I can understand that if it's an unrelated petition but, this EU directive affects quite a lot of us here and is reated to our right to choose the form of medicine we wish to use. i thought this was a health related website.
Sorry guys and gals, it is forum policy that no petitions are permitted on the forums, even if they relate to complementary health.
In the past we had a spate of people posting petitions for all sorts of things just because one person had posted a petition and everyone else thought it was ok to do the same, even though they was tenuously linked to the topics on HP. The purpose of the forums is for discussion and the petitions were just taking focus away from that, so the admin team decided that petitions would not be permitted.
It is however ok for someone to post the link to the petition as one of their 2 permitted links in their 4 lines of signature, however you must not direct people to the link either with wording in a post or in the signature itself.
That's the way it is and we have to stick to one rule for all I'm afraid.
Heinz, I do so agree with your post no 17, and kvdp's post no 4, and I signed up against the initiative ages ago - whether it will do any good I don't know. I think it is reprehensible how our legal system is being systematically undermined when the EU started out as a trade agreement. The take-over is all but done - and few even notice!!!
The media brain-wash the geneal public with statements about this ban being for the safety of the individual when it totally ignores the fact that the third greatest cause of death in patients is medical interventions that are reported - that is, after cancer and heart disease. THAT is the most appalling thing of all. And how often are the side effects of drugs (pharmaceuticals) listed that read like a medical dictionary of serious illnesses, including death - a somewhat serious side effect in point of fact - that is swept under the carpet. ..... Dear, dear, we cant be making an issue of that can we - let's stop people taking vitamins, minerals and herbs instead - we can't have patients getting better, can we ,,,,,
Of course, CarolineN, this is the crucial difference between common law and Napoleonic law. Under common law, we should be able to say 'you can't ban it without evidence of harm'. But under Napoleonic law, the tendency is to say 'we can't do it, we don't have permission'; whether or not there is any harm in natural medicines is irrelevant, when the main objective is control.
What make me very curious about all of this is why, when Joanna Lumley campaigns publicly over justice for Gurkhas (quite right too), we don't see Gillian MacKieth and Patrick Holford kicking up a fuss on the GMTV sofa, or Holland and Barratt and the big-wigs from Whole-Foods campaigning in the papers for justice, liberty and access to natural products. The silence is worrying.
Of course, CarolineN, this is the crucial difference between common law and Napoleonic law. Under common law, we should be able to say 'you can't ban it without evidence of harm'. But under Napoleonic law, the tendency is to say 'we can't do it, we don't have permission'; whether or not there is any harm in natural medicines is irrelevant, when the main objective is control.
What make me very curious about all of this is why, when Joanna Lumley campaigns publicly over justice for Gurkhas (quite right too), we don't see Gillian MacKieth and Patrick Holford kicking up a fuss on the GMTV sofa, or Holland and Barratt and the big-wigs from Whole-Foods campaigning in the papers for justice, liberty and access to natural products. The silence is worrying.
I think you need to look at who owns these companies, I believe that H&B and Holfords company are owned by pharmaceuticals, Gillian doesnt say too much anymore, after the whole Dr business.
I was looking at a newsletter I wrote back in 2001 asking people to lobby their MPs over this potential ban, and its come very subtly and slowly, but its here!
So, what exactly IS allowed now? I haven't been able to find a proper list anywhere. Are things like Starflower Oil [just discovered it and it's amazing!] still going to be available, for example? And Flower Essences? If someone could let me know, that would be great. Thanks.
So, what exactly IS allowed now? I haven't been able to find a proper list anywhere. Are things like Starflower Oil [just discovered it and it's amazing!] still going to be available, for example? And Flower Essences? If someone could let me know, that would be great. Thanks.
Im lost with it all! I have been working with herbal remedies for 20 years and now dont have a clue! I have contacted the HPC to see if they can shed any light on it.
I will do, although the HPC have a knack of waffling and skirting issues, so I may have to ask them about 20 times!
Interestingly as someone mentioned Boots, I have just been in a large store in Manchester, and there are hardly any herbal remedies anymore. I used to go in there for 3 for 2 offers, and most of the things I used to buy have gone?
This is a fascinating and confusing ban. It does not seem to have clear implementation to what is banned, who is banned and why. Do aromatherapy oils come under the ban? Do flower essences come into the ban? It is also not a ban but is called a ban??????
I have spoken with quite a few agencies about this as I start as a medical herbalist student at university and was wondering how it will effect the course. In a nutshell it wont affect the course as this is a recognised course of IIMH.
Medical herbalists who have been trained by places that have been approved by the IIMH will be able to register when studies have been completed.
I think looking at some of the recommendations I can agree fully and some of them I have many reservations. I understand that is is not fair that people cannot or will not be able to have the free choice to get what herbs they wish to get for own use. I do think though some herbal products need to have clearer guidelines and I look forward to having registered practitioners to prescribe remedy's.
I say this as years ago nursing and Midwifery was not regulated and you could start nursing and Midwifery and learning by ear and doing. This was a great thing many many years ago now as was picking herbs and using them as it was an art and science passed down. The problems we face now with having no regulation is that 100 years ago there was not the medicines and advances in medicine that we have nowadays. I have been a Nursing and Midwifery student and with what faces people today and the advances and medications I am pleased that when you go into a hospital you are treated by people who you know have had at least 3 years training, regulated and still having to learn by what is known as Evidence Based Practice.
I do think there needs to be a change to alternative practices in some ways so people know that people have worked as hard and gained a lot of knowledge and are regulated. This was then people may not think of alternative medicine as a joke and I believe this will make this more accessible to people. I also have done drugs training and to be honest I have a BNF here and always check with that before taking any herb and having a treatment as its not just the drugs that pose the problems but the effects and side effects that do the major physiological changes the body goes through.
I do not agree though with the way they are treating the whole thing and not giving clear concise instruction to what and who can use and what is not to be used. It is a wishy washy paper and also misleading in places.
I would love to see one day herbal medicine been used by the NHS in every area and I think with proper regulation and a good balance people will be more educated in alternative practice and we can work hand in hand giving people the best care and products available. Even if it is educating people to use herbs successfully and putting trust in other forms of health care.
CarolineN, I totally agree with you. I find it incredible too that people have been brainwashed into believing it is actually good for them not to have the possibility of accessing herbs and soon vitamins and supplements! some day, people will be arrested for growing their own food and plants in their garden, because this is the real motivation behind it all.
protecting the public from the danger of some plants (this is highly ridiculous, we want to see the reports comparing the deaths by overdosing plants and those by taking "safe" prescribed medicine + undergoing "normal" medical interventions) it is NOT,
but restricting your acess to improving your own health, it is.
Yet people, schools and students in those professions do not worry.
If plants are this dangerous (I do remember nearly dying from too many fennel tincture in my tea and Bach flower essences ), why dont they close down all cafés and pubs for selling drinks that are nearly always full of sugar or alcohol? the sugar and alcohol industry is alive and well, but plants imports soon will be illegal.
The new regulation only affects section 12.2 of the medicines act which governs industrially produced over the counter products, one benefit under the new scheme is that manufacturers will be able to claim a medicinal benefit for their product, which they couldn't do under the old regulation.
Section 12.1 of the medicines act is un-affected by the new regulation and so herbal practitioners etc can go on prescribing herbs to individual patients as they have always done.
Once herbalists are statutorily regulated (expected April 2012) they will also be able to gain access to industrially produced finished products as 'specials'
This only applies to the UK and other countries in the EU will have a more difficult time but that's back to Napoleon again!
With regard to what needs a licence and what doesn't one measure to use is - if it is a finished product and makes a medicinal claim, it needs a licence or if it widely regarded as being a medicine (e.g. St Johns Wort). So how a product is presented is important, possibilities include - as a functional food, a nutra-ceutical, a cosmo-ceutical or a herbal medicine.......
The worst fears were realised. You just can't get many herbal products anymore and the ones that remain are either inferior and/or at a much higher price. I use Healthspan and their herbal products have shot up in price. More than doubled with regards to their echinacea.
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