Canada’s nutrition crackdown

Forget the war on drugs… Canada’s now fighting a war FOR drugs… Big Pharma’s drugs, that is.

Canadian officials are cracking down on vitamins and nutrients, leaving many Canucks who rely on supplements out in the cold. For many conditions, Canadians now have no choice but to take Big Pharma’s dangerous meds… or do nothing at all.

And if you think this can’t happen here, you haven’t been paying attention — because there’s already a bill making its way through Congress that would give the FDA new oversight over natural health products like vitamins and supplements.

But let’s get back to Canada, where the heavy-handed bureaucrats of the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities have told pharmacies to stop carrying unlicensed natural products and supplements.

Most of the companies who make these products — vitamins that have been on store shelves for years — want to comply, but can’t… because there’s a huge backlog for those licenses.

How did it happen?

Let’s rewind to 2004… when Canadian officials began regulating vitamins. Under the new rules, all supplements would need a license. They knew it would take a while to get to every product, so they told the companies that make them not to worry. As long as they’ve at least applied for a license, they could keep selling their vitamins.

Now, nearly six years later, they thought they’d be done by now — so they’re pulling the plug on that informal grace period. If your product doesn’t have a license by now, tough. But there’s just one little problem: They’re not even close to done.

They’ve still got some 10,000 applications to review.

It’s not just bad for consumers who want and need these natural treatments… it’s bad for the Canadian economy. The companies that make these vitamins and supplements say they’re facing big losses and will have to lay off workers — if they manage to survive at all.

One little company makes just two products — and neither one has been granted a license yet, according to a story in Canada’s National Post.

Oh, Canada — looks like the only thing you stand on guard for now is Big Pharma’s best interests.