The "Action" in Health Action

Highlights from 29 years of service!

About 30 years ago, knowledge of natural medicine was restricted to a small community. A handful of individuals, seeing the lack of public knowledge about natural medicine, decided to form an educational society to host events and educate the public. Although many working titles were used for this activity, the charitable work settled with the name HANS Health Action Network Society. For many years, dedicated staff and volunteers at HANS have served a growing interest in natural medicine, hosting events, spearheading enquiries, and submitting briefs to government.

Here are only some of the highlights of our achievements and activities over the past 23 years.

Organizing Events and Speakers

1980 HANS sponsors its first health conference - over two dozen speakers and 35 exhibits.
1989 Under the guidance of Sharon Rempel, sponsored the first annual Seedy Saturday, to bring awareness to the need to protect heritage and non-hybrid seeds. In 1994 the event received the "Heritage Award" from the City of Vancouver. It was eventually handed over to VanDusen Gardens
1992 Sponsored Natural Medicine for Women, featuring Caroline DeMarco, MD, Chanchal Cabrera, Herbalist, Heather Herington, ND
1993 Sponsored Natural Medicine for Cancer conference featuring Don Branigan, MD, Roxanne Davies and HANS member testimonials
1994 Sponsored Natural Medicine for Children featuring Lendon Smith, MD and others
1995 Launched HANS' monthly "Speaker Series" to bring current, credible, and useful information to members on a wide range of health topics
1996 Sponsored Health Action '96, "Medical Mavericks", featuring Hayward Rogers, MD; James Houston, MD; Jozef Krop, MD; Don Branigan, MD; Zigurts Strauts, MD; and Patricia Wales, ND
1997 Sponsored three public forums on Natural Health Products, with numerous guest speakers
1999 Sponsored the visit of Carl Simonton, MD, world renown cancer specialist who spoke on the topic of "Emotions and Cancer"
1999 Hosted Viera Scheibner, PhD, author of Vaccination, 100 Years of Orthodox Research, addressed the subject of childhood vaccinations and the science supporting her concerns
2000 Health Action Network hosted a well-deserved gala tribute to HANS founding member and long-time radio host of the "Healthy Living Show", Croft Woodruff
2001 Sponsored John Thomas, author of Young Again, How to Reverse the Aging Process
2002 Sponsored acclaimed cellular biologist, Bruce Lipton, PhD, who spoke on the renaissance in cell science, revealing how our thoughts and beliefs control our cells
2003 Sponsored best-selling author and popular medical Doctor, Dr Gabor Mate on "How Our Emotions Contribute to Cancer & Chronic Illness; breakthrough thoughts for patients and families.
2004 Hosted public lecture with Peter Bennett, ND, author of best selling Beat Fatigue - Feed Your Body
2005 Hosted public lecture with Harold Foster, PhD on "A Major Nutritional Discovery for strengthening the immune system and controlling HIV/AIDS."
2006 Hosted public lecture with Professor Dan Burke, prominent UK Cancer researcher - Latest Developments in Salvestrol Cancer Therapy.
2006 Hosted Jeffrey Smith, author of international best-seller entitled Seeds of Deception - "The Truth about Genetically-Modified Foods".
2006 Hosted George Carlo, PhD, a public health scientist, epidemiologist, lawyer, and Chairman of the Science and Public Policy Institute Washington, D.C. "Cell Phones: Invisible Hazards in the Wireless Age"
2007 Hosted Don Nixdorf, DC & Rafe Mair, former popular talk-show host and provincial Minister of Health, on "HANS Conversation on Health"
2007 Hosted Mark McAfey, California farmer & expert on raw milk, on Raw Milk - a Real Controversy
2007 Hosted Dr Brian Davies, ND, The Importance of Digestion for Health and Well-being
2008 Hosted Ted Kuntz, M Ed, expert on reducing stress, on 'Peace Begins With Me; Motivation to change your Life'
2008 Hosted 'One Day for Cancer: Natural Approaches for Prevention & Healing', with Mae Burrows of Toxic Free Canada (The Cancer Smart Consumer - How to Shop Safely), Sally Errey, RNCP, RHN, (Nutritional Secrets to Cancer Free Living), Danny Burke, PhD (Breakthroughs in Scientific Research), Heather Fay, MD (Getting Your Head Around Cancer: Use of Hypnotherapy and EFT), Lee Pulos, PhD (Energy Medicine - Biology of Empowerment), and Danny Jui, ND (Integrating Evidence-Based Natural Medicine)
2008 Hosted George Carlo, PhD, a public health scientist, epidemiologist, lawyer, and Chairman of the Science and Public Policy Institute Washington, DC "Wireless: Popular, Convenient, & Hazardous to your Health"

Getting the Word Out - Media Relations

Media Releases on HANS activities are regularly issued, Some topics covered include:
-- Risks of food irradiation, health and environmental effects of fluoride pollution, hazards of pesticide-use (yard & gardens, farm workers, women), risks of Gypsy Moth aerial spraying with Btk, endangered natural health products, alternative cancer therapies, chloramine vs ozone for water purification, side effects of vaccinations, risks of cell phone-use and microwave towers, hazards of glass crushers used in liquor stores
-- Articles about Health Action Network, events or issues we research have been featured in print or aired on radio and television: Alive Magazine, BC Business, BC Report, CBC Radio and TV,CBC Morning Side, CFRO, CJVB, CKNW, CKWX, CKST, Chatelaine, Common Ground Magazine, Georgia Straight, Good Health News, Health Naturally, Hospital News, Issues, Macleans, Montreal Gazette, National Post, Province, Quest for Health, Shared Vision, The Sun, Time Magazine, Times Colonist, VTV, Your Health, etc.

Activity on Health Issues

-- Maintain a campaign of support for holistic practitioners
-- Participate in awareness campaigns on the health and environmental risks of chemical spraying, endangered natural health products, mercury amalgam dental fillings, municipal water purification, Bovine Growth Hormone in milk, environmental pollution and global warming.
-- Attended annual meetings of the International Conference on Fluoride Research
-- Launched the HANS Cancer Information Research Project
-- HANS' Fluoride Committee supported BC communities in voting fluoride out of their water supplies: Campbell River, Courtenay/Comox, Gold River, Kamloops, Kelowna, Kimberley, Kitimat, Port Hardy, Smithers and Squamish
-- Held four public forums starting in 1997 on the regulation of natural health products, federally and internationally (Codex). Featured speakers included Zoltan Rona, MD; Michele Brill-Edwards, MD; Suzanne Harris, JD, Anthony Rees
-- Published Immunization...Medical Miracle or Masterful Mirage? by Dr Raymond Obomsawin, on his research, showing his findings and the lack of safety and effectiveness of vaccination programs
-- Each year the number of enquiries coming into the HANS' office has increased resulting in up to 25,000 enquiries a year on health and environmental issues
-- Dedicated volunteers have collectively logged up to 15,000 hours annually on behalf of HANS.
 
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