Author Topic: Please sign the petition! (Read 3129 times)

northfifeduckling · « **on:** February 05, 2011, 11:00:34 am »

against the EU directive which will prevent us from buying traditional medicines over the counter this spring!
It seriously affects not only our personal independence in our heath management but also puts all the power into the hands of the pharma giants - and all in the name of public health!

http://www.gaia-health.com/articles301/000315-stop-the-traditional-herbal-medicinal-products-directive.shtml

claire · « **Reply #1 on:** February 05, 2011, 11:10:51 am »

signed it, I had heard about this but had no idea it was happening so soon.

doganjo · « **Reply #2 on:** February 05, 2011, 11:43:59 am »

Signed, and commented too. We have to stop this!

faith0504 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 05, 2011, 01:08:11 pm »

signed and left a comment, who do they think they are

kaz · « **Reply #4 on:** February 05, 2011, 04:36:17 pm »

Signed as well.

lazybee · « **Reply #5 on:** February 05, 2011, 05:14:09 pm »

To be honest i don't see anything wrong here??

The aim of the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive is to ensure that this latter group of herbal remedies meets basic safety and quality standards - i.e. they should not be watered down, or contain contaminants or cheap substitute ingredients. They will also have to demonstrate their efficacy through "traditional use" i.e. through being on the market for 30 years - 15 years of which must be in Europe. In addition, any medical claims they make must be accurate.

It would be good to know you won't be putting yourself and family at any risk or wasting your money. Opium is traditional, I know it's not herbal but so is Rhino horn. I personally need to know anything take or apply is fit for purpose. Some things like clove oil, eucalyptus, menthol, witchhazel etc have been used for years and have been proven to work. The things that need to be controlled are some of the more fadish Chinese treatments and the like; some are poisonous and affect the heart and nervous system. Others have been tested and found to contain dangerous levels of heavy metals like lead and arsenic.
I could go on the internet any time and buy a cocktail of toxic so called traditional medicines of unknown origin. They could contain anything and I wouldn't know. Is this right?

northfifeduckling · « **Reply #6 on:** February 05, 2011, 05:58:21 pm »

Lazybee, this is exactly how they sold it to the MEPs. This directive is not telling you what is safe, it is telling you that you are not allowed to buy it.
They use the same brush for everything and there is no difference made between what we and generations before us consider "safe" and what is dubious You will still be able to get possibly toxic herbs and dubious ingredients if you go and visit a registered Chinese herbalist. We are just not allowed to buy any without a prescription - and a lot of these are herbs used in food, only the small companies which sell them for the health market, like in the form of tinctures, will be driven out of the market because they can not fund the studies. And have you ever asked a doctor to prescribe a herb for you? they have no clue (unlike on the continent). It is very similar to the Bill in America where everything is regulated now what you grow and eat - who benefits from that? Wait for it, Brussels with come up with the same soon. For a while we can at least grow some of our own...