UK bans Milk Thistle

[DanB]

Due to the Olympics they have gone mad banning anything and everything including milk thistle lol but guess what, there is numerous pro hormones still widely avaiable that they forgot about, below is a list of the stuff due to be banned, I cant post a link as of yet because it is to another board but I'll try find a news report or something to link to. . . .

Ephedra
Yohimbe
Sida Cordifolia
Milk Thistle
Coleus Forskolii
Carulluma
Evodia
Gugglesterones
Tribulus
Uva Ursi
Valerian
Hoodia
White Willow
Rauwolfia
1,3 Dimethylamylamine
Synephrine
Salix Alba
GABA
Melatonin
DHEA
Tongkat Ali
Horny Goat Weed
Epimedium
Eurycoma Longifolia

For anybody interested there is a petition to try stop this from happening, now that it will make much difference
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/13372

[DanB]

Mabey caffieine products such as redbull and monster will be the next things to be considered P.E.D and banned aswell haha

[Sgt. Hartman]

GABA and melatonin?

[DanB]

Yup and 1,3 Dimethylamylamine (jack3d 1mr etc)

it hasnt happened as of this minute, but its being finalised and WILL happen very soon because of the Olympics

[gixxerboy1]

that is stupid. If the olympics want to ban it for competitors thats fine. But why does the whole country have to be banned. That has to hurt supplement companies

[Razor]

Must suck to likve in the UK

[DanB]

USP will get hit hard, Jack3d is only decent product they have, mabey the bcaa's but apart from that I doubt they sell much at all, you dont even see USP on the shelves unless its Jack3d

[Razor]

USP makes good shit

[MR-FQ320]

Is this just going to be banned for the duration of the Olympics or banned forever and a day?

[Honkey_Kong]

They're banning these supplements, but AAS are still legal to possess?

[slfmade]

Stupid!

[DanB]

Is this just going to be banned for the duration of the Olympics or banned forever and a day?

As far as I know its a straight ban, but I reckon after the Olympics they will change to controlled substance i.e. legal for personal use

[awms]

Wow its a sad day when you can go out and buy a 500 pack of tylenol which send more people to the hospital each year then all supplements combined but you cant get a herb that is no more harmful then a tea bag or spice you put on food!

That what happens when you let bureaucracy and big business into government. Soon you wont be allowed to buy vitamin C but you will be allowed to go to your corner store at 9:00 am and by a bottle of jack jack daniels....this is pathetic!

[DanB]

Bumping this because I want to see what the feelings of people who live in UK are

[scorpion62]

Someone has been dropped on there head to ban these products ,but thats the UK at its best,I found this

Yesterday, Wednesday 16 February 2011, could well go down as a momentous day in the history of herbalism in the UK. After nearly 20 years of campaigning by herbal medicine practitioners, several changes of government and numerous missed deadlines and broken promises, the UK government finally announced that it will officially recognise herbal medicine, and allow herbalists to continue to prescribe unlicensed herbal medicines on the condition that they are registered by the Health Professions Council. This will give them legal status to use unlicensed medicines under EU medicines law (Directive 2001/83/EC). It is a similar provision used by doctors and pharmacists to prescribe unlicensed products (or prescribe drugs for off-label indications).

Good news – and confusion

This is, of course, a cause for celebration – if you are a UK-based practitioner or patient. However, the timing of the announ***ent appears to have sown confusion among the giants of UK media. “Chinese medicine and herbal ban to see Britain defy EU laws” was the Metro’s garbled headline, above a story that stated “Their decision will allow health food shops to continue stocking many pills and supplements which were due to be outlawed from the end of April”. “Herbal medicines will survive after ministers approve plan that bypasses EU directive” warbled the Daily Mail, going on to say “Herbal and Chinese medicines that faced an EU ban are to stay on sale…the Government moved yesterday to protect consumers wanting herbal products that will disappear from many health food shops after April 30”.

The problem with these stories? They’re wildly inaccurate and cover only one side of the story!

Both sides of the story

The stories quoted above confuse two issues: statutory regulation of UK herbalists and the effect of the EU’s Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (THMPD) on manufactured herbal medicines available to buy off-the-shelf in health-food stores or on the Internet. State recognition will protect herbalism and make UK herbalists unique among their European colleagues, but this will not prevent many of the herbal products currently available off-the-shelf in health-food stores across the EU and via Internet outlets from becoming illegal on 1st May 2011, if they are not registered under the THMPD scheme.

Consumers denied health choice

Consumers used to using high-street herbal products to maintain their health will be forced by the THMPD to consult an herbalist to obtain the manufactured products they rely on. Instead of the relatively minimal cost of a finished herbal product purchased from a trusted retailer, consumers will have to fund the costs of a consultation – that, in some cases, may not be necessary – to obtain their herbal medicines. Quite simply, lower-income consumers will be penalised, with many likely to face difficulty justifying the additional cash flow required to cover the practitioner’s fees along with the cost of products.

Retailers threatened with loss of revenue

The effect of the THMPD on retailers of finished herbal products will be devastating, as many product lines will no longer be able to be sold, although stock held after 30th April 2011 can be sold through.

Sara Novakovic of Oliver’s Wholefoods said: “There will be hundreds, if not thousands, of herbal products banned that have never been shown to have negative side effects. Proper regulation would be very welcome and supported by all in the natural health field. This legislation however, is using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. The cost of the licenses is prohibitive to all but the largest of players. Innovation will be stifled, people's health will suffer and so the cost to the NHS will rise.”

Seventh Wave Supplements reiterated similar views: “The THMPD represents a huge and unjustified threat to our business. We pride ourselves on the very best possible quality whole-herb supplements, 100% additive free, Good Manufacturing Practice-certified and the like. We already meet and exceed the requirements of a vast amount of legislation that ensures complete consumer safety, let alone the thousands of years of herbal tradition with an impeccable safety record. But the reality is that licensing costs of up to £120,000 per herbal product puts registration completely out of the realms of possibility for most players. So, while a small handful of products – typically standardised extracts with a staggering plethora of additives – will remain on the market, we face the stark reality of the possible loss of some of the safest and purest traditional herbs available in the UK. In our view, it is an absolute tragedy for business and customers alike, and will damage a proud, vibrant, and long-standing section of the British economy.”

We think that says it all.

ANH-Intl are incredibly grateful for your continued support for our forthcoming legal challenge of the THMPD, and as always, we would be delighted to accept your help in terms of donations, time, ideas or spreading the word!