Editor, The Times:
I saw last week’s announcement by M.P. McLeod regarding the passage of Vanessa’s Law, Bill C-17. When a parliamentarian’s child took a prescribed drug and died, legislators responded with this attempt to safeguard Canadians.This is a good step, but is incomplete.
The group “Bad Science Watch” lobbied vigorously to have the bill include all health care products but Natural Health Products were exempted.
The director, Jamie Williams, explained their reasons and included this example why they should also be supervised: "If the bill comes into law without removing this exemption, the minister would have the power to recall a tainted drug, but not an herbal preparation contaminated with heavy metals."
Quite aside from the issue of contamination, it is axiomatic in medicine that any drug with a beneficial effect will have a deleterious effect. It doesn’t matter whether the pharmacologically active ingredient is contained in a pill or a leaf.
Bob MacKenzie
Clearwater, B.C.