Alternative med acquittal cheered
http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/2006/07/29/1708897-sun.html
Sat, July 29, 2006
UPDATED: 2006-07-29 02:17:17 MST
By BILL LAYE, CALGARY SUN
Two southern Alberta men charged with violating federal health regulations
say their acquittal in provincial court yesterday bodes well for alternative
medicine in Canada.
And while Judge Gerald Meagher stopped short of calling Health Canada's
prosecution of their case high-handed, Synergy Group Canada principals Tony
Stephan and David Hardy said they will be looking at having the federal
agency investigated.
The pair had been charged in 2004 with selling their Truehope nutritional
supplement -- billed as a treatment for depression and bipolar disorder --
without a federal Drug Identification Number (DIN) a year earlier.
But in handing down his decision to a packed courtroom, Meagher said he
accepted defence arguments they made every effort they could in meeting that
requirement during a time when the rules regarding alternative treatments
were being rewritten.
During the three-week trial, Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Charles Popper
testified injuries and suicides were a distinct possibility for those who
could no longer receive the treatment, the judge noted.
"The evidence presented by the defence was clear and compelling," Meagher
said. "The defendants obviously felt compelled to disobey the DIN
requirements."
The Crown's case was further undermined by the fact the men were finally
granted executive clearance to legally sell their product in March 2004 --
shortly after Pierre Pettigrew became health minister -- and that order
still stands, Meagher said.
The pair, based in Raymond, about 250 km southeast of Calgary, said they're
hoping the verdict will help open the door for more research into other
non-traditional medical treatments across the country -- and they want
Health Canada investigated by the RCMP.
==
Company can sell supplement to mental health patients: judge
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2006/07/28/truehope-ruling.html
Last Updated: Friday, July 28, 2006 | 3:31 PM MT
CBC News
An Alberta company is now free to market a vitamin and mineral supplement as
a possible treatment for mental disorders.
A Calgary provincial court judge ruled Friday that Health Canada didn't give
Truehope Nutritional Support Ltd. any legal alternatives to resolve a
dispute over the supplement.
"Health Canada has done everything in its power to block access to Canadian
people from having this. Today a precedent has been set," said Anthony
Stephan, one of the co-founders of Truehope.
"This is a literally a godsend for us - and for the many people in Canada -
that require this supplement to maintain mental health."
The company makes the mineral and vitamin supplement EM Powerplus and claims
it can treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Health Canada has accused the company of selling the medication without a
Drug Identification Number, or DIN. The makers of the medication say that it
is not a drug and should not need a DIN.
Death, relapses possible: judge
In his ruling Friday, Judge Gerald Meagher said there were no indications
Health Canada would even give Truehope the identification number needed.
He also said taking EM Powerplus away would pose a considerable threat for
the people taking the medication, including severe relapses and even death.
Stephan is calling for a public inquiry into Health Canada's actions in this
case.
Regards,
Catherine
You don't drown by falling in the water.
You drown by staying there.
.