Editor:
Editor’s Note: Don Harrison sent this letter to Health Canada and thought it would be a heads-up to seniors in Ladysmith.
I am an 84-year-old Canadian, and all my life, I have been naive as hell about the protection against health problems that could overtake me due to lousy products that permeate the Canadian marketplace from off shore.
Watching a CBC program called Marketplace a few weeks past, they did a very comprehensive program wherein they thoroughly investigated a common product claiming to be an answer to the common cold. I am positive you are aware of this product called Cold FX because Health Canada is reported to have approved it for sale to Canadians.
Marketplace discovered through irrefutable proof that this product is a colossal scam and contains no ingredients which would do anything to suppress a common cold. They proved beyond a shadow of doubt that the ingredients were only ginseng.
They also established that the powder in the capsules is manufactured in China in very sub-standard facilities and it contained fecal bacteria dangerous to anyone using this product.
Whenever I have inquired about this at drugstores and other retail outlets, the management remind me that although they agree, I must not forget that “Health Canada has approved this product.”
I phoned CBC and reminded them that they were acting hypocritically by continuing to advertise the product while their program proved the whole thing was a huge scam.
CBC reminded me that although they agree with my sentiments, they had to honour the advertising agreement because the product was approved by Health Canada and until Health Canada came forth with regulations demanding a recall, their hands were tied.
So OK now what?????
Is anyone of you in Health Canada listening or are you going to go along as in the past ignoring warnings?
With GREAT CONCERN,
Don Harrison
Ladysmith