Truehope Sues Health Canada in Federal Court for Discriminatory Attack Against the Mentally Ill

Calgary -May 28, 2003

http://www.truehope.com/home.asp

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
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[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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