Canada's Proposed C-51 Law

[HotHotHeat]

A new law being pushed in Canada by Big Pharma seeks to outlaw up to 60 percent of natural health products currently sold in Canada, even while criminalizing parents who give herbs or supplements to their children. The law, known as C-51, was introduced by the Canadian Minister of Health on April 8th, 2008, and it proposes sweeping changes to Canada’s Food and Drugs Act that could have devastating consequences on the health products industry.

Among the changes proposed by the bill are radical alterations to key terminology, including replacing the word “drug” with “therapeutic product” throughout the Act, thereby giving the Canadian government broad-reaching powers to regulate the sale of all herbs, vitamins, supplements and other items. With this single language change, anything that is “therapeutic” automatically falls under the Food and Drug Act. This would include bottled water, blueberries, dandelion greens and essentially all plant-derived substances.

The Act also changes the definition of the word “sell” to include anyone who gives such therapeutic products to someone else. So a mother giving an herb to her child, under the proposed new language, could be arrested for engaging in the sale of unregulated, unapproved “therapeutic substances.” Learn about more of these freedom-squashing changes to the law at the Stop51.com website: http://www.stopc51.com

Eliminates the Ability of our Elected Officials to Protect Us
Section 30(7) of Bill C-51

-Bypassing our elected official’s ability to vote out laws that are not the will of, or in the interest of the Canadian people.
-Allows government agents, (not elected officials) to create binding laws behind closed doors.
-New powers will allow enforcement of these laws by the searching and seizing of private property and bank accounts without warrants.


Fast Tracks New Drugs to Market; Reduced Safety Measures:
-By shortening the approval process for new drugs.
-By placing the responsibility of safety on drug companies with a proven track record of downplaying the health risks and side effects.
-Increased numbers of adverse drug reactions will lead to an increase in malpractice and personal law suits against doctors who prescribe new drugs which have not been tested properly for health and safety risks.

http://www.stopc51.com/

Now that's government in action!

[Resolute 14]

Just reading what you quote, there seems to be both good and bad aspects to this.

I find it odd that, apparently, things like herbal remedies, suppliments, vitamins, etc aren't necessarily regulated like other drugs and treatments are. Is this a bad thing? Probably only for those that push them. And I suspect those that push them are behind this website.

Bottled water and blueberries falling under control of the Food and Drug Act. Armageddon, I tells ya. ARMAGEDDON!

The apparent changes to the process of approving drugs and medications is something to be considered, however I find it hard to trust the word of one special interest group in its condemnation of another special interest group.

[Resolute 14]

Also, to add, the only indication of who runs this website is the meaningless title "Health Canada Exposed". So, not only is this run by special interests, but by special interests who lack the courage to identify themselves.

[TheyCallMeBruce]

uh oh. Chinese Moms are gonna be pissed

[old-fart]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Also, to add, the only indication of who runs this website is the meaningless title "Health Canada Exposed". So, not only is this run by special interests, but by special interests who lack the courage to identify themselves.

Quick whois search says it is owned by Ian Stewart from Raymond Alberta.

Interesting that he wouldn't want to put it on the website. Makes you wonder how much he's contributed and/or which political party he is currently affiliated with...

[Wookie]

I scanned a bit of it, don't have enough interest to read into it much more.

That said, I'd love to see those people that work at GNC's, and stores like that a little more accountable for the bullshiz that they spew. I've known a few people that work at those stores, they work on commissions and pretty much sell anyone anything they can.

One example being a Juice monkey who was telling people he got that big taking protein powder and creatine three times a day.

Also selling thermogenics, ephedrine, etc. to every fat person who walks in the store.

Another one I heard telling some average weight girl to take caffeine pills, ephedrine, and aspirin at the same time to raise her metabolism.

Those are some small examples, but I'm sure the same crap gets spewed elsewhere to the general moron who wanders into a lot of these stores.

Something about a random mall clerk telling people what's good for them to put in their bodies scares me a little. Especially if it's for commission.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Wookie

I scanned a bit of it, don't have enough interest to read into it much more.

That said, I'd love to see those people that work at GNC's, and stores like that a little more accountable for the bullshiz that they spew. I've known a few people that work at those stores, they work on commissions and pretty much sell anyone anything they can.

One example being a Juice monkey who was telling people he got that big taking protein powder and creatine three times a day.

Also selling thermogenics, ephedrine, etc. to every fat person who walks in the store.

Another one I heard telling some average weight girl to take caffeine pills, ephedrine, and aspirin at the same time to raise her metabolism.

Those are some small examples, but I'm sure the same crap gets spewed elsewhere to the general moron who wanders into a lot of these stores.

Something about a random mall clerk telling people what's good for them to put in their bodies scares me a little. Especially if it's for commission.

I like GNC....but I gotta agree with you.

I've also been IN the store when one of the guys working there was trying to sell some skinny dude protein powder.

The stuff that he was telling him was a downright lie.

[tkflames]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Just reading what you quote, there seems to be both good and bad aspects to this.

I find it odd that, apparently, things like herbal remedies, suppliments, vitamins, etc aren't necessarily regulated like other drugs and treatments are. Is this a bad thing? Probably only for those that push them. And I suspect those that push them are behind this website.

Bottled water and blueberries falling under control of the Food and Drug Act. Armageddon, I tells ya. ARMAGEDDON!

The apparent changes to the process of approving drugs and medications is something to be considered, however I find it hard to trust the word of one special interest group in its condemnation of another special interest group.

With you all the way.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Just reading what you quote, there seems to be both good and bad aspects to this.

I find it odd that, apparently, things like herbal remedies, suppliments, vitamins, etc aren't necessarily regulated like other drugs and treatments are. Is this a bad thing? Probably only for those that push them. And I suspect those that push them are behind this website.

Bottled water and blueberries falling under control of the Food and Drug Act. Armageddon, I tells ya. ARMAGEDDON!

The apparent changes to the process of approving drugs and medications is something to be considered, however I find it hard to trust the word of one special interest group in its condemnation of another special interest group.

Is there a special interest group that will benefit from bill C51? I have a sneaking suspicion that there might be.

If it is in fact true that bottled water and blueberries are going to be subject to new regulations and approvals and a more bureaucratic whatnot, well, that seems like a bad thing to me. Probably expensive too. I don't want my tax dollars going to some big-government spendocrat with a stamp in his hand and some mandate to protect us private citizens from the big bad blueberry farmer.

Is there a problem with how bottled water and blueberries are dealt with now?

[badnarik]

It's Big Pharma eliminating competition under the guise of "protecting the consumer".

There are probably already existing laws against misrepresenting products that could be better enforced if that's really a concern.

[photon]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Just reading what you quote, there seems to be both good and bad aspects to this.

I find it odd that, apparently, things like herbal remedies, suppliments, vitamins, etc aren't necessarily regulated like other drugs and treatments are. Is this a bad thing? Probably only for those that push them. And I suspect those that push them are behind this website.

Bottled water and blueberries falling under control of the Food and Drug Act. Armageddon, I tells ya. ARMAGEDDON!

The apparent changes to the process of approving drugs and medications is something to be considered, however I find it hard to trust the word of one special interest group in its condemnation of another special interest group.

Good post.

As soon as I see the words "big pharma" I'm inclined to think the site is put together by the various quack remedy purveyors.. maybe not, but I haven't heard the term used by many other people.

I'd support something that required a lot of the supplements and remedies being pushed to the public to adhere to the same standards as the rest of medicine. So rather than being able to fly under the radar with some kind of disclaimer that the treatment isn't for therapeutic use (while implying all kinds of claims about healing powers), these quacks would actually have to prove their claims.

I'm probably hoping for too much though, I don't know if this bill does this but I doubt it.

[Azure]

The sad thing is the only way people will ever know that certain herbs, remedies, or supplements are junk, is through word of mouth.

I know for my protein powder, I only buy stuff that I KNOW isn't junk, and has been recommended by my doctor.

But man, walking into GNC, there is a LOT of stuff there, and the people selling it on commission are going to say anything to get you to buy it.

[Devils'Advocate]

C-51 has a LOT of benefits for the big drug companies.... but most disturbing to me will be the direct-to-consumer advertising. Whenever I am in the United States and I turn on the TV, every second commercial is telling people to buy drug X because it will make them happy. We've seen the start in Canada but the companies can't tell you what the drug is supposed to do, so they are limited in what they can do under the current legislation.

[Burninator]

Grassroots protest turns out to be astroturf

Is it possible for a vested business interest to derail national legislation by posing as a consumer watchdog? We’ll soon learn whether a shadowy mail order drug company’s fierce, artificial grassroots

The site www.stopc51.com is complete and utter propaganda.

The primary organizer for the anti-C-51 campaign was revealed to be a vested commercial interest — a vested interest with a very shadowy history.

The site is ran by a company that makes a totally bogus "natural" remedy. This new law could have them facing higher fines. Almost everything on that site is a complete fabrication.

http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/08-05-28.html

Get the real facts of this new law.

http://www.healthycanadians.ca/pr-rp/billC-51_e.html

[old-fart]

Originally Posted by Burninator

Grassroots protest turns out to be astroturf

Is it possible for a vested business interest to derail national legislation by posing as a consumer watchdog? We’ll soon learn whether a shadowy mail order drug company’s fierce, artificial grassroots

The site www.stopc51.com is complete and utter propaganda.

The primary organizer for the anti-C-51 campaign was revealed to be a vested commercial interest — a vested interest with a very shadowy history.

The site is ran by a company that makes a totally bogus "natural" remedy. This new law could have them facing higher fines. Almost everything on that site is a complete fabrication.

http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/08-05-28.html

Get the real facts of this new law.

http://www.healthycanadians.ca/pr-rp/billC-51_e.html

Haha. Losers.

Next thing you know there will be some wackyjob company out there telling us that water bottles with magnets in them will make us healthier, or magnets in pet's beds...

Oh, wait...

[troutman]

http://www.naturowatch.org/

http://www.homeowatch.org/

[Thunderball]

If handled properly, this is a good thing. There are a lot of herbal supplements that can be surprisingly dangerous if abused... same goes for vitamins.

They just have to be careful they don't start including things like Green Tea, Bottled Water and Blueberries. That's when it gets stupid.

[OilKiller]

Originally Posted by Wookie

Something about a random mall clerk telling people what's good for them to put in their bodies scares me a little. Especially if it's for commission.

That may be true, but people have to be responsible for what they buy and put into their own bodies. Personally I am for LESS government involvement in my life. I don't need the government to tell me what to do and how to do it. The last thing we need is more legislation allowing the government to have even more control.

If people are going to be stupid enough to just listen to some random mall clerk and not do their homework before starting to take some pills or other supplement, why should the rest of us with half a brain suffer with more government control?

[OilKiller]

Originally Posted by Thunderball

If handled properly, this is a good thing. There are a lot of herbal supplements that can be surprisingly dangerous if abused... same goes for vitamins.

But you know that. Do you need to government to tell you that or control it for you?

Seriously, too much Coke or Pepsi can be just as bad. Sit down and drink a case of Coke every day and then let's talk about the problems this causes. Should the government restrict the sale of colas? Maybe stand outside Safeway and ensure you only bought one case instead of two?

[Thunderball]

Originally Posted by OilKiller

But you know that. Do you need to government to tell you that or control it for you?

Seriously, too much Coke or Pepsi can be just as bad. Sit down and drink a case of Coke every day and then let's talk about the problems this causes. Should the government restrict the sale of colas? Maybe stand outside Safeway and ensure you only bought one case instead of two?

I know that, you know that... hell, most people ought to know that. Personally, I don't think its necessary, but I understand why. Common sense is not that common.

There are a lot of very stupid people out there, and when they do something stupid, it costs all of us. The hope here is to defray some idiot from doing something ######ed and ending up in the hospital on our coin.