Currently we are focusing on Legalizing Integrative Cancer Treatments in California. However through the years we have been putting our efforts into
other issues.
Physicians Rights Change state law that limits physicians to only practice conventional medicine. Our bill, SB-1691, to make it legal for physicians to practice safe effective alternative medicine became effective January 1, 2005. It basically says that the Medical Board cannot initiate disciplinary action against a physician solely on the basis of his/her practicing alternative medicine, but does require an extremely detailed and precise informed consent to comply SB-1691 became B & P Code 2234.1.
Safe Drinking Water Ban the addition of industrial toxic waste (fluoride) into drinking water. As yet, we have been unable to get any legislator to touch this health issue, but we expended a lot of time and energy in laying the educational and contact groundwork toward accomplishing this in the future. The scientific evidence against human ingestion of fluoride is staggering see Water a Toxic Dump? by George Glasser and Keepers of the Well.
Non-Toxic Dentistry: Change state law on “silver” amalgam and get mercury fillings banned. We support the efforts of Charles Brown Esq. We have sponsored bills at the state level to block the tooth fillings with mercury. This is a highly toxic material that causes numerous health problems. Our bills were killed by legislative efforts of the ADA. We helped get AB-999 passed in 2003. For the first time those on Denti-Cal (state funded dental services to the poor) are supposed to have fully (and accurately) informed choice of restorative filling materials. CC4HF was party to the court proceedings that obtained the ruling requiring dentists in California to post Prop. 65 warnings.
Right of women and babies to have safe home births. Licensed Midwives (LM’s) are highly trained and fully licensed by the MB to provide homebirth services for expectedly normal births. We succeeded in having the medical board not enforce this law. We also assisted in passage of a bill requiring the medicalboard to have a standing licensed midwife committee. It was formed in 2006. We have teamed with Faith Gibson, licensed midwife and the California Association of Midwives over the issue of their licensing and right to practice. For more information go to web site: www.collegeofmidwives.org.
Codex Almentarius (A Federal Issue) This international trade agreement takes legal authority over our Constitution and current laws governing vitamins and natural health products. It is a threat to freedom of choice in potency of natural products. We have joined with other groups in opposing this from being imposed on us in the United States.
Licensing of clinically trained Naturopathic Doctors. We introduced the bill for licensing three times. In 2003 the naturopathic doctors obtained sponsorship of a licensing bill by the Chair of the Senate who was the most powerful legislator. We did extensive advocacy on behalf of the Naturopathic Association the bill passed in 2003 and naturopathic doctors began licensing by January 1, 2005
Protected the right of Certified Nutritionists and other heath professionals to practice.
CC4HF helped the certified nutritionists form their state chapter. We also have, several times, blocked or amended bills by the Registered Dietitians (RD) that would have made it illegal for nutritionists (or anyone else other than a RD to give adive on diet and health).
Protection of natural food industry from excessive government regulations.We were successful with other groups in blocking a bill that would have made a state F.D.A. and put extreme regulations on the natural food industry.
Decriminalize of Unlicensed Health Practitioners. In 2002 we worked very hard to help gain passage of the companion bill, SB-577 to the ND licensing, which made it legal (no longer ‘practicing medicine without a license’) for the unlicensed health practitioners and health advisors to practice. All of the unlicensed naturopathic practitioners (NP’s), health food consultants, nutritionists, and all other unlicensed alternative practitioners are covered by this law.
Opposition to excessive prescriptive drugs to children. We testified at hearings on this issue.