Support The - Free Speech About Science Act

[John Phoenix]

THIS ACT CALLS FOR TRUTH AND NON CENSORSHIP, NON SUPPRESSION OF "ALL RESEARCH" BY THE FDA

Currently if there is any scientific research that concludes any natural substance has health giving properties it is suppressed by the FDA in favor of pharmaceuticals and or dead over processed foods with synthetic drugs or vitamins added. An example of this will be the yogurt Activia or breakfast cereals that are "fortified with vitamins and minerals". Those products can make health claims but natural substances like apples and walnuts, garlic, etc must not have health claims, yet they do have tons of research to back up these claims.

Here are a few websites that illustrate the problem.

FDA censorship of nutritional science threatens health of all Americans
Support the Free Speech About Science Act and restore freedom of health speech
Free Speech in Health Science May Become a Reality?But Only With Your Help! | Welcome to the Alliance for Natural Health - USA

Read through these and you will see how corrupt the FDA really is when it comes to our health.

* This ties directly into our fight against the FDA with Electronic Cigarettes. It's doesn't have to be research on natural foods health benefits, this act calls for - truth and non censorship by the FDA of all research ! With the growing body of research, health benefits that prove e-cigs are healthier than smoking burning tobacco, e-cig vendors should be able to make such claims by linking to this research without fear of retaliation or prosecution. (and also any research that shows antibacterial, antimicrobial properties of PG and VG !)

You can read the short 7 page proposal here: http://www.anh-usa.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/FSAS-leg.-counsel.pdf


I don't know how but this should be put up on some of these various websites so the public can vote on it. More people needs to support this. It was tried in 2009 and again is being tried in 2011.


Here it is on GovTrack http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h112-1364

This is standing up for Science, standing up for Truth and the peoples right to be properly well informed on all of the Facts not just what the FDA wants you to hear. This is THE legislation that may stop a lot of FDA corruption and put the power to choose your course of health back into the hands of We The People.

You have to look at the broad picture here as this touches every aspect of our fight.

Airlines banning e-cigs because of "second hand smoke" fears would dissolve once you could use in court research that proves there are no second hand risks with e-cig usage - without the interference from the FDA.

Banning e-cigs in local communities for all the various reasons they claim could be fought more effectively.

Fighting the FDA in court itself would be more effective on various issues.

This would open the floodgates for us to use scientific research that was censored in ways we could never do before.

 

[sqirl1]

sounds WONDERFUL.

EDIT: here's the popvox! https://www.popvox.com/bills/us/112/hr1364/report#nation sign up and support this ishh NOW!

 

[John Phoenix]

thanks sqirl1


I must say that there are some websites opposed to this. They feel this is promoted by the supplement industry and take offense to it as if that industry is using this to push an agenda.

I say, if that's true.. so what. If I'm reading this right and it will effectively stop the censorship of beneficial scientifically researched, repeatable, "peer reviewed" information that could help our cause, I'm all for it. Somethings got to give sooner or later. We can't keep letting the FDA get away with bullying us and our health choices.

 

[Vocalek]

The opposition seems to be overlooking one teensy little fact. The proposed law isn't authorizing anyone to make any unfounded claim that pops into their head. The law is suggesting that when there is scientific evidence, that evidence should not have a gag order placed upon it.

The example I keep bringing up is Niaspan. The active ingredient in this recently-approved prescription medication is 500 mg. of extended release niacin, a B-vitamin. Abbot Laboratories is free to make the following health claims:
NIASPAN is a prescription medication used along with a doctor-recommended diet to:
•Raise HDL ("good") cholesterol and lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol and triglycerides in people with abnormal cholesterol levels.
•Lower the risk of heart attack in people who have had a heart attack and have high cholesterol.
•Help slow down or help clear the build-up of plaque in the arteries when used with a bile acid-binding resin (another cholesterol medicine), in people with coronary artery disease and high cholesterol levels.

SLO-NIACIN is a dietary supplement that has been on the market for years and years. The active ingredient is 500 mg of extended release niacin. Yet, the most the manufacturer can say about it is "SLO-NIACIN® Tablets can help maintain good cholesterol (HDL) within the normal range."

These products are identical (except for the price).

 

[sqirl1]

Hey look at dissolvables, that's another "same ishh different box" situation with GSK's nicotine lozenges but for some reason one is demonized and the other is seen as a viable cessation aid. Will CASAA support this bill as an organization? It helps we already have other major groups on our side. Unless the republicans pick a total idiot, this bill is ripe for the passing next year. Obama would never support a bill like this but Ron Paul or Herman Cain would pass this without hesitation. it's too bad Cain is pretty much done for now, Paul MIGHT actually get it if Romney and Perry keep being as stupid as they've been. I'm not sure if Romney would go for something like this though, he seems like a typical politician who just wants to keep the corruption going.

 

[JC Okie]

I just entered my vote for it. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Jan

 

[John Phoenix]

Here is my comment:

Opposition to this is silly. This bill will let scientific peer reviewed, duplicate, scientific evidence to be used to back up valid claims of products health benefits. Much factual info that is important for your health choices are suppressed and censored by the FDA allowing only the info their pharmaceutical partners want you to know for the purpose of selling said products and excluding the truth of other products. It's a Racket, as in originated crime akin to the RICO act. I don't want the FDA a corrupt criminal outfit to suppress my health choices by suppressing the factual information I need to make informed choices. There's a time when a Dr's and Pharmaceuticals are needed for those things that cannot be treated The Natural Way to heal the patient if the disease is not caught early enough. However natural means to Cure have been used for hundred of thousands of years. Evidence shows they can be as effective as "drugs" while being less harsh on the body with almost no side effects. This along with the bodies natural healing abilities should be the preferred method to treatment and cure. Evidence on such should not be suppressed in favor of the FDAs racketeering agenda.

Yes I use harsh language but hell its the truth. If any oversight committee (which the FDA does not have) took a long hard look at the FDA's tactics they would not hesitate to indict the lot for conspiracy, multiple crimes and under RICO. It's really messed up in this country when the legit government origination is so corrupt and powerful they can get away with this crap. In our Republic we should have safeguards against this.. well we do.. The Representatives are supposed to represent the will of We The people. It would be nice if they actually did their job.

In fairness I cannot fault all Representatives. Some do try to do the right thing but they have little to no power against tough opposition. It's only through bills like this with enough support that even has an outside chance of bringing change.

No political rhetoric here, just stating the facts.

 

[rothenbj]

John, I liked your letter so much I used the general content and just toned it down SLIGHTLY, but not a heck of a lot-

Dear Congressperson:

I support H.R. 1364: Free Speech About Science Act of 2011 because this bill will let scientific peer reviewed, duplicate, scientific evidence to be used to back up valid claims of products health benefits. Much factual info that is important for your health choices are suppressed and censored by the FDA allowing only the info their pharmaceutical partners want you to know for the purpose of selling said products and excluding the truth of other products. If the FDA were not a Federal agency, their conduct would fall under the RICO act. I don't want the FDA a corrupt, criminal agency to suppress my health choices by suppressing the factual information I need to make informed choices.

There's a time when a Dr. and Pharmaceuticals are needed for those things that cannot be treated The natural way to heal the patient if the disease is not caught early enough. However natural means to cure have been used for hundred of thousands of years. Evidence shows they can be as effective as "drugs" while being less harsh on the body with almost no side effects. This along with the bodies natural healing abilities should be the preferred method to treatment and cure.

Hope you don't mind....

 

[DC2]

Done and done.

 

[John Phoenix]

rothenbj - I don't mind.

As someone who has health issues in the past and treated myself with natural means I know work, suppression of such info strikes a big nerve with me. The fact that this ties directly into our fight against the e-cig naysayers is just a happy plus.

Just my personal opinion and why I believe in this:

I have followed this type of thing in one form or another (though just now hearing about this bill) for years. Back in the early 90's I sold health and nutritional products. We had to be very careful about what we could say or not say. I literally saw diseases only "drugs" could cure, disappear when a persons level of nutrition was brought up to a level the body needs to kick in it's own healing mechanisms. This happens all the time today and silly doctors just shake their head and say they do not know why this treatment works, (but most will say if it's working, keep it up). It's the training. Doctors get a form of nutritional training that doesn't actually teach how to treat and cure illness with natural means. They are not taught at the cellular level how the natural life giving substances in living foods like enzymes interact with the body to effect a cure. Above all damn their Hippocratic oath they seem to forsake (at least do no harm), they do not practice trying to heal with natural means first before introducing the body to harsh chemicals that oftentimes the body tries to eradicate as a poison. ( that's why they make drugs so strong) and in turn causes more harm. They do not take a history of diet and external factors into effect to diagnose then correctly treat illness. They look down on the natural type of doctors that do. Yet, there is scientific evidence for all of these things I mentioned and that evidence is censored, suppressed and laughed at - at the expense of peoples lives.

In today's economy when people cannot afford health insurance or the high prices of pharmaceuticals, doctors visits, prevention and treatment or cure by natural means can be the difference between life or death. People are not given a choice. There may be times when a drug will work better than natural means depending on the circumstances and stage of the disease, and that's fine. Many diseases are actually caused by the use of pharmaceuticals and this starts a dominoe effect. symptom -> drug to treat, symptom -> drug to treat and so on while the body becomes more toxic and continues to break down. Very little is it considered that the illness is actually caused by the drug or combination of drugs itself. The true cause and effect is not searched out. This is why you hear stories of people getting rid of all their medications and they suddenly to the shock of the doctor they get better and disease symptoms go away. Happens all the time and sadly only in desperation when people have no other choice. Correct dissemination of facts on these issues could help save lives.

Sorry for the book.

 

[CJsKee]

John JIM, I liked your letter so much I used IT the general content and just toned it down SLIGHTLY, but not a heck of a lot-

Hope you don't mind....

I'm lazy today...

 

[rothenbj]

I'm lazy today...

LOL, I didn't mention the feeling lazy part, but I had just got back from three hours of doing "help 92 year old mother" stuff and wanted to get my voice heard as quickly as possible. Let's face it, badmouthing the FDA is just personally satisfying, although that could be true about most/all these gubernment bureaucracies.

 

[LadyWeeps]

Thank you so much for posting this. I went and did my vaping duty and am now bumping this back up!

 

[DC2]

There may be times when a drug will work better than natural means depending on the circumstances and stage of the disease, and that's fine. Many diseases are actually caused by the use of pharmaceuticals and this starts a dominoe effect. symptom -> drug to treat, symptom -> drug to treat and so on while the body becomes more toxic and continues to break down. Very little is it considered that the illness is actually caused by the drug or combination of drugs itself. The true cause and effect is not searched out. This is why you hear stories of people getting rid of all their medications and they suddenly to the shock of the doctor they get better and disease symptoms go away.

I am in support of the quote above 100% in the case of my father.

He was given so many drugs to take, including Celexa, Zyprexa, and Trazodone.
At one point in time his blood pressure dropped so low that he was fainting quite often, and nearly breaking bones.

It was at MY insistance that they re-evaluate his drug intake and figure out the issue.
From there they determined that it was too much Trazodone, so they lowered the dosage and all has been well.

It seems that a person needs to monitor all drug interactions themselves these days.
And it seems that a person needs to make sure that those who prescribe such drugs are reading the FREAKING internet.

Sorry for the pseudo-cussing, but doctors no longer get my respect.
Is this really where we find ourselves now?

 

[Vocalek]

And here is my domino story. My mother-in-law (she'll be 93 at the end of this month) was experiencing pain in her legs. She was admitted to the hospital and they sent her home after two days after dosing her up on morphine. The next day, my husband took her to her doctor and was told to take her back to the hospital, as her blood pressure was dangerously low. So she was readmitted and kept on IV morphine, which was making her loopy (to put it kindly). They FINALLY diagnosed the cause of the leg pain several days later. She had a massive Staph infection, manifested in an abscess on her spine. They surgically drained this and having added anesthesia on top of the morphine, she slept for the next three days. A nurse came in to try to awaken her and asked, "How do you feel?" "Awful," she croaked. "Would you like some water?" continued the nurse. "Awful," she croaked. Thinking to try to get her mind onto a different track, the nurse pointed to my husband and said, "Look who has come to visit you. What's his name?" "Awful" she croaked. So my husband has a new name. But that's OK. His sister's new name is "Dammit leave me alone."

So since my MIL was spacing out once she woke up, thinking that she was in other places, not recognizing her children, etc., they started giving her Haldol. Then she started having more BP problems, with it going up and down all over the place. To make a long story short, after two weeks in hospital, they finally got her stabilized and sent to a Skilled Nursing Facility to get her strength back and learn how to walk again. She also needs to be on IV antibiotic treatments until Dec. 28th.

Two days ago my husband's sister noticed that the surgical site looked inflamed. She got the runaround about getting the surgeon over to examine her mother, so yesterday SIL and my husband took my MIL to the doctor's office, where the wound needed to be cleaned and packed with gauze. She has to go back today. They have to time her away from the SNF around the IV antibiotic treatments every 4 hours.

So if, instead of relying on nothing but pharmaceuticals, they had done a thorough workup to determine the CAUSE of the leg pain, effective treatment could have started earlier and some of these meds (e.g. the Haldol) avoided. They seem to be really anxious at the SNF to give her some Coumadin, which is quite interesting since she has zero history of heart attacks or heart disease (other than the BP fluxuations). So I'm not sure why they believe that might be necessary. Hopefully, that decision will be up to the surgeon.

 

[rothenbj]

Boy Elaine, that sounds like my mother's story from last year. Same age within a month, same hospital and SNF experience other than her infection bounced her back into the hospital for 48 hours and a two week extension on her SNF stay. The only major difference was your MIL came up with interesting names for her kids and my mom just said "I want to go HOME".

 

[DC2]

Don't get me started...

My father was fainting frequently and in danger of breaking bones, but nobody at the hospital had any input.
Even after one fainting episode in which he split his forehead open on the sink and needed stitches, still nothing.

Well, at the next doctor visit they took his blood pressure and I noticed it was very low for him.
So I suggested that perhaps that was the cause of his fainting.

Ummmm, duh.

So then they examined the many medications he is taking and determined that the trazodone might be too much.
So they lowered the dosage and he has not fainted since, which has been about 6 months now.

I wonder if they will either pay me for the diagnosis and cure, or refund a few months of his premium?

Yeah, I guess not.

 

[Vocalek]

To clarify, my MIL did not have a hospital-acquired Staph infection. We believe the source of the infection was an open blister she had on her foot after her water-walking class and then using the locker room at the rec facility.

We aren't sure why the infection ended up being concentrated on her spine at about the waistline level. I guess it just wandered around the bloodstream until the swarm said, "Oh this looks like a cozy nook to colonize. Let's move in."

But it is an issue that the hospital only treated the pain during the first visit without diagnosing and treating the cause. She was sent home too soon on the first visit, and I suspect that they should not have been transferred to the SNF after the surgery until the surgical site was healing nicely.

 

[DC2]

The fact is, if you want good medical care, you need to do your own research and come prepared.
And you need to have a strong voice and advocate tirelessly for the patient.

I have many times been a firsthand witness to this fact.

 

[sqirl1]

Just got this from my rep Tod Akin, it sounds like he probably has a positive opinion of it.

Dear Garett:



Thank you for your correspondence regarding H.R. 1364, the Free Speech about Science Act of 2010. It was good to hear from you, and I appreciate the opportunity to respond.



As you may know, Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) introduced this legislation on April 5, 2011. This legislation will enable physicians and consumers to obtain information about the health benefits of food and dietary supplements by permitting food and natural products companies to share the results of peer-reviewed scientific studies. H.R. 1364 is currently being considered by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.



I greatly appreciate your insight into the critical issues before the House of Representatives. While I do not serve on the committee currently considering the bill, please know that I will continue to work for legislative solutions that prioritize the interests of Missouri taxpayers. To that end, I will keep your thoughts in mind if I should have the opportunity to consider this measure or related legislation on the House floor.



Again, thank you for taking the time to contact my office. Please know that I will continue to work for my fellow Missourians in the legislative matters I am able to address.



It is a privilege to represent you, and I hope that you will not hesitate to contact me regarding any matter where I might be of assistance. Please visit my website where you can find more information on current issues, share further thoughts with me via e-mail, and subscribe to my e-newsletter for updates on issues you care about