Story: Alternative health therapies

Natural health products protest

Natural health products protest

In the early 2000s the New Zealand and Australian governments tried and failed to establish a trans-Tasman agency to regulate all therapeutic health products, including natural or alternative products. Opponents of the proposal – like these people protesting in Tauranga in 2007 – argued that it was inappropriate to treat natural health products as pharmaceutical products, and that the regulatory process would make many too expensive to manufacture, reducing consumer choice. Supporters said it would provide consumers with more protection by ensuring natural products were safe and effective.

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Bay of Plenty Times
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Photograph by Mark McKeown

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How to cite this page:

Kerryn Pollock, 'Alternative health therapies - What are alternative health therapies?', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/27940/natural-health-products-protest (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Kerryn Pollock, published 5 May 2011, reviewed & revised 6 Apr 2018