. There's was an updated posted on the same site at http://www.usfa.biz/...=viewtopic&t=49 which offers some hope but still highlights concerns for over regulation..

--------------------------------------------------
Good news: Senator Durbin's bill (S. 722) may turn out to be the best thing
that's happened for the USFA. Prior to his sweeping attack on the entire
supplement industry, we were pretty much on our own in the battle against
the anti-prohormone Sweeney-Osborne bill. The rest of the supplement
industry sat on the sidelines. But Durbin's bill has stirred some of the
bigger players into taking action. Weider Publishing has committed to a
million-dollar campaign against the Durbin bill (a call to arms article
currently appears on the home page of www.flexonline.com) and GNC will offer
its Gold Member mailing list (1.2 million plus) for grassroots development.
The NNFA is taking a more active role, as is Metabolife. Our Washington
lobbyists, Mark Irion and the Dutko Group, are coordinating efforts and
resources with all the other players to our best advantage. ntext of the
defense of DSHEA rather than to be isolated as anabolic steroids.

The bad news: Separate and apart from the Durbin bill, Senator Joe Biden has
his own bill to offer. Biden is largely responsible for the Anabolic
Steroid Control Act of 1990, and other legislators look to him for guidance
on steroid issues. He will reportedly expand the Control Act by targeting
and including "steroid precursors." He is leaning toward simply removing
the "promotes muscle growth" requirement for steroidal compounds chemically
and pharmacologically related to testosterone (he might consider
specifically exempting DHEA, 7-keto and pregnenolone). He is being
enthusiastically backed by the DEA and USADA (the sports anti-doping lobby).
He will likely also have full support from all members of CASPER (see
www.casper207.com), which is an impressive list including the AMA, the NFL,
ACE, numerous amateur sports associations and others. Since the bill will
only target prohormones, we probably can't rely on our anti-Durbin allies
for too much support. Those legislators who favor the supplement industry
in general have been much less positive about prohormones (for example,
Senator Hatch, the "Father of DSHEA," stated last year that he doesn't
believe "andro" is a dietary supplement). We've made a good deal of
progress on Capitol Hill in the past few months, but the bad press on
"pro-steroids" and "designer steroids" in mainstream newspapers and
magazines has made things more difficult. Bill Roberts has worked hard,
aided by Alan Feldstein, Dr. Rick Cohen and myself, to
educate various legislators and to hone and clarify USFA positions based on
the scientific facts and on the political realties.

We have taken steps to counter the media attacks through our own public
relations campaign. We retained Greg Guss, a veteran PR expert, and have
just issued a new press release about the USFA and the attack on supplements
(we have Tim Patterson and Biotest to thank for Guss's retainer). We have
several qualified spokespersons within the USFA; additionally, Scott
Connelly, MD, has expressed an interest in speaking on our behalf in the
appropriate venues.

The REALLY GOOD NEWS: THE USFA WILL HAVE A BOOTH AT THE OLYMPIA WEEKEND EXPO
IN LAS VEGAS IN OCTOBER!!!! The booth will be FREE, a gift from promoter
Wayne DeMilia (we have Dan Armentrout of Pharmagenx to thank for arranging
this, and Dan was referred by Jeff McCarrell of Nutrex). The USFA booth will be a
fantastic opportunity to reach out and educate consumers and industry alike.
We will have a USFA member meeting to
coincide with the weekend, and may also offer a public educational
presentation of some type.

Best regards,
Rick Collins
General Counsel
516-294-0300

-----------------------------

I especially liked this poster's 'signature quote'..

"Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished
by being governed by those who are dumber." - Plato

[kevin]

August 23, 2003

Unholy Trinity
Anti-Abortion Attack on Health and Free Speech
By STANDARD SCHAEFER
http://www.counterpu...er08232003.html

Anyone still unconvinced about the power of the religious right in this country need look no further than this: a combined an attack on free speech, the woman's right to choose, and affordable healthcare.

On July 8, 2003 the Washington Times ran an opinion piece by Rev. Jerry Falwell in which he attacked the Pharmaceutical Market Access Act, a recently proposed piece of legislation that would allow US citizens to import cheaper pharmaceuticals from abroad.

Eight days later, according to a vitamin buyers club called Life Extension Foundation, their headquarters were visited by the FDA. An intrusive and disruptive multi-day inspection ensued. At the close of inspection, the FDA demanded that the organization cease to make certain health claims in their literature. Licensed medical doctors working for the organization were also told they could no longer make "unapproved statements." Among the controversial statements cited was that folic acid lowers homocysteine levels.

There are often contradictory studies in relation to vitamin supplements, some of which are the result of drug companies that deliberately set out to discredit vitamin cures that cannot be patented.

In this case, the FDA's orders do not seem to take into account that Life Extensions publishes peer-reviewed scientific papers and abstracts, provides documentation to their claims and makes medical doctors to available to its costumers who have specific questions.

Nor does the FDA's order take into account the fact that in vitamin marketing cases federal judges have been favoring the use of disclaimers on alternative instead of outright censorship. Some of language under attack seems not to simply censor claims, but to limit needlessly the names of products. Life Extension Foundation has already complied with the FDA in removing the word "pain" from the label of its formerly named Natural Pain Relief formula, despite the fact that the product already has a disclaimer.

Falwell's argument in the Washington Times was largely limited to linking the idea of importing cheaper drugs to the possibility that someone might import abortion drugs like RU-486. He provided no statistical evidence to make the point, but merely appealed to the usual scare tactics: "Would drug importation make non-FDA approved drugs legal, or put prescription drugs in the hands of those without prescriptions? No. Would it make them easier for those who crave deadly drugs to get them? Unquestionably."

He attacked the Life Extension Foundation as "rabidly anti-life" because it once published a summary of research in which health benefits, and not the anti-pregnancy qualities of RU-486 were described. He also attacked their support of embryonic stem-cell research.

LEF's products are all legal and limited to vitamins, herbal supplements, and a few products believed to enhance hormone levels. In the past, the FDA has raided such distributors only to be forced by federal judges to release the products.

Life Extension Foundation has prepared a vigorous legal defense and has alleged libel.

Falwell also attacks Katharine Greider, author of a recent exposé on the pharmaceutical industry. In her THE BIG FIX, she describes the pharmaceutical industry's more than cozy relationship with the FDA, and drug companies' exploitative pricing tactics. Falwell does not dispute Greider's THE BIG FIX on factual grounds. Instead, he attacks her personally because she correctly and calmly reports that current anti-choice regulations increase the risks of health problems in women by delaying their access to abortion. As result, many women are unable to receive abortions until the seventh month of pregnancy.

Jo Ann Emerson and Gil Gutknecht of the US House Representatives responded with a letter pointing out that over the next ten years, seniors are expected to save $630 billion on drugs as a result of this bill. They cite a study by the Kaiser Foundation that showed 29% of seniors let prescriptions go unfilled because they could not afford them. They also pointed that a former representative and physician, Dr. Tom Coburn, has supported the bill despite being an avid pro-life advocate.

The bill is simply an attempt to regulate the flow of approved prescription drugs that already cross the border every day and is a modest attempt to control some of effects of rising medical costs.

Some economists have characterized the trend toward privatizing medical care as leading to lower incomes for doctors, many of whom have warned away some of the best students from becoming physicians. Instead, many of the best medical minds are going into pharmaceutical industry.

Rabid market fundamentalists have undermined efforts to establish affordable healthcare through deregulation efforts. Pharmaceutical companies often champion regulation, particularly when it serves their purposes of extending patents and zealously defending intellectual property rights.

Ironically, there is a pro-life issue here, one the religious right has not found time to confront. An estimated 18,000 Americans every year die due to a lack of affordable health insurance coverage.

On July 25, the House passed the Pharmaceutical Market Access Act of 2003 (H.R.2427) by a margin of 243 to 186. It now faces a battle in the Senate where pharmaceutical lobbies have even more influence.

During the last election, the pharmaceutical industry contributed more than $20 million in political contributions in the past election. The Center for Responsive Politics estimates that $8 out of every $10 went to Republicans.

Standard Schaefer is a journalist in Pasadena, CA. He can be reached at ssschaefer@earthlink.net

[shpongled]

http://www.usfa.biz/


FYI to all I no longer recommend supporting this organization. They appear to only be trying to save a few supplements for financial gain under the guise of supplement freedom. For a more detailed explanation you can see this thread, starting four posts up from the bottom on the first page.