Talking Allergies

Hi everyone,

Please - we need your help - the proposed food allergen labelling regulations have officially stalled. Let's not let them just die. We need this law.

Allergic Living has set up a write-in campaign with a letter going directly to the top: the Prime Minister.

Please click the big pink Allergic Living logo to get back to our homepage. Click through to the write-in info from the box in the top righthand corner. Send your letter, let your support group know, let your family and friends know. If we can get enough letters in front of the Prime Minister, we really could turn this around.

Thanks in advance. If there are any questions - just let me know here, and either Susan or I will be happy to answer.

Thank you!

_________________
Allergic to soy, peanut, shellfish, penicillin

I've sent mine and e-mailed all of my family and friends!

_________________
Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: allergies to some tree that flowers in May
Cat: allergic to beef, pork and lamb

Way to go, Susan.

That's what we need. Gwen

_________________
Allergic to soy, peanut, shellfish, penicillin

Done... twice (for me and my son). I've also forwarded it on.

Gwen, great job on the easy-to-use petition.

_________________
15-year-old son: peanuts, nuts, raw egg whites, asthmatic
Self: allergic rhinitis, fragrance/chemical sensitivities, oral allergy syndrome

done, i have a couple suggestions tho, i do a lot of online witting campaigns, and have found in the past that also having a feature which finds your local MP is VERY effective as he/she gets far less email in a day, and realizes his/her constituents have a certain concern and can help to get the issue out there to more people locally (in many ridings)which helps get it known nationally

also contacting the opposition parties can be very useful in getting the word out; jack layton for example often addresses issues which have come from letter writing campaigns monthly emails which he sends out updating supporters about what he is working on, that could also open up a lot of doors for this important issue

_________________
allergies - penicillin, benadryl, dust mites, enviornmental & chemical
conditions - dermatographism, eczema, well contorolled asthma
dietary - lactose intollerant, vegatarian

Storm - thanks - kudos to our webmaster, Travis, on the ease of use.

DT - purposely going after the PM on this one since the Conservatives
looked good on the "Made in Can." issue - so here's a related food packaging
opportunity.

However, if someone else wants to take on letting the opposition (Layton or whomever) know as well of this campaign that would be great. Unfortunately, I've already spent more time on this than I had to spend. So that will be up to one of you... Feel free to pursue on all our behalf..

FYI, Anaphylaxis Canada, AAIA, the CSACI and the Celiac Assn. have all now endorsed this write-in. It's not just an AL effort - more the whole community, with us facilitating on our site.

_________________
Allergic to soy, peanut, shellfish, penicillin

Done! ... and forwarded!

Thanks for the easy to fill form!

_________________
Me - Kim - No allergies
DH Ben - 31 - Allergic to nuts and peanuts, lots of environmental allergies.
DD Anne - 4 - Asthma. Allergic to dairy, eggs, mustard, kiwi, peanuts, wheat and barley... for now...
DS Francois - 1 - No allergies so far...

You guys - we've already passed 500 letters with our e-blast this morning to all of Allergic Living's subscribers, forum members and e-letter subscribers.

That's awesome for a 3-hour window. I'm going to have to up the goal.
What should we go for 3,000 letters? 4,000?

_________________
Allergic to soy, peanut, shellfish, penicillin

Wow! That is so good to hear.I'm really glad people are fighting for this. I was thinking of starting a Facebook group with a link to the website....good or bad idea?? Let me know.

_________________
Associate Editor at Allergic Living.
Allergies to all nuts and legumes except soy and green beans.

This is amazing - approaching 900 people.
Thanks to everyone who has been spreading the word.

This will be noticed at the PMO and by the cc'ed Agriculture Minister.

Lisa, sure start a Facebook page if you like. The more letters, the more impact.
I see that someone did also post it on Allergic Living's Facebook page. If you want, could also just add to that. As you prefer.

_________________
Allergic to soy, peanut, shellfish, penicillin

Anaphylaxis Canada has now sent the following note to its e-registry (many of you probably received). We're already over 1,600 signatures in this write-in campaign of the community. Let's keep it going.

We've upped the goal to 5,000 letters. You can check our progress on the "thermometer" on the first page of the campaign (click through from our homepage). The counter on it changes as letters are sent.

Dear Registrant,

Many of you have phoned or written Anaphylaxis Canada to ask: What's
going on with food labelling legislation?

In a follow up call to Health Minister Tony Clement's office, we were
told that there is no specific timeline to address this issue and no new
news to report. We were not given a clear explanation as to why things
are stalled. We were, however, assured that food labelling is of
importance to Health Canada.

Like many of you, we have lost confidence that this issue is in fact
being made a priority by the Canadian government.

We'd like to share with you some of the efforts that are being made by
the organizations which are interested in getting food labelling
legislation passed. On our website under Hot Topics, you can download a
copy of a collaborative letter sent to the Prime Minister and a
presentation our delegation made to Minister Clement's senior staff in
April 2007.

http://anaphylaxis.ca/content/whatsnew/hot_topics.asp

We have tried our best.

We are counting on each of you now for your personal support. Please
take a few minutes to submit an e-letter to the Prime Minister to share
your concerns.

Allergic Living magazine has set up a system to make it easy for you to
write to Prime Minister Harper. Go to www.allergicliving.com and click
on "Food Allergen Label Law".

Please tell your relatives and friends to join this campaign. Together,
our collective concerns will create a much louder voice, one which can
no longer be ignored by the Canadian government.

As the mother of a son with multiple food allergies, and the head of
Anaphylaxis Canada, I thank you for your support.

With appreciation -

Laurie Harada, Executive Director
Anaphylaxis Canada

_________________
Allergic to soy, peanut, shellfish, penicillin

Also, coincidental with this write in by concerned individuals, the allergy and celiac organizations were preparing a letter about the stalled allergen label law to send to the PM. That letter has now been sent, and it's excellent.

It's also up at Anaphylaxis Canada's site: http://www.anaphylaxis.org/content/what ... topics.asp

_________________
Allergic to soy, peanut, shellfish, penicillin

I sent links to my family and friends and added the link to our facebook status update message. I am going to send a link to my coworkers too. The web letter is so easy to use. Thanks for setting it up Gwen.

_________________
11 year old daughter -- lives with life-threatening allergies to milk, eggs and peanuts; seasonal allergies (birch, maple, ragweed); pet allergies; asthma; and eczema
9 year old son - no allergies

I heard about it from Kim (kdufour) on a website so have filled mine in and sent it as well as emailing all my contacts and hitting up all my canadian contacts on facebook and myspace. It is a fantastic letter and with it being so simple to do and send so many more people are willing to take the few minutes to do it so kudos to whoever came up with the format.

Who-hoo - we've passed 2,000 letters sent.
Truly amazing for just a few days.

Pat yourselves on the back and then - ask/remind a few more people to send letters! Let's get the notice we need in the PMO. Let's put on a final push for more support. I'm off to e-mail...

Thanks all – and congrats on what you've accomplished so far.
You guys are something else. Great motivation.

_________________
Allergic to soy, peanut, shellfish, penicillin