Woffling On

Thursday, January 26, 2006

FDA Reduces Drug Safety and Consumer Rights

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), though it has improved a drug labeling regulation through revisions announced January 18, continues to ignore the fact that its rule will not guarantee patients the most accurate, up-to-date information about their medications, Public Citizen said today.

Further, in an end-run around Congress, the FDA has added to the rule a preamble designed to preempt lawsuits filed by patients under state law, potentially leaving victims of FDA-approved drugs with no remedy for any harm caused by the approved drug.

Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, said revisions in the final version of the rule released today will simplify and prioritize the labeling information that doctors receive. But the vast majority of patients will not get that information unless they specifically request it. Instead, they commonly receive patient information leaflets (PILs) that are commercially produced but whose content is not scrutinized by the FDA.

"The FDA’s own study has shown that the content of unregulated leaflets gets a failing grade (average 50 out of 100) in conveying the most important information to patients," Wolfe said. The agency has the authority to require agency-approved 'medication guides' for each new prescription and refill but has done so for only about 75 drugs.

"It is time to end the double standard where doctors and other health professionals are informed by FDA-approved labeling, but patients are treated like second-class citizens, receiving whatever the out-of-control purveyors of patient information leaflets choose to dispense," Wolfe said. "This is a dangerous situation, made worse by the FDA’s poor record of approving harmful drugs based on limited, and even fraudulent, clinical trials performed by the drug companies."

In a further blow to consumers, the final rule now contains a preamble aimed at preempting the rights of patients to sue drug manufacturers if a drug is approved by the FDA. The Bush administration has previously failed to persuade Congress and, with a few exceptions, the courts (where it has filed amicus briefs) to shield drug makers from liability.

"The new tactic of writing preemption language into federal regulation notices is an attempt to bypass Congress and override consumer protection liability laws," said Public Citizen President Joan Claybrook. The administration has also used such language in recently proposed automobile safety rules.

"This is a sneak attack on consumer rights," Claybrook said. "President Bush is once again abusing his executive powers, this time in his attempt to protect the big pharmaceutical companies from the consequences of their actions. Thousands of people in this country have died or been seriously injured by drugs approved by the FDA, and this administration is saying it doesn’t think people should have any recourse."

It remains unclear what impact the language will have on liability cases.

"Ultimately, we are confident that the courts will not defer to the FDA’s opinion on preemption, which is not based on any authority given to the FDA by Congress," said Brian Wolfman, director of the Public Citizen Litigation Group and an expert on preemption law. "In the meantime, however, the drug companies will be emboldened by this preemption statement, and use it to complicate injury cases and deter victims from seeking justice in the courts."

Drug labeling has been a problem for decades.

In 1981, the Reagan administration cancelled a proposed regulation requiring FDA-approved leaflets to be dispensed with prescriptions just before the rule was to go into effect. The abrupt reversal came at the behest of drug companies, pharmacy organizations and some physician groups. Private sector-designed leaflets, not approved by the FDA, thereby continued to be the norm.

Several years ago, shortly after Dr. Mark B. McClellan became FDA commissioner, he listed as one of his top five priorities helping consumers obtain truthful information about products they use so they can make informed decisions. The FDA could go a long way toward achieving this priority by immediately moving forward with a long-overdue initiative to require the mandatory distribution of FDA-approved written drug information with each new and refill prescription, Wolfe said.

In a study conducted several years ago by the University of Wisconsin for the FDA, although 89 percent of consumers were receiving some sort of information (unregulated PILs) when a prescription was filled, none of the approximately 1,300 leaflets studied for four common drugs achieved minimum goals for useful, scientifically accurate drug information. As measured by eight objective criteria, the overall usefulness of information was about 50 percent. According to the authors, "a majority of leaflets did not include adequate information about contraindications, precautions, and how to avoid harm."

"The notion that consumer drug information can be 50 percent useful is unfathomable," Wolfe said. "Drug information that communicates only half of what it should is misleading, and misleading drug information is potentially dangerous."

It seems as though the FDA can't take a trick. For every pace forwards it takes two paces back. There is no doubt whatsoever that the FDA basically protects Big Pharma, not consumers.

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

FDA Requires Food Manufacturers to List Food Allergens on Labels

The following is a press release from the FDA announcing new food labeling laws in the USA. These labeling requirements are very welcome and good news indeed for the large number of people who suffer, not only from true allergies such as those mentioned below, but also for the much larger number of people who suffer from food sensitivities.

Effective January 1, 2006, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is requiring food labels to clearly state if food products contain any ingredients that contain protein derived from the eight major allergenic foods. As a result of the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA), manufacturers are required to identify in plain English the presence of ingredients that contain protein derived from milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, or soybeans in the list of ingredients or to say "contains" followed by name of the source of the food allergen after or adjacent to the list of ingredients.

"I applaud Congress for the passage of FALCPA," said Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D., Acting FDA Commissioner. "Chairman Joe Barton and Ranking Member John D. Dingell in the House, Energy and Commerce Committee were instrumental in moving this bipartisan legislation forward. Representative Nita Lowey was the original sponsor of the legislation. FDA also applauds the dedication and leadership of the legislation's sponsors in the Senate, which include Senators Judd Gregg and Edward Kennedy."

This labeling will be especially helpful to children who must learn to recognize the presence of substances they must avoid. For example, if a product contains the milk-derived protein, casein, the product's label will have to use the term "milk" in addition to the term "casein" so that those with milk allergies can clearly understand the presence of the allergen they need to avoid.

It is estimated that 2 percent of adults and about 5 percent of infants and young children in the United States suffer from food allergies. Approximately 30,000 consumers require emergency room treatment and 150 Americans die each year because of allergic reactions to food.

"The eight major food allergens account for 90 percent of all documented food allergic reactions, and some reactions may be severe or life-threatening," said Robert E. Brackett, PhD, Director of FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. "Consumers will benefit from improved food labels for products that contain food allergens."

FALCPA does not require food manufacturers or retailers to relabel or remove from grocery or supermarket shelves products that do not reflect the additional allergen labeling as long as the products were labeled before the effective date. As a result, FDA cautions consumers that there will be a transition period of undetermined length during which it is likely that consumers will see packaged food on store shelves and in consumers' homes without the revised allergen labeling.

For more information about FALCPA, visit FDA's food allergy page at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/wh-alrgy.html.

For more details about food allergies and sensitivities see this Health Gazette article.

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Google Like A Sore Thumb

Here is an interesting article snippit that highlights Google's financially precarious position. This is definitely not a stock to own at this time, unless you use put options.

For a quick and dirty comparison, here is a list of large American corporations. The market value of each of these companies is around $140 billion. Beside each company you’ll find annual sales for 2005, in billions.

JPMorgan --------------- $50
IBM -------------------- $94
Berkshire Hathaway ----- $76
ChevronTexaco ---------- $174
Proctor & Gamble ------- $58
Google ----------------- $4

Can you spot the over-valuation?

Even though Google earned only $1 billion last quarter, its costs are out of control. Google is paying $1 billion for 5% of AOL. It’s building 1 million square feet of office space within the NASA research park at Moffett Field in California.

They want to provide free wireless internet to everyone in San Francisco. They recently bought a new Boeing 767-200 wide body airliner with two staterooms and a shower. This kind of spending smacks of the internet craze of the late 90s.

We can’t use Google’s entry to the Hunny Club as a sell signal. There’s still too much upward momentum and we’d likely end up on the trash heap like all those other analysts.

But one thing is for sure: Sooner or later, just like those other market darlings, Google will be kicked out of the Hunny Club. When that happens, it may be an excellent chance to make some money.

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Health Tip -- Strictly Avoid Aspartame

Legislative efforts to ban the neurotoxic artificial sweetener aspartame are about to be actioned in New Mexico; Bills to ban Thimerosal, the Mercury filler in vaccines and to create strong Nutrition Council are already on Governor Richardson's Agenda for 30 day session, convening Jan. 17.

A bill to ban the neurotoxic artificial sweetener aspartame will be introduced in the New Mexico legislature on January 17. This will be the first legislative ban in the USA on aspartame. The bill is introduced by New Mexico State Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino.

New Mexico Governor Richardson believes that states must take back some of the FDA's regulatory power, because "the FDA isn't doing anything," (quote: Dec.23, 2005) and "isn't doing enough to warn people about the dangers of aspartame" (quote to medical writer for Albuquerque Journal, October 5, 2005).

Richardson has already placed on the "call" (his agenda for the coming 30 day session) a bill to ban Thimerosal, the mercury filler used in vaccines, and a bill to create a New Mexico Nutrition Council, with specific powers to question and challenge FDA approved products. These important bills are sponsored by the President Pro Tem of the NM Senate, Ben Altamirano.

Stephen Fox, author of the bill to create the Nutrition Council and the bill to ban aspartame is happy to answer questions on these 3 vital bills which could result in a new era of consumer protection. Stephen Fox may be found at 217 W. Water, Santa Fe, NM, or reached by telephone on 87501 505 983-2002.

US Senator Bingaman is considering the issue of aspartame's neurotoxicity. He may ask the Senate to ask the FDA Commissioner to rescind the approval for aspartame.

The artificial sweetener, Aspartame, is a carcinogenic neurotoxin. One of its metabolites is formaldehyde. A recent study by the Ramazzini Oncology Foundation links it to 6 kinds of cancer, as reported on the National Institute of Health website in November 2005.

The FDA has refused to rescind its approval of aspartame, allowing it to be used in coffee sweeteners, "diet" beverages, "low-fat" yogurt and "sugarless" gum, to name just some of the 6000 products consumed by 70% of Americans and 40% of our children that contain the product. It is also in over 500 children's medications.

Interestingly, UK Member of Parliament from Wales, Roger Williams, on December 14, 2005, asked Parliament for a total United Kingdom ban on aspartame citing recent proof of its neurotoxicity.

So take heed of the free health tip to strictly avoid any and all products containing the artificial sweetener aspartame.

Thursday, January 12, 2006

Alexa Ranking Update for 12 January 2006

Well Alexa seem to be updating really frequently again so here we go again.

Here are the results for today.

www.The-Health-Gazette.com moved down from: 84,735 to: 87,665 (59,117)

www.Healthy-Vitamin-Choice.com moved down from: 104,681 to: 110,780 (75,943)

www.Herb-Health-Guide.com moved down from: 109,269 to: 117,337 (78,462)

www.Education4Skills.com moved down from: 163,008 to: 165,499 (155,522)

www.HealthProductsSite.com moved down from: 120,817 to: 125,959 (105,672)

www.HealthArticleBank.com moved up from: 250,239 to: 250,239 (215,945)

* indicates a new highest high
( ) indicates highest high to date

Yes, the declines have largely continued. It is certainly a bit disappointing.

Well, dems da breaks, as they say.

How New Mexico Can Influence Your Health

Do you know what is happening in New Mexico? Do you care? You should! And you would if you knew how important it could be to you, wherever you live and travel.

This update is provided by the dedicated health campaigner Stephen Fox. He is certainly in a position to let everyone know what's happening because Stephen is the petitioner in this matter. Even if you are already conversant with what is happening, please read the important message at the foot of this article. Now it's over to Stephen.

DISCUSSION DRAFT and COMMENTARY ON BILL FOR BANNING ASPARTAME IN NEW MEXICO

STATUTORY AUTHORITY, CONTEXT, AND LOCATION FOR ADDED LANGUAGE:

NMSA 25-2-10 is clear on this matter: "a food shall be deemed to be adulterated if it bears or contains any poisonous or deleterious substance which may render it injurious to health," and the responsibility of the Attorney General or the District Attorneys, to institute prosecution is made clear also, in NM 25-2-7.

This is made further clear in NMSA 25-2-13: "Any poisonous or deleterious substance added to any food, except where such substance is required in the production thereof....shall be deemed to be unsafe."

ADDED LANGUAGE: It is the sense of the Legislature that it is imperative for human health in New Mexico to declare forthwith that the artificial sweetener, aspartame and all of its trade names, because of the proven effects of its neurotoxic and carcinogenic metabolites, is a poisonous and deleterious food additive and adulterant, and as such will be prohibited from sale in New Mexico.

The Legislature also finds that federal authorities have not intended to or expressed an intention to occupy and preempt the areas of concern herein, regarding prohibiting toxic, neurotoxic, carcinogenic, poisonous, and deleterious food additives, and that therefore, the legislature may take such an action regarding a prohibition of the sale of aspartame-containing products, and all of their trade names, in order to protect and ensure public health and safety for all New Mexicans.

News on the Legislature: Governor could ban Aspartame/Formaldehyde in 2006; Bill by Senator Ortiz y Pino

The artificial sweetener, Aspartame, is a carcinogenic neurotoxin since one of its metabolites is formaldehyde. The recent Ramazzini Foundation of Oncology's study proves it to cause 6 kinds of cancer: this report was posted on the National Institute of Health website in November 2005. Physicians and plaintiff's lawyers have been excoriating aspartame's carcinogenicity since the 70's. The FDA refuses to rescind its approval, so aspartame is found in coffee sweeteners, "diet" beverages, "low-fat" yogurt, "sugarless" gum -- a total of 6000 products consumed by 70% of Americans and 40% of our children.

On January 3, the New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board postponed the 5 day hearing, originally scheduled for July 06, till January 07, because they were still waiting for the Attorney General's Opinion they had requested November 7, as is also the NM Pharmacy Board, which requested it November 14 [Aspartame is in over 500 children's medications; I have asked the Pharmacy Board for a ban in order to protect New Mexico's children].

Other Attorneys General, particularly Bill Lockyer of California, Eliot Spitzer of New York, and Mike Hatch of Minnesota, comprehend the level of consumer protection necessary to protect health. Lockyer is suing 9 mega fast food corporations to require labeling every bag of French fries stating: "This product contains a chemical which is known to the state of California to cause cancer." Heating potato starch to 400 degrees turns it to carcinogenic acrylamide.

I told New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer on June 1 about our aspartame/FDA efforts; he immediately replied: "the FDA is a joke!"

In March 2005, Minnesota AG Mike Hatch entered an amicus curie brief in the case against Pfizer by a widow of a man who committed suicide because the Zoloft was making him suicidal, in support of the widow. The brief stated that no company can hide behind the FDA approval of their product when the product does harm under Minnesota's tort and product liability laws. Judge Rosenbaum later agreed, rejecting Pfizer's request for a Summary Dismissal on the basis of its FDA approval for Zoloft.

Richardson stated in December that he is in favor of states taking back some of the power given to the FDA, because "the FDA doesn't do anything," and applied the same strong consumer protection principles by putting a bill to ban Thimerosal/Mercury from vaccines on the Agenda for this coming session. Seven other states have done this already. No New Mexican of any age should be injected with these large amounts of mercury: it is one of the most deadly neurotoxins of all and many flu shots have it.

I have asked the Governor to also place a bill on his 2006 Agenda banning aspartame from sale in New Mexico. This is long overdue; it would be a precedent for New Mexico to pass such a bill in 2006 and not have to wait for the 2007 long session. When it comes to toxicology and the need to remove this deadly neurotoxin from foods and medicines, six months or nine months or 18 months is an eternity.

After EIB temporarily caved in to the demands of the world's largest Aspartame and MSG manufacturer, the Ajinomoto Corporation of Japan. I called US Senator Bingaman, asking him to read out sections of the Italian study on the floor of the Senate, asking the FDA Commissioner to immediately rescind the approval for aspartame. This happened in 1969 when President Nixon asked the FDA commissioner to rescind cyclamates approval, after it became clear that it was causing cancer. Aspartame violates and cyclamates violated the 1958 Delaney Amendment, which prohibits any chemical causing cancer to be knowingly added to food products. The Italian study proves the cancer causality beyond a shadow of a reasonable doubt.

UK Parliament member from Wales, Roger Williams, has asked for a total United Kingdom ban on aspartame. When Governor Richardson puts this bill on the agenda, the FDA will immediately move toward rescinding aspartame's approval. Industries should switch to Stevia or Xylitol, both non-toxic natural sweeteners, and they wouldn't have to lose a dime of their sacred profits!

President Bush won't do anything about aspartame; the FDA ignores letters and citizen's petitions; the state EIB has basically failed in a regulatory sense by postponing hearings till 2007, so the Legislature and the Governor's agenda are truly the last hope for protecting New Mexican's health, and such a bill could go into effect in July 2007. We have a NM Senate sponsor: the Honorable Gerald Ortiz y Pino. Please write to Governor Richardson and encourage him to put a bill to ban aspartame on his Agenda for 2006.

Governor Richardson's fax # is 505 476-2226. Thank you!

Respectfully,

Stephen Fox
217 W. Water, Santa Fe, NM 87501 505 983-2002
stephen @ santafefineart.com

Today is January 12, 2006. Right NOW we need LOTS of letters to be emailed to Govenor Bill Richardson of New Mexico. Express thanks for his efforts to date in ridding New Mexico of Aspartame and strongly urge him to move forward on this matter as soon as possible. Remember, a victory against the use of aspartame in New Mexico will certainly spread to other jurisdictions. The banning of aspartame will benefit the health and wellbeing of millions of people, including you and your loved ones.

Emails can be sent directly using the form here: http://www.governor.state.nm.us/emailchoice.php?mm=6

Monday, January 09, 2006

Alexa Ranking Update for 9 January 2006

As I said last time, Alexa is well and truely back on the job and another update is already upon us. I seem to be so busy still that the onlly post I am managing to get onto this site are these increasingly tiresome Alexa updates.

Anyway,here are the results for today.

www.The-Health-Gazette.com moved down from: 83,766 to: 84,735 (59,117)

www.Healthy-Vitamin-Choice.com moved down from: 101,864 to: 104,681 (75,943)

www.Herb-Health-Guide.com moved down from: 106,591 to: 109,269 (78,462)

www.Education4Skills.com moved down from: 162,412 to: 163,008 (155,522)

www.HealthProductsSite.com moved down from: 119,478 to: 120,817 (105,672)

www.HealthArticleBank.com moved down from: 238,132 to: 250,239 (215,945)

* indicates a new highest high
( ) indicates highest high to date

Yes, the declines have largely continued. For now that's just too bad.

I do feel a bit stuck here. The updates are indeed getting to be a drag, but I refuse to quit doing them while I'm in decline in the ranking. That just wouldn't seem right. So I'm stuck with them for now. Perhaps I will find incentive to promote traffic for the sites to raise their rankings just so I can stop this series on a high!

Friday, January 06, 2006

Alexa Ranking Update for 6 Jan 06

Alexa is well and truely back on the job and another update is already upon us.

Here are the results for today.

www.The-Health-Gazette.com moved down from: 81,951 to: 83,766 (59,117)

www.Healthy-Vitamin-Choice.com moved down from: 99,365 to: 101,864 (75,943)

www.Herb-Health-Guide.com moved down from: 105,124 to: 106,591 (78,462)

www.Education4Skills.com moved up from: 162,824 to: 162,412 (155,522)

www.HealthProductsSite.com moved down from: 116,032 to: 119,478 (105,672)

www.HealthArticleBank.com moved down from: 233,248 to: 238,132 (215,945)

* indicates a new highest high
( ) indicates highest high to date

The across-the-board declines have almost universally continued. It is disappointing to have fallen out of the top 100,000 in two sites but that's the way the cookie crumbles sometimes.

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Alexa Update Report 3 January 2006

It has been quite a while since my last rankings update. However, I haven't actually missed any, they simply haven't been updated during the festive season, although the tireless systems that record the data have clearly been at work.

Here are the results for today.

www.The-Health-Gazette.com moved down from: 72,108 to: 81,951 (59,117)

www.Healthy-Vitamin-Choice.com moved down from: 86,281 to: 99,365 (75,943)

www.Herb-Health-Guide.com moved down from: 89,223 to: 105,124 (78,462)

www.Education4Skills.com moved down from: 155,522 to: 162,824 (155,522)

www.HealthProductsSite.com moved down from: 105,672 to: 116,032 (105,672)

www.HealthArticleBank.com moved down from: 219,230 to: 233,248 (215,945)

* indicates a new highest high
( ) indicates highest high to date

The picture is quite clear this time. There has been an across-the-board decline in all rankings.

I suppose at this time of year most surfers are looking at places other than health-related sites. Perhaps soon after the festivities and holidays end and the damage done becomes obvious there will be a return to health. We shall see.

Have a great 2006!

URGENT Health Issue in New Mexico that Effects YOU TOO

Welcome to 2006. There is high drama unfolding in New Mexico that will either resolve to ensure a substantial improvement in the health and wellbeing of the good people of that state, and support a flow-on effect of great importance to the health of many millions more people OR their will be a capitulation to the insideous powers of corporate giants and the influence they can buy, resulting in untold health damage now and for years to come.

The stakes are indeed high and you may be able to help tip the balance in a positive way. Will you help? Read the following article that I am reprinting here in the public interest, with assumed permission (I have not asked, but I believe the author would approve). Then, if at all possible, please take action as indicated at the end of the article. The article follows below.

Editorial from Gershon Siegel, Publisher, Monthly Sun, formerly Eldorado Sun permpress @ aol.com

Real consumer protection is not about the easiest path. Corporate interests need to be held in check and admonished and rebuked when it is necessary - not after the fact in huge lawsuits for damages like we just saw resolved in the Vioxx case in Texas.

Over the years the Sun has examined the medical and legal implications of the artificial sweetener aspartame. For New Mexico, a critical crossroads is approaching in the very near future, not concerning aspartame as a potential neurotoxin, but rather questioning whether or not the state of New Mexico, through its Board of Pharmacy, Environmental Improvement Board and Board of Education, has the right even to investigate such a potential.

This legal-authority question has been asked of the attorney general, Patricia Madrid, whose office is presently preparing a formal opinion as to whether our state's boards can legitimately challenge a Food and Drug Administration-approved product like aspartame. The FDA's approval was flawed, if not corrupt, to begin with, as was made clear in the September 2005 Sun article "Rumsfeld's Disease." Therefore it seems incomprehensible that such a faulty FDA approval could not be questioned by a state board having heard a significant amount of evidence thus far.

But this is just what corporate lawyers representing the Japanese firm Ajinomoto, the world's largest aspartame manufacturer, would like the boards and the attorney general to believe. Ajinomoto is joined in this legal effort by an industry front group, the Calorie Control Council. They have both hired high-powered lawyers to silence the boards on the grounds that aspartame is "safe" and that, besides, no one but the FDA, Congress and the federal courts can challenge any of the FDA's approval processes, at least until someone dies from an FDA-approved product.

In spite of the industry front group's innocent-sounding name, and given previous and most recent scientific studies indicating the harmful affects of aspartame, we take exception to Ajinomoto's assertion of aspartame safety. Coincidently, Ajinomoto also happens to be the world's largest manufacturer of another dubious food additive, monosodium glutamate. We encourage the attorney general to issue a strong opinion supporting the boards looking into aspartame in children's medicines and in thousands of food products.

Neurodegenerative diseases are on the upsurge, especially in children and in the elderly, and no corporate interest can silence or thwart the ongoing quest for medical truth. Protecting our children lies at the very core of our existence, and most certainly the attorney general knows this.We'd like Madrid to recognize the obvious: that in 1981 the FDA's approval was politically motivated and that these corporate interests have stymied the real truth about aspartame for the last 24 years through the evolution of "diet" beverages, "sugarless" gum, "low fat" yogurt and other pleasant delusions whose net effect has been shown to cause neurodegenerative mayhem in the human physiology. It is time to put an end to this destructive mythology and corporate deception.

Attorney General Madrid could roll over and capitulate to the corporate interests, as if it were the FDA itself that is making the preemption arguments, which is not the case. From a bureaucratic point of view, this might be the easiest thing to do. However, real consumer protection is not about the easiest path. Corporate interests need to be held in check and admonished and rebuked when it is necessary - not after the fact in huge lawsuits for damages like we just saw resolved in the Vioxx case in Texas.As part of the attorney general's statutory duties and powers, it is her job to protect New Mexicans from further neurotoxic exposure. Therefore, we strongly encourage Madrid to say no to the corporate clamor insisting that the Board of Pharmacy and the Environmental Improvement Board remain silent on this issue, and instead affirm their right to move forward with aspartame hearings.

In the past, when local laws have threatened corporate bottom lines, big business has hauled out the Constitution's supremacy and commerce clauses to support their profits-over-people argument. This tactic has usually proved successful. However, let us not forget the tobacco suits of the 1990s, which stunningly affirmed, in effect, that those corporations that knowingly sell products potentially harmful to the public risk paying billions in reparations to those states that take seriously the obligation of protecting the health and safety of their citizens.

The aspartame industry represents billions of dollars annually, and we understand the courage needed by the attorney general to stand tall at this critical juncture for the health and safety of the people of New Mexico. As with the aforementioned tobacco suits, her decision may potentially affect the actions of other attorneys general throughout the country and, therefore, affect millions of Americans and even more millions of consumers worldwide. However, for Madrid to now surrender to the industry's legal saber rattling will be nothing less than a complete abnegation of the powers of her office and a further descent into the growing corporate control of all government processes.

To voice your input regarding this matter of consumer protection to the attorney general's office, call (505) 827-6000 and 827-6004, and ask to leave a message for the Attorney General and for the Deputy Attorney General, Stuart Bluestone.

The quoted article ends above. If you can make the requested phone call, please do.