Rense: New Mexico Sets Hearing to Ban Aspartame

[Guest guest]

Being a New Mexican, I am extremely proud that our state has taken

this step to try to get this poison banned...

Other comments?

Misty L. Trepke

http://www..com

 

 

New Mexico Sets Hearing To Ban Aspartame

The Idaho Observer

10-14-5

 

http://www.rense.com/general68/newmexicosetshearing.htm

 

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? "

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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?

 

" 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.

 

Fox can be reached for comment by calling (505) 983-2002 or by

emailing him at stephen

 

The Doors Are Opening

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

The Poisonous Proof

 

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).

 

More information on aspartame and New Mexico on www.wnho. net

 

Dr. Betty Martini, Founder

Mission Possible Intl

9270 River Club Parkway

Duluth, Georgia 30097

770- 242-2599

www.wnho.net and www.dorway.com

 

Aspartame Toxicity Center, www.holisticmed.com/aspartame