These modalities (such as chelation, herbalism, homeopathy, therapeutic touch, and colonic irrigation) have failed generally to prove their usefulness in objective tests.
Many of these “alternative therapies” are dangerous in and of themselves. More commonly, belief in their utility has caused people with real health problems to delay seeking proper help - sometimes with fatal results.
It is of concern that the prevalence of belief in these and similar nostrums is bringing about institutional changes in our health care system. Federal and provincial legislatures are under intense pressure to relax standards of safety and effectiveness.
Many provinces are allowing advocates of these therapies to give health advice to the public and millions of tax dollars are wasted yearly on baseless “alternative” treatments.
Scientists, doctors and concerned citizens can no longer afford to ignore a problem which threatens what is arguably our most precious social program.
Indeed, the role of science in public policy is at stake.
We believe the government must protect the public and
ensure that important standards of safety and effectiveness remain
intact.