FDA, eh?

Many have heard said of experimental drugs, "it has reached FDA approval"...but the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) is an American outfit. So what is the Canadian equivalent? We asked Health Canada, and here's their response...

"Health Canada is the counterpart to the United States Food and Drug Administration. The Food Directorate, the Therapeutic Products Directorate and the Natural Health Products Directorate in the Health Products and Food Branch (HPFB) administer the regulations pertaining to food, drugs and natural health products (a subset of drugs). The enforcement and compliance activities relating to drugs and natural health products is conducted by the HPFB Inspectorate.

With regard to the Food Directorate, the responsibility is the setting of standards and policies relating to health and to the safety and the nutritional quality of foods sold in Canada. The enforcement of these standards and policies pertaining to foods is handled by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), which is under the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food rather than the Minister of Health."

For more information on the HPFB visit their Web site at www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpfb-dgpsa; the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's Web site is found at www.inspection.ga.ca.

So now you know.

Laughter... the best medicine!

How many times have you heard the phrase, ?laughter is the best medicine?? Humour therapists are researching the use of laughter to deal with specific problems. Some benefits of a good laugh:

• Stimulates the immune system
• Stimulates heart rate
• Increases the quantity and quality of ?natural killer? cells (NK cells)
• Boosts endorphin levels
• Sustains hope
• Fosters a positive attitude
• Relieves stress
• Provides an opportunity for release of emotions

Source: www.jesthealth.com

NOTICE RE: CANDIDATES FOR POSITIONS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The bylaws of the Canadian Snowbird Association Inc., both Canadian and American, provide that a nominating committee be established by the Board of Directors to name a slate of candidates for the Board of Directors prior to the Annual Meeting. The next Annual Meeting will be held in Lakeland Florida on the 14th of January, 2004. Members who are interested in being considered by the Nominating Committee as potential members of the Board of Directors should submit their names and addresses to the Executive Secretary of the Association to be sent application forms, no later than the 31st of July, 2003. The completed application forms are to be submitted no later than the 15th of August, 2003. A meeting of the Nominating Committee will be held in September, 2003, at which time a slate of candidates will be chosen.

The names of those candidates will be published, and any member wishing to be elected in the place of one of the candidates must submit his or her name along with fifty member signatures to the Secretary of the Board of Directors. Full details of that procedure will be given at the time of announcement of the names of the members chosen by the Nominating Committee. The addresses are as follows: