Do you use natural health products?
Do you care if they become unaffordable and unavailable?
If you answered “yes” to either of these questions then you need to take action now to Save our Supplements.
In June of this year, in a remarkable example of doublespeak, Health Canada announced a new campaign called Regulatory Framework for Self-Care that will remove tens of dozens of products from the shelves and put many, actually most, small health product manufacturers out of business.
This will limit the opportunity for you to choose safe and effective natural products for self care and will consolidate money and power in the hands of big pharma.
Despite some hard-won concessions from Health Canada in the 1990s and early 2000s that brought in good manufacturing guidelines and adverse event reporting for natural medicines, as well as licenses for product and factories, since that time the well-intentioned Natural Health Products Regulations have been watered down and eroded by the federal government, leading to loss of quality products from the marketplace, unaffordability of natural products for many Canadians, and worse health for people overall.
I was deep in the fight to keep our access to natural products 25 years ago (I spent 7 years on the Health Canada expert advisory committee looking into the issues and making recommendations for best practice), and I am pleased to tell you that the Canadian Health Food Association is spearheading a strong campaign to push back against these draconian regulations that are out of all proportion to the relative risk of herbal medicines.
See their website for details on the threat to our products – https://chfa.ca/en/advocacy
Join their campaign to voice your concerns – https://www.saveoursupplements.ca
We need everyone who cares about herbs to contact their MP, ask some hard questions, and raise their voice in protest.
Time is of the essence – closing date for comments is August 10th ! – only a few weeks away.
If you care about the natural medicines in Canada, get involved.
Talk about this with your friends, colleagues, and family – let others know the supplements they use everyday are at risk.
Spread the word. #SaveOurSupplements