Dark Times for Herbal Medicine in Europe

[texastoast]

Somebody has been taking instructions from Big Pharma.

What’s next? Banning plants? Banning growing plants? Banning eating plants?



http://www.anh-usa.org/dark-times-for-herbal-medicine-in-europe/


Our affiliate, ANH International, is preparing for a legal challenge against EU herb laws.

As we reported to you last November, thousands of products associated with traditional medicine will become illegal throughout the European Union. And more and more, European Union (EU) legislation influences US domestic policy, especially where health-related laws are concerned. The EU threat to herbal medicine is real, and we urge you to take stock of what’s going so we can collectively jump in the minute anything similar emerges from US regulators. After all, it was that joint action from consumers and health organizations back in 1994 that has kept US regulations over dietary supplements relatively sane. But let’s not forget that this kind of freedom needs to be fought for every step of the way.

Here’s what our colleagues in the ANH Europe office are able to relay to you.

The EU has passed a stunning 139,338 directives, regulations and decisions since 1980. While it allowed European countries (now referred to as EU “member states”) to make up their own rules controlling natural healthcare products, there has been a push since around 2000 to control this area by rules formulated primarily by unelected bureaucrats in Brussels.

One of the laws that is set to devastate herbal medicines and products EU-wide, the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (THMPD, also known as Directive 2004/24/EC) successfully passed into European law back in 2004. The law will be implemented fully on May 1 this year, and ANH-Intl has exhausted all options other than legal challenge in its efforts to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of European citizens.

Under this Directive, all herbal medicinal products are required to obtain an authorization to market within the EU. Those products marketed before this legislation came into force can continue to market their product until April 30, but as of May 1, all herbal medicinal products must have prior authorization before they can be marketed in the EU.

Their criteria for authorization don’t sound particularly alarming at first blush, although they do exclude herbal extracts completely—so green tea extract, for example, would not be allowed. But then very specific technical requirements are added which make registering most herbal products very difficult—and expensive.

Full update at link above.

[LiberalEsto]

1. It won't stop my cousin in Estonia

from picking and drying the usual healing herbs she uses for her family. At least I hope not.

[texastoast]

3. I'm so glad I have my library

I've been collecting old and new books on herbal healing for years. And I really don't see how the authorities think they can stop this ancient practice. I love this time of year. My yard is full of wonderful healing and food plants. My spouse, like most people, calls them weeds.

:hi:

[LiberalEsto]

5. I've been reading and growing too

Our Estonian grandfather was a surgeon but was also an expert in herbal medicine. I was amazed when my cousin told me about him, and about her own interest in it. It seems run in the family because one of my daughters is getting interested too.

[texastoast]

6. Apparently

One of my grandmothers would walk in the woods and know every plant, how to use it or prepare it as food, when to harvest for the most benefit, etc. I got hooked and have never looked back. I miss my grandmothers.

[speltwon]

2. Canada is particularly awful with supplements

Another issue that is related. A friend of mine owns a supp company. People who order from Canada are warned that Customs Canada can seize, for example, AMINO ACIDS. Yes, individual components of proteins. He can ship them there, but they will seize them. There are a few other examples, but that was the one that blew my mind. Granted, they don't have DSHEA, but still

[enlightenment]

4. It's crap like this that will eventually cause the EU to implode.

Remember the brouhaha over vegetable standards for sales? Markets were not allowed to sell crooked carrots or cucumbers that curved more than 10mm for every 10cm of length. Asparagus had to 'be green along 80% of its length'; a string of onions had to have at least 16 onions on it to qualify as a string; a small carrot had to weigh at least 8 grams, and a large one at least 50 grams.

Absolutely ridiculous rules; most were abandoned in 2008 - but typical of the heavy-handed, no brains engaged, utterly devoid of common sense, arbitrary, rule making that these EU commissions come up with.

[laconicsax]

7. From the headline, I thought this would be about the triumph of medicine over superstition. n/t

[texastoast]

9. I'm not sure what you mean

Would you mind explaining?

[texastoast]

10. Don't bother responding

I've looked up your posts. I understand now.

[trotsky]

8. Alarmist nonsense.

Every industry that has been traditionally unregulated screams bloody murder when even a modest attempt is made to ensure people are purchasing something that is safe and effective.

Why some people think that companies who sell herbs and supplements are honest as the day is long and take up the cause to defend someone's right to profit from selling whatever they want at whatever concentration they want (including none whatsoever), I just don't understand.

[4dog]

11. On the other hand, you might find it hard to get vitamin D

at doses above the "official" recommendations. There is good evidence that these recs are currently set too low, leading to widespread deficiency or insufficiency and suboptimal health.

[trotsky]

12. There is also good evidence that since Vit D is fat soluble,

you can ingest too much. The skin will only make so much of the Vit D precursors - that tells me our bodies know we don't need megadoses and have a mechanism to prevent us from getting too much. Taking Vit D directly bypasses that safety check. Doesn't make me feel very comfortable. YMMV I suppose.

[LeftishBrit]

13. Most improbable

I live in the UK. I do in fact get vitamin D on the NHS on my doctor's prescription; but it is very easy to buy vitamin supplements at the local chemist, and there is little sign that this is going to change.

This is all about basic consumer protection, not some sort of blanket ban on vitamin supplements.

ETA: And vitamin supplements aren't herbal medicines anyway; so I don't quite see how the article is jumping from one to another.