"Anti-Vitamin Bill" Faces Strong Opposition

Thursday April 12, 2007

"Anti-Vitamin Bill" Faces Strong Opposition

Submissions on the Therapeutic Medicines and Products Bill were heard by a government administrative select committee in Auckland on Tuesday, with over 70% of the 26 submitters opposed to what many people are now calling the "Anti-Vitamin Bill."

The 7 submissions supporting the Bill were from pharmaceutical industry based organisations and large Australian-linked companies with a financial interest in having this Bill pass into law.

Despite being twice rejected by the Health Select Committee, Minister for Food Safety Annette King tabled the Bill for its first reading in December last year, which narrowly passed by one vote despite strong opposition from The Greens, National, ACT and the Maori Party.

At the first reading Health Spokesman for the National Party Tony Ryall said: "Every day New Zealanders are taking supplements. Every day they are trying to protect and improve their health. We want New Zealanders to know that the regime is low cost, not restrictive, and that their choices will be protected. But this legislation does the complete opposite."

Green Party MP Sue Kedgley echoed those comments, saying: "It's a sinister piece of legislation that would involve the New Zealand Parliament handing over its authority to an off-shore agency, set up under Australian law, headquartered in Australia and staffed mainly by Australians."

ACT Party Leader Rodney Hide went on to say that "The legislation would ban half the supplements I take to stay healthy. It's nuts."

Many of those submitting arguments against the Bill stated that the New Zealand Government is dedicated to removing New Zealanders' right of access to natural supplements and remedies against a clear majority of the people's wishes.

Another submitter stated "This Bill has Big Pharma [drug companies] written all over it. It will ban many safe, natural products, which consumers prefer to high risk drugs, yet fail to address the death toll caused by pharmaceutical companies which is currently 3 times our road toll."

The new Health Minister Pete Hodgson claimed 3 deaths were caused by natural health products between 1996 and 2007, but a search of the records revealed in each case that the coroners ruled the cause of death could not be attributed to the natural health products taken - leaving the number of deaths attributed to natural health products firmly at zero. During this same period, approximately 8,000 New Zealanders have died from adverse effects due to pharmaceutical drugs, with a further 16,000 permanently disabled.

In a move that could harm the health of millions of New Zealanders, the Therapeutic Medicines and Products Bill aims to restrict access to many readily available vitamin, mineral, and herbal formulations including those used in Traditional Maori, Chinese and Indian Medicine.

"Our Health, Our Choice" representatives are asking why the New Zealand Government is defying the will of New Zealanders, and firmly believe the Anti-Vitamin Bill will be damaging to the health and well-being of all kiwis, family run New Zealand businesses and cottage industry.

Those in opposition to the Anti-Vitamin Bill will continue to organise nationwide marches.

ENDS

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