Doctors of Chinese medicine across Canada have joined forces to fight the federal government's controversial Bill C-51 — a proposed law that critics say will make many natural health products unavailable, including Chinese herbs.

If approved, the federal bill would treat natural health products like herbs, vitamins and minerals as drugs, making it harder to import, sell or dispense them.

Doctors of traditional Chinese medicine, or TCM, say their herbs would have to pass Western-style clinical trials under Bill C-51.

Dr. Henry Lu, who runs the International College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Vancouver, said that's like saying, 'You can speak Chinese — but use English grammar.'

"You should allow TCM practitioners to practise the way they have been practising," Lu said.

Peter Wood, who heads the TCM Association of B.C., said the bill would hobble Chinese medicine, and be a giant step backward.

"It's basically taking choice away from Canadians on which model of medicine they'd like to use," Wood said.

Five-thousand years of history has already proven TCM is safe, he said.

"I don't know of any cases of anything going awry. And if there are, there are far fewer than there are deaths that happen from pharmaceutical drugs," Wood added.

Bill C-51 draws national opposition

Those opposed to Bill C-51 are hoping to rally public support to quash the bill before it becomes law, which is expected to happen in the fall. Websites and online groups have sprung up across the country imploring people to lobby their MPs to halt progress of the bill.

Critics believe Bill C-51 will outlaw up to 60 per cent of natural health products currently sold in Canada, and penalize parents who give herbs or supplements to their children.

They also argue that the government could designate any natural health product a prescription drug, making it available by prescription only, forcing smaller companies out of the market.

Many natural health product retailers and holistic health practitioners maintain major drug companies lobbied for the bill, but the government has maintained it's about safety.

Federal Health Minister Tony Clement has defended the bill, saying that it will allow the federal government to continuously monitor the safety of products even after they have been approved.

Clement's office says the government will be proposing amendments to the bill if it passes second reading and goes on to the committee stage in the fall. If the amendments are adopted, natural health products would be defined within the legislation as a unique category apart from food and drugs.

Another proposed amendment would ensure that regulations specific to the approval of natural health products recognize the value of traditional knowledge and history of use in assessing benefits and risks, as is already the case.