From Mercola...
Vitamin C About to be Made Illegal in Canada!
C-51, C51, Canada, the Trilateral union, the north american union, NAU, laws, supplements, natural health products, illegalWhat if, just for taking vitamin C, you could be thrown in jail for up to 2 years and fined up to $5,000,000?
That scenario could very well soon become a reality in Canada. The Canadian Government is trying to pass a bill known as Bill C51. According to some interpretations of the bill, it would remove all supplements from over-the-counter availability, by only allowing MD’s to prescribe them as they see fit.
This would mean that if you wanted to take a multivitamin, you would have to book an appointment with your doctor and try to convince your doctor that you are in need of these supplements. If your doctor decides a certain drug would be better for you, then you won't have access to your supplements anymore.
Consequences of the bill could include:
* No more supplement stores
* Supplements made illegal unless obtained through a prescription; 70 percent of all current supplements on the market could be removed
* Fines of up to $5,000,000.00 and/or 2 years in jail per incident of being caught breaking this law
Sources:
* EZine Articles
Mercola comment:
The Fine Art of Double-Speak
The Canadian law, known as C-51, was introduced by the Canadian Minister of Health on April 8th, 2008, proposing far-reaching changes to Canada's Food and Drugs Act. The question on everyone’s mind is whether or not it might have devastating consequences on the health products industry.
According to the government website Healthy Canadians, Canadians will continue to have access to natural health products that are safe, effective and of high quality, and claims that:
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Natural health products will not be regulated as pharmaceutical drugs; they will continue to be regulated under their own regulations - separate from drugs and foods.
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Bill C-51 will not increase the costs of natural health products.
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Bill C-51 does not regulate growing an herb garden.
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Bill C-51 does not target practitioners who compound products for their patients.
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Bill C-51 does not target Canadians' personal use of natural health products.
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Health food stores will not require a special license to sell natural health products.
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Canadians will not require a prescription from a doctor for natural health products.
However, the site also makes somewhat confusing statements like:
“Under Bill C-51 the term ‘therapeutic products' encompasses a range of products sold for therapeutic purposes, including drugs, medical devices, biologics, and natural health products. This does not change the classification of a natural health product nor impose additional requirements.”
Personally, I’ve not been able to sort out why or how a natural health product -- if now lumped together with drugs under the term ‘therapeutic products’ -- would not change its classification, and why they would not have to abide by the same rules as all other ‘therapeutic products.’
The Power of Words
One of the most opposed changes is this radical alteration to key terminology, including replacing the word "drug" with "therapeutic product,” which is the same term used for all natural products as well.
To get a better idea of the many questions and confusing pitfalls this law change brings to fore, I recommend reading the NHPPA Draft Discussion Paper on Bill C-51.
Clearly, I’m not the only one who can’t make heads or tails out of this legislative doublespeak, and the paper (written by a defense attorney specializing in the Food and Drugs Act) succinctly points out the power of language and key words in legislative debate.
For example, the old definition of “sell” is:
“includes the offer for sale, expose for sale, have in possession for sale and distribute, whether or not the distribution is made for consideration.”
That’s clear. In fact, I think most of us have a decent idea of what “selling” means. The NEW definition of “sell,” however, opens the door for a very broad interpretation:
“includes offer for sale, expose for sale or have in possession for sale, or distribute to one or more persons, whether or not the distribution is made for consideration and in relation to a device, includes lease, offer for lease, expose for lease or have in possession for lease.”
Now, what’s the reason for redefining the meaning of the word “sell” to include the simple act of “distributing to one or more persons”? Who does this new meaning benefit? Who does this now include that was not included before? Why the need for such a broad definition?
In plain English, it appears the law now applies if I were to simply give something to another person for free, whether it’s a stranger or a family member.
More Questionable Interpretations
Another interesting rebuttal by the Canadian government is the issue of whether or not an inspector would be allowed to enter private property without permission or a warrant.
The Healthy Canadian site states, “Inspectors will not be able to enter a private home without permission or a warrant.”
And yet the law, Section 23 (4), clearly reads: An inspector who is carrying out their functions may enter on or pass through or over private property without being liable for doing so and without the owner of the property having the right to object to that use of the property.
Since when does “without the right to object” mean that they have to ask for permission or present a warrant?
What Can You Do?
I don’t pretend to know or understand the full potential implications of this proposed law. However, if -- after reading through the many source links I’ve included in this comment -- you believe that C-51 is a law that is not in your and your family’s best interest, you can make your voice heard by signing the StopC51 petition.
Related Articles:
How the Government is Threatening Your Freedom to Use Supplements
What You Can do About Codex, A Threat to Your Health Freedom
Flawed Codex Guidelines Passed
