- SANTA FE, New Mexico -- The
Environmental Improvement Board (EIB) voted 4-2 October 4, 2005, to proceed
with hearings that could lead to a ban of aspartame in New Mexico. Before
the board was the question, "Did the EIB have the authority to hold
a hearing to determine whether or not to ban for sale in the state of New
Mexico a federally-approved food additive?"
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- Before making a motion to grant the hearing, EIB vice-Chairman
Cliff Stroud commented that the system would be broken if the board did
not have the authority to listen when people have concerns about the food
supply.
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- The board's decision came after a meeting in which the
attorney for Santa Fe art gallery owner Stephen Fox argued that the board
does have the statutory authority to ban aspartame in New Mexico. Fox's
arguments were countered by a brief submitted by attorneys for aspartame
producer Ajinomoto and the Calorie Control Council (CCC)-a national trade
group that promotes the use of aspartame. The five-day hearing on the subject
of aspartame is scheduled for next July.
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- Fox has been prepping the groundwork for over two years.
With the help of Mission Possible, Fox, who had previously spearheaded
an attempt to create a nutrition council for New Mexico, kept the subject
of aspartame toxicity in front of key people in New Mexico government.
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- Though his attempt to pass a bill was unsuccessful last
year, Fox discovered that the state has already empowered the EIB to reexamine
consumer protection issues-including food quality. Laws authorizing the
state to protect its people from harmful substances in commerce have been
on the books since 1941. Several states passed similar laws about that
time to be in harmony with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which
was formed in 1938.
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- Fox has made such an impression that New Mexico Governor
Bill Richardson told Albuquerque Journal reporter Jackie Jadrnak October
5, 2005, that he doesn,t think the federal government is doing enough to
protect the public from the dangers of aspartame. When asked if he thought
aspartame was harmful, Jadnrak quoted him as saying, "Yes, from what
I have learned." And, boy has he learned. Utilizing every avenue and
resource at his disposal, Fox called all of his friends to call all of
the public officials and newspaper reporters he could think of. One would
be hard-pressed to find one state-level politician or newspaper editor
who has not been exposed to evidence indicating the neurotoxic properties
of the artificial sweetener aspartame.
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- Off the record comments from board members overheard
by witnesses attending the Oct. 4 meeting indicate a high level of disgust
for the federal regulators who approved aspartame. Particular angst was
reserved for current Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld former CEO of aspartame
developer G.D. Searle. As CEO, Rumsfeld intentionally, and with full knowledge
of its toxicity, inflicted this systemic poison on the world.
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- The sordid story of aspartame approval and the mountains
of evidence proving its debilitating and often fatal side effects can be
found at http://www.dorway.com and http://www.wnho.nett.
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- A more concise peek into aspartame politics and public
health is found in the 24-page booklet, "The Artificially Sweetened
Times" published by The IO (see page 24). Though the neurotoxic
drug, which is 10 percent methanol, achieved FDA approval in 1980, the
FDA has published a list of 92 symptoms of aspartame poisoning that include
weight gain, blindness, insanity and death.
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- Santa Fe attorney T.J. Trujillo, representing the interests
of the CCC, commented Oct. 5, 2005, that he and his clients are still
exploring whether or not they have legal means to block next July's hearings.
Betty Martini of Mission Possible asked, "Why would the Calorie Control
Council choose to block the hearings? Wouldn't it be in the interest of
aspartame producers and consumers to publicly prove the safety of this
product? What are they trying to hide?
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- "FDA spokeswoman Kimberly Rawlings said officials
there are aware of the New Mexico board's action and are keeping an eye
on what happens next, Jadnrak wrote. Aspartame is currently found in an
estimated 7,000 commonly available products ranging from diet foods, diet
sodas, sports drinks, baked goods, candy, chewing gum, vaccines and childrens,
vitamins. The implications of a statewide ban on aspartame, which is within
the realm of possibility now, are huge with regard to interstate commerce.
A ban could also be a huge boost for states, rights and a blow to federal
regulatory authority. "This is truly a victory for our side",
said Fox. "Especially encouraging are the favorable comments from
public officials and the press", he added. It's true that New Mexico's
public officials and press are convinced that aspartame is dangerous and
now it is the proponents of aspartame who are forced to defend their position.
Eight months is a long time. For certain, the subject is too important
to just go dormant until July, 2006. Fox has vowed to make sure he does
not lose his current momentum and that the hearing next summer will be
spectacular. Already, the nation's most dedicated anti-aspartame activists
plan to testify in favor of an aspartame ban.
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- Fox can be reached for comment by calling (505) 983-2002
or by emailing him at stephen@santafefineart.com
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- The Doors Are Opening
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- What Fox has discovered is an effective means to work
within the system to facilitate change. The tendency is to lobby for the
passage of new laws to correct something in government. But that process
is extremely slow, frustrating and, for those who have less money than
lobbyists representing the interests of influential industries, usually
futile. But, if you can find existing laws, the legislative process can
be bypassed and agencies can exercise existing authority. For instance,
most states do have laws protecting the quality of municipal water supplies.
That means toxins such as fluoride cannot be added to the water lawfully.
Demonstrating the toxicity of fluoride is pretty easy since it does not
have FDA approval and a strong lobby in the Environmental Protection Agency
is opposed to water fluoridation. Achieving a statewide ban, while not
being easy, is at least doable. Activists in Hawaii accomplished a fluoride
ban in water within the city and county of Oahu.
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- At this time, states are responding to concerns about
public school students, access to vending machine drinks and junk food.
Arkansas is the only state to ban vending machines in public schools. In
2004, vending machine restrictions were passed in Colorado, Louisiana,
Tennessee and Washington. The following states will consider school vending
machine restrictions this year: AZ, CA, CT, FL, HI, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY,
MD, MI, MS, MT, NB, NH, NJ, NM, NY, ND, OK, PA, RI, WV, and VA. Most will
mistakenly favor allowing "sugar-free (aspartame-laden) drinks and
snack foods-unless you provide the state or school administrators with
correct information.
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- Go to the National Conference of State Legislators website
at http://www.ncsl.orgwww.ncsl.org
for the text of the actual bill(s) being proposed in your state.
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- Stephen Fox opened the door in New Mexico. Between now
and July, we can swing the aspartame door wide open so that the states
will begin confining the use of aspartame to insecticide-or raise public
awareness so high people stop consuming it.
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- The Poisonous Proof
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- Elizabeth Fonda died in Las Vegas at the age of 49 October
1, 2005. She weighed 60 pounds at the time of her death, which was officially
determined to be from complications associated with her chronic multiple
sclerosis. According to her daughter Colleen Thompson, Fonda's health problems
began about 20 years ago-not long after she began drinking an average of
8 to 12 diet soft drinks each day. Since contacting Mission Possible, Thompson
has been attempting to convince the state of Nevada that her mother died
of aspartame poisoning, or Rumsfeld's disease. An autopsy would not only
prove the role aspartame played in her mother's death, it would also help
to prove the innocence of Diane Fleming. After a sham trial, Fleming was
convicted of fatally poisoning her husband Chuck with an unopened gallon
of methanol-containing windshield washer fluid. She is currently serving
a 30-year prison sentence ( 30 and 20 being served concurrently) when
forensic data can prove when Chuck actually poisoned himself to death with
aspartame (The IO, April, 2004).
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- More information on aspartame and New Mexico on www.wnho.
net
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- Dr. Betty Martini, Founder
- Mission Possible Intl
- 9270 River Club Parkway
- Duluth, Georgia 30097
- 770- 242-2599
- www.wnho.net and www.dorway.com
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- Aspartame Toxicity Center, www.holisticmed.com/aspartame
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