HEALTH GROUP WELCOMES SELECT COMMITTEE INQUIRY

Parliament’s Health Select Committee is showing good sense and proactive concern for New Zealanders’ health choices by holding an inquiry into the proposal to regulate “therapeutic products” jointly with Australia, according to Gary Mabey, joint co-ordinator of Citizens for Health Choices.

“It is especially welcome that the Committee proposes to carry out an independent risk analysis, to examine compliance costs, and to consider the regulatory regimes of other countries,” he said.

“Each of these points goes to the heart of the proposal as they would affect New Zealanders’ access to dietary supplements,” Mr Mabey said.

For example: No level of risk has been established that justifies the draconian rules proposed. The compliance costs would reduce consumer choice and put New Zealand firms out of business for no good reason. The proposed rules ignore international standards apart from those currently applying in Australia.

Citizens for Health Choices has been working for more than 10 years to protect New Zealanders’ access to the high-quality dietary supplements of their choice. It organised the highly successful “Blackout Day” in July, during which most of New Zealand’s health food stores demonstrated their opposition to the proposed joint agency with Australia.

Citizens for Health Choices’ submission on the Discussion Document to set up the joint agency is available at http://www.choices.org.nz.

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