Norway ban on D-3 vitamin import

[Lilja]

Hi,

I buy my vitamin D3 from U.K. since the highest dose per tablet I can find in my own country is 20 mcg. I was shocked to received this e-mail from my deliverer today:

"Imports of Vitamin D-3 Banned in Norway from 1st October 2015.

At BigVits, we have been informed that the Norwegian Government has decided to prohibit the general public importing their own D-3 vitamins from 1st October 2015..

We are totally at a loss to understand this legislation. Vitamin D-3 is being investigated for its health benefits in many universities round the world, particularly UK and USA. Consequently, every few weeks we are hearing of new benefits and uses being discovered or confirmed.

At BigVits, we are not medics and consequently cannot advise you as to the suitability or dose of D-3 and you should always check with your own health care practitioner. What we can say is that despite selling many thousands of tubs each year, we have never come across any concern or reservation about taking it. Indeed, just the opposite. We hear many claims which seem so good, we tend to discount them until we hear more. This week alone one of the BigVits team was on the phone with a medic from a Multiple Sclerosis Clinic who was explaining how they now stock D-3 as a norm because doctors are prescribing their MS sufferers with 2000iu and 5000iu. They actually rang arranging supplies from us in larger quantities.

To me, a personal opinion would be that there may be some external interest, possibly Drug Company influence with the government – otherwise, why would any government stop the public from buying their own medical products which have proven to be so advantageous to health.

In summary, BigVits have 1000+ tubs available in stock with different brands and sizes. These can be dispatched to you the same day if your order is received by 2:30pm. Otherwise, the next day. I would suggest that the absolute last day of sending orders would be Monday 28th September, but you must rely on your own previous experience of delivery speed and not risk exceeding the chop off date.

We suggest you keep your total price, including postage, for each order below 350NOK or £27.50 to avoid import duties. Remember, you can send as many separate orders as you wish.

Hopefully, your government will change its mind on this subject if there is sufficient outcry from the public and you will be allowed to buy our D-3 products freely in the future. In the meantime, we will always be delighted to send you all our other products from the BigVits range of over 1200 different items always at probably the lowest prices in UK and EU.

If you have a moment (during your "outcrying") please keep us up to date with the situation as we have great difficulty with precise meaning when trying to us the Google translators on articles which are only in Norwegian.

Our Very Best Wishes,

The BigVits Team

I had not heard of this before. I'm researching every newspaper, and I find nothing!

The health goverment regards vitamin D3 in high dozes as prescribed medications, and not supplements...

I will get in touch with our Department of Health. If you have some good research articles or studies, I would be glad to receive anything you might have.

Lilia

[tex]

Lilia,

Wow! What a cruel way to handicap the ability of the residents of Norway to support their own health. It appears that the medical organizations in your country just want to make sure that they have a monopoly over everything related to health care. A couple of states try to do that in the U.S., but that's a radical step for the government of a country to take.

You can bet that if you do get a prescription, the D3 will cost much more, and it won't be nearly enough. They know that as long as they manage to hold down vitamin D levels of most patients, they are guaranteed to have plenty of repeat visits by patients with many health issues. I hope this cancer doesn't spread to other countries, because it doesn't bode well for public health in the long run.

Read the research articles available on the Vitamin D Council website, and subscribe to their newsletter there.

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vi ... vitamin-d/

Tex

[Blueberry]

That's disappointing to hear. I remember just last year too reading that the world wide research vitamin D conference was being held in Norway. Well, I remember seeing that Norway had developed a butter black market at one point. With this ruling I'm guessing possibly something similar could happen with a vitamin D black market popping up in your country. Nordic countries develop unusual under the table dealings I suppose. Wonder if vitamin D lights will still be available? I've read some people buying the D lights cheaply from pet stores. not sure how well they would work.

[Lilja]

I have made several orders online now, but it will only last for a few months. After this, I will have to go to Sweden. Maybe I'll be stopped at the border.

They usually look for cigarettes and spirituosa, but now the customs will be chasing vitamins

I'm so embarrased that this is really happening.

Lilia

[tex]

It's really a sad day when a common vitamin suddenly becomes contraband. Apparently some group in Norway has hired some very good lobbyists to push their agenda through the parliament without the knowledge of the residents of the country.

Tex

[Lilja]

I'm afraid you are right, Tex. This is politics that remind me of countries we don't like to be associated with.

Lilia

[Gabes-Apg]

I am gobsmacked that Big Pharma has this much 'Power'....

and the concern that other countries may do the same thing...

[Lilja]

Hi,

I have now been asked to sit in an FB administration group created with the aim to put a pressure on our Dept of Health. The FB group reached 7.000 members in three days, which is considerable for a country of only 5 mill inhabitants.

I'm not sure whether we will have any impact, but if we can only create some "noise" and draw people's attention to what we find to be the decision of a dictatorship, I'll be content.

Lilia

[Lilja]

Hi,

Rumours have it that the new law for importing all kind of vitamins will be ratified in all members of the European Union, of which Norway is not even a member!

We are now 15.000 members on Facebook. The norwegian food and health ministry now classifies vitamins as "medications" ,not food.

Here is a translation of a press release today:

http://aksjonfritthelsevalg.no/english-press-release/

PS: I think you need to be a Facebook-member to be able to open the link.

Lilia

[tex]

Lilia,

Anyone an open the link.

Tex

[Blueberry]

Interesting and sad about what is going on in Norway.

If you have not seen it, a web sight that I enjoy viewing from time to time is nutra ingredients. They cover EU and American health supplement regulations, and product news releases.

http://www.nutraingredients.com

[Lilja]

Yes, this is so sad and so frustrating... I suddenly feel that I live in a dictatorship.

We will have a demonstration in front of the Parliament on October 17.

We also pepper all authorities, food authorities, political parties, drug departments etc, with e-mails and questions. We have also engaged lawyers who are experts in European regulatory.

Lilia

[Blueberry]

Good luck in gathering support and making a different in Norway. It's possible for an individual and group to do. I've seen it done myself.

I was just talking with my father the other day about an attorney he worked with years ago that was instrumental in changing and crafting America's regulatory laws concerning dietary supplements. The attorneys name was Robert Ullman. He passed away recently and a little about his work and life can be read below, which considering what is happening in your country I believe you will find his story compelling ~

"Legendary attorney Robert Ullman helped shape the supplement industry"

http://newhope360.com/news/legendary-at ... t-industry

[Lilja]

Thank you, Blueberry!

I wouldn't have been so desperate if it had not been for the fact that most vitamins sold "legally" in Norway have very low values.

The strongest vitamin D3 has 20 micrograms. Vitamin B12 sublinguals, Methyl Folate and P-5-P do not exist.

I will have to take trips to Sweden and smuggle.

Rather "criminal" than dead

Lilia

[HappyBird]

Hi,
I buy my vitamin D3 from U.K. since the highest dose per tablet I can find in my own country is 20 mcg. I was shocked to received this e-mail from my deliverer today:

"Imports of Vitamin D-3 Banned in Norway from 1st October 2015.[/b]Lilia

Hi Lilja,

Just seen this post..........
Is Norway part of the EU? I heard about this legislation coming up a few years back and think its out right disgusting and disturbing. The EU pass so many laws and interfere with governments of countries in the EU.

There are many areas of British life that have been disrupted by EU regulation. Very soon the UK will have a referendum to see if we stay in the EU. On the one hand it's beneficial but many EU counties are now very angry at the way a few in power in Brussels dictate our lives. Personally, if David Cameron our Prime Minister can negotiate better terms and autonomy for the UK I'm happy to stay, if he can't we are best on our own as a sovereign
Nation.

May be if Norway is not in the EU it intend following the EU rules - can't imagine why except for political or economic reasons. Someone's making money from this ban!