Welcome to 2011 from all of us at ANH-Intl! We hope you had a wonderful holiday, wherever you are, and that 2011 brings you everything that you are wishing for.
From our point of view, this year has started with a bang. On 30 December 2010, the UK’s Independent newspaper published an article by Jeremy Laurance on the threat to herbal medicines posed by EC Directive 2004/24/EC, the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (THMPD). The Independent is a widely read, highly respected mainstream publication in the UK – and the story made front-page headlines! It included key information and direct quotations from Dr Robert Verkerk, ANH-Intl Executive & Scientific Director, and has gone a long way to raising awareness about the plight of traditional herbal medicines in Europe. The story has since been picked up by hundreds of websites across the UK and beyond, thus ensuring an even greater public profile.
In our opinion, as beneficial as the story was, it still contained one or two factual inaccuracies that were a little misleading the reader. It failed to point out that ANH-Intl is taking the THMPD to judicial review this year, and did not make the distinction that the THMPD only applies to over-the-counter remedies for treatment of minor, self-limiting ailments without practitioner supervision. But overall, it was a good summary of the situation that put the threat to herbal medicines in the UK and across the EU firmly on the map. Most of the 700+ comments below the article decry the effect of the THMPD.
As Oscar Wilde said: “There is only one thing worse than being talked about – and that is NOT being talked about.”
Now that the THMPD is mainstream news, we look forward to follow-up stories elsewhere in the media. Not wasting any time, the UK’s Daily Mail ran a short online piece in the evening of 30 December. This was not the best or most accurate article we have ever read, but it’s a sign that the issue is now on the UK media radar. We look forward to better-informed articles by the Daily Mail and others in future.
In all, this is the best start to 2011 that we could have hoped for! We now need to keep the momentum going. Those of our supporters who enjoy writing letters might like to consider contacting UK newspapers and other media, to see whether they intend running pieces of their own. The Independent and Mr Laurance would surely appreciate some congratulatory messages on their forward-looking stance. The threat posed by the THMPD is now a truly national issue in the UK, so let’s seize this opportunity to raise its profile even further.
Comments
your voice counts
Kelli
11 January 2011 at 10:32 pm
Good for all you in the UK! Fight the tyrants! I know the UK is overrun with corporate-owned "skeptics" who are actually an insult to real science and something needs to beat them back. I also hope GMOs stay illegal in Europe as they are the worst thing to happen this century.
Brenda Johns
19 January 2011 at 1:10 am
I couldn't agree more with the above statement. It is all tied in with chemtrails,only GMO seeds will tolerate the way the the soil is going, and you cant't save the seeds. Also covered by the Codex Alimentarius is the way farmers will be forced to inject animals with substances which do not help animals or humans. As it is cows are fed on GMO soyer feed. There is all to be worried about. BIG BUSINESS is putting PROFIT ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE to the detriment of people. I think most of our representatives in government are too scared to do anything.
Anonymous
25 January 2011 at 8:18 pm
Excuse me, but seeing as there is HUMAN RIGHTS ACT why can we not use this act to protect our right not to be poisoned by those who rule us???
Why has no one thought to get all the people who disagree with being poisoned with chemtrails with fluoride and other noxious poisons in out water and air, plus our right to choose to have foods that have not been genetically ruined, why en masse could we not all donate say £10.00 and get a court case going?
would this not show the corporatge criminals that we are not going to take this laying down??
Come on we have to fight much harder now...these people are evil!
naturologist from brasil
30 March 2011 at 3:24 pm
I'm using indian traditional medicine to cure chronic diseases for more than 17 years,faster cheaper and without recidivity. But the int. pharma industry is distroying the tradition for profit and trying to instill the same law to ban the plants in brasil.
Your voice counts
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