In England 67 Chinese medicine outlets are being investigated for selling illegal substances under the guise of non-invasive herbal medicine the BBC reports. Several stores are currently being prosecuted. The maximum prison sentence for selling an illegal drug in the UK is two years.
According to the report, some customers were sold Aristochlia — an herb that is illegal in the UK — while others bought Danthron and Sibutramine, prescription-only drugs. As more people turn to doctors with ailments they say were caused by inaccurately or illegally sold herbs and medicines, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) organizations worry about the reputation of the ancient healing system.
Dr. Jidong Wu, of the UK’s Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine, told the BBC that he wants tighter regulation of TCM as “dodgy and fake” practitioners are tarnishing its image.
Interests: Anything with an ING: dancing, biking, listening, talking, writing, reading, watching, eating, drinking, running, thinking, working, dreaming, surrendering, laughing, smiling, acting, traveling, singing, surfing, driving, shopping, thanking, observing, welcoming, connecting, loving, learning, sharing, practicing, asking. I love supermarkets in other places, lyrics to songs, seeking out gluten free food, responding to questions and surveys, finding deals and bargains, doing public relations for anyone/anything I believe in, good conversation, sociological observation, the beach, early mornings, condiments and spices, vitamins and minerals, alternative medicine, nutrition, holistic health, fitness gum, coffee drinking, gun chewing and sitting in the steam room.
Inspiration: Books: Letters to a Young Poet, Rainer Maria Rilke
Music: Linkin Park and The Cure
People: My mother and all of those that have come before me that have fought their own battles and didn't give up.
Places: Carl Schurz Park, New York, NY
Movies: In Search of a Midnight Kiss, Stealing Beauty, Beautiful Girls, When A Man Loves a Woman, In America, Magdelene Sisters, The Notebook, Run Fat Boy Run
Things: Causes worth fighting for: Lupus and other auto-immune disorders, Organ Donation and impoverished and at-risk youth.