ANH eBlast: Our rights in the balance

11th January 2010

Are you prepared to lose your fundamental rights and freedoms?

Whether you look at Europe’s European Convention on Human Rights, the US Constitution, and in particular its First Amendment, or the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, you see a similar picture of governments committing themselves to respecting their citizens’ freedom of speech, freedom of expression and other fundamental rights and freedoms. 

The problem is that respect for human rights as granted by these conventions or constitutions is increasingly being disregarded. In many cases legal instruments are being created by governments specifically to deny these very rights that many see as the basis of just and democratic societies. Two areas that governments see fit to deny our fundamental rights stand out above all others: and both relate, allegedly, to the protection of public health. One is national security and the other is consumer protection. 

We’ve all heard of ID cards and, most recently, we’re told certain ethnic groups from certain countries must be subjected to full body scanners in airports. Most accept these are token gestures aimed, supposedly, at making air travel safer. But when you look at the available research, there’s actually little evidence that these actions are the most effective. When it comes to consumer protection, we see a rash of legislation developing in most parts of the world. While some of the laws aimed at protecting us from industrial chemicals are very welcome, consumer protection is increasingly being used as the big club by which government can bash the natural health products area. 

Europe is emerging as the epicentre of the problem when it comes to disproportionate legislation on natural products and claims as to their benefits. But how contagious is this approach? Very, it seems. The push for global harmonisation of European-style natural health laws is gaining serious momentum. Now, the ultimate bastion of free speech, the USA, is seriously threatened by precisely the same process that is well underway in the European Union. Listen to what leading US integrative medicine doctor, Dr Julian Whitaker has to say about it. 

Apart from banning or restricting products that people choose to take to help manage their health, out ability to communicate the health benefits of natural products is coming under fire.  Robert Verkerk PhD, our executive and scientific director, explores these deeply concerning developments, particularly in relation to the US, in a must-read ANH Feature that heads up our lead stories below.

ANH Feature: US health claims regime under Euro-threat

Is the hard-earned freedom of speech relating to US natural health products being sabotaged?

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ANH Press Release: 'United we are stronger'—ANH announces merger

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