THE pharmaceutical industry has undoubtedly been a life-giving force to many people over the years, providing many medicines, which help in various conditions.

I'm sure we all know people whose lives have been enhanced by medical drugs.

In recent decades we in the west have also begun to look back and relearn ancient healing wisdom; the wisdom our grandmothers knew, that the herbalists knew, that the hands on healers and priests knew.

This is a healing knowledge based on understanding the ways of nature, and working with them.

Today, many complementary therapies work in this way, seeing the patient, not so much as a particular set of symptoms, but as a whole person, with a body, mind and soul as a real person.

Most complementary therapists believe in treating the whole person in this way.

This is the way of acupuncture, shiatsu, herbalism, homeopathy, reflexology, aromatherapy, naturotherapy, flower essence, healing etc.

Most of these forms of 'medicine' are also very cheap to provide; often much cheaper than conventional medical drugs (it is the time and skill of the therapist that we pay for - as they chose the minimum amount of treatment necessary for the maximum effect - more than the medicines themselves.)

I want to bring to your attention a very serious threat to the future of alternative and complimentary health provision, which would severely limit your choice of healthcare.

A recent European Union directive passed by the European Parliament proposes to limit vitamin and mineral supplement availability in a very drastic way, restricting to the RDA or a little above in some cases and banning them altogether in other cases (like Selenium and Vanadium).

The non-elected body that drew up the proposed legislation had no representation from UK consumers of health food companies, but did represent the wishes of the large multinational pharmaceutical companies.

The reason given for these restrictions is to protect the general public from danger! This is a very sad moment in the history of healthcare provision, and many people are seeing this proposal as a move from the drugs companies to restrict the use of complementary therapies, because they feel threatened by their successes.

Large drug companies make a lot of their money from patenting processed chemical drugs.

Naturally occurring things cannot be patented and do not mean big business.

Vitamins, minerals, many food supplements, herbs, homeopathic remedies, essential oils, and flower essences cannot be patented.

See the problem? However, high doses of Vitamin C are being used in the treatment of cancer, cheaply and effectively.

Vitamin E is being used to prevent blood thickening in heart disease to name just two key examples/

And the story continues, because herbal remedies (that's your echinacea, agnus castus, crataegus etc) and flower essences (such as the bach flower essenceses and rescue remedy) are also under threat of being totally outlawed.

Where will it end? Basically our fundamental right to choose how we look at ourselves is being violated by these proposals.

What we can do at this stage before it is too late, is write to our representatives - our MPs and MEPs - and express our concern.

In the USA, public outcry prevented a similar proposal from going ahead.

If the public could manage it over there, then it is possible that we can do the same here.

Feel free phone for more information or help in writing letters on 01524 843093.

Vick Sherrard

Homeopath

via e-mail