In this interview Dr Guy Hatchard addresses this and explains how plants animals and humans have evolved together and how our gut is made to digest natural products better than synthetic ones. He is an absolute mine of information around this, the Gaia principle and quantum physics.
Dr Guy Hatchard was formerly the Natural Health Products director at Genetic ID, a global food testing company. He now runs the Natural Food Commission
to inform the public about the benefits of traditional natural medicine and the dangers of food regulation. Working with industry and natural health
practitioners, he has organised a campaign to oppose the Natural Health Products Bill which is in the queue for its final reading in parliament.
An alliance of Natural Products companies, doctors, and affected individuals are mounting a legal challenge to the provisions of the Natural Health Products
bill.
The government is planning to present the Natural Health Products Bill for its final reading shortly with provisions that resemble the original bill, the
Theraputic Goods Act, which was abandoned in the face of huge public opposition. The Ministry of Health has already begun to implement the bill’s anticipated
provisions. Analysis of the latest version of the bill released on 15th March shows it will greatly disadvantage traditional medicine affecting the
health care choices of tens of thousands of NZers. However as opposition to this bill is mounting, government has pushed it down on the order paper
in parliament. This is an opportunity to provide more opposition, which as you listen to the interview and read below, you will see is most necessary!
In 2011, the Government and the Green Party promised a law that would encourage the use of Natural Health Products alongside conventional medicine as a
precursor to an integrated, science-based approach to health. Instead the law has emerged from the corridors of power as a draconian and restrictive
approach which is very different from the integrative approach to medicine which is beginning to flourish overseas.
1) The Bill has adopted a list of 5500 controlled substances from Australia and Canada which means that its provisions are similar to the Trans Tasman
Therapeutic Products Agreement proposed in 2006 which was later abandoned after being roundly rejected by the NZ public.
2) Because the permitted natural ingredient list contains approximately 3000 chemicals and synthetics in addition to herbs; it will allow products labelled
as natural to contain synthetic additives thereby debasing the meaning of the word natural, which will confuse and disadvantage the public.
3) It enshrines in law the idea that serious illness cannot be benefited by Natural Health Products despite the growing scientific evidence published around
the world that nutrition and traditional medicines can have a huge beneficial impact on cancers, heart disease, digestive and respiratory illness,
and other chronic illness.
4) It restricts free speech about the health benefits of food and introduces chilling penalties of up to $250,000 for those who communicate the benefits
of natural products without first obtaining Government permission.
5) It places pharmaceutical regulators with no interest or expertise in natural health in charge of our food and health choices. These same people will
adjudicate on traditional Ayurvedic, Chinese, Maori, and herbal systems of medicines. This is contrary to assurances given by the Hon. Jonathan Coleman
to Parliament that Medsafe would not administer the Bill and product suppliers would be able to self-certify compliance.
6) The Government has tried to justify the Bill by saying that it will ensure the safety of the public, but no evidence of risk has been presented. It
fact evidence shows it is far more dangerous to go out to eat in a restaurant or consume a bowl of salad at home than it is to take a Natural Health
Product. Therefore there is no justification for introducing pharmaceutical style regulations.
7) It is a Henry VIII Bill, containing enabling and regulatory provisions which allow the Ministry of Health to take decisions for any reasons it believes
to be relevant. This is poorly written legislation which is open to abuse, misunderstanding and litigation.
8) It contains a clause which prevents unfairly treated individuals and firms from asking a court of law to uphold the safeguards contained in the Bill.
The only redress available is to ask the Authority to reconsider its decisions. This will frustrate justice and enable the Authority to ignore matters
of fact.
9) Because there has been no credible attempt to rationalise the provisions of the Natural Health Products Bill with the Medicines Act 1981 and the Food
Bill, it contains a hidden mechanism to allow pharmaceutical companies to gain effective patents over health giving traditional herbs which has already
been exploited in Australia and will now be available here.
10) It wastes money and resources on restricting the natural health choices of the public, while serious and growing problems such as childhood obesity,
hypertension, ADHD, and anxiety, which are largely caused or complicated by poor diet and nutrition, are almost completely ignored.
11) It places an additional huge cost on the natural health products industry through onerous regulations and charges which will increase the cost of products
and likely ensure small and even medium sized companies have to go out of business as happened in Australia where dozens of firms have been forced
to close their doors and traditional medicine suppliers have all but disappeared.
12) It allows unhealthy foods and products including tobacco, sugary drinks, and alcohol to continue to be sold, while restricting healthy choices. How
irresponsible is this, and what a complete waste of resources?
Guy has made videos explaining his concerns, including this one, on the new global restrictions on Natural Health products.
This interview is sponsored by The Awareness Party
