TrueHope VS Canada

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Truehope Sues Health Canada in Federal Court for Discriminatory Attack Against

the Mentally Ill

 

 

 

Calgary -May 28, 2003

 

 

Today, a mental health support group, individuals and families who are

struggling with mental illnesses filed suit in the Federal Courts. The suit is

aimed at the Federal Minister of Health, Anne McLellan, and her department,

Health Canada. Truehope Nutritional Support Ltd. (a non-profit mental health

support group) and its participants allege in the suit that Health Canada and

the Minister have acted outside their statutory authority and jurisdiction,

committed errors of law, and abused their discretion by seizing shipments of the

nutritional supplement.

 

Over the past three years, Truehope has received much media attention over its

breakthrough discovery in the treatment of bipolar disorder, a mental illness

affecting millions in North America. David L. Hardy and Anthony F. Stephan,

Co-Founders of Truehope, became involved in researching answers for mental

illness after Stephan’s wife, Debbie, who suffered with bipolar disorder,

committed suicide, leaving behind 10 children, two of whom were plagued with the

same disorder as their mother.

 

“Anne McLellan and Health Canada have ignored the overwhelming evidence that

nutrients can ameliorate the symptoms of mental disorders and they are trampling

on the rights of the mentally ill”, says Hardy. Furthermore, Anne McLellan has

personally ignored over 250 letters sent by sufferers of mental illness asking

her to continue to allow access to EMPowerplus - a nutritional supplement that

has literally changed their lives.

 

Truehope became aware that Health Canada was seizing individual shipments of

EMPowerplus in April 2003.

 

The lawsuit also seeks a Court Order against Health Canada to stop the seizure

of the nutritional supplement EMPowerplus. Stephan states that, “Health Canada

has jeopardized the lives of the mentally ill by seizing their products despite

Health Canada’s statement, obtained through freedom of information legislation,

that patients would need their medications (referring to EMPowerplus).”

 

A successful action would result in the quashing of the seizures and a

declaration that several sections of the antiquated Food and Drugs Act and

regulations are unconstitutional.

 

To date, a group of University scientists and doctors have published four

medical journal articles [1][2][3][4] demonstrating the very positive results of

their research using the Truehope vitamin-mineral supplement, EMPowerplus. This

research could well become the protection that every Canadian deserves in

improving health and ameliorating and preventing mental illnesses. Stephan

indicated that, “Health Canada is standing in the way of health progress and

blocking valid research.” Case in point: Last year Health Canada ordered the

University of Calgary to stop an EMPowerplus research study which was funded by

the Alberta government. Said Hardy, “Health Canada’s actions are interfering

with Canadians’ access to one of the greatest health benefit discoveries in

history.”

 

In 1997, over a million consumers across Canada sent a strong message to

government making it clear that they did not want to be denied health freedom,

nor did they want foods designated as drugs. The government responded in

November 1998 by setting up the Standing Committee on Health. This committee

sought input from citizens across Canada before bringing forward 53

recommendations for change. These recommendations were tabled in the House of

Commons and accepted on March 26, 1999 by the then-Minister of Health, the

Honorable Allan Rock, on behalf of Parliament.[5] The current Minister, Anne

McLellan, and Health Canada, have ignored the Parliamentary Committee and have

betrayed the Canadian public.

 

In an effort to reintroduce the most critical of the changes, MP James Lunney

submitted a private members bill entitled “An act to amend the Food and Drugs

Act”. This bill would define dietary supplements, herbs, and other natural

health products as food products. This would ensure that natural health products

are not arbitrarily classified as drugs and denied to Canadians without the

scientific evidence to justify it. Canadians demand to have bill C-420 enacted

for our future freedom in health.

Truehope, in concert with Dr. James Lunney, are hosting a rally at the Minister

of Health’s constituency office (Anne McLellan) in Edmonton at 12 noon May 30th

in support of these issues.

 

 

Location: 12304 107th Avenue Northwest, Edmonton, Alberta.

 

Please direct all media Inquiries to Anthony Stephan @ 403-758-6083.

 

 

 

For more information, or to view the actual court documents, please visit

www.truehope.com.

 

 

 

References

 

 

 

 

[1]Kaplan, B. J., Simpson, J. S. A., Ferre, R. C., Gorman, C., McMullen, D., &

Crawford, S. G. (2001). Effective mood stabilization in bipolar disorder with a

chelated mineral supplement. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 62, 936-944.

 

 

[2] Kaplan, B. J., Crawford, S. G., Gardner, B., & Farrelly, G. (2002).

Treatment of mood lability and explosive rage with minerals and vitamins: Two

case studies in children. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology,

12(3), 203-218.

 

 

[3] Popper, C. W. (2001). Do vitamins or minerals (apart from lithium) have

mood-stabilizing effects? [Commentary]. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 62,

933-935.

 

 

[4]Simmons, M. (2002). Letter to the Editor. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 64,

338

 

 

[5] NATURAL HEALTH PRODUCTS: A New Vision- Report of the Standing Committee on

Health. Joseph Volpe, M.P. Chair, November 1998

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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