The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) presents itself and its members as the only group of qualified naturopaths. On examination, it is clear that members of the AANP, who are pushing for regulation of the naturopathic profession, are not practicing true naturopathy. The AANP seeks to have a law enacted that would authorize individuals to:

• perform minor surgery;
• practice obstetrics including episiotomies;
• prescribe certain drugs including some synthetic antibiotics;
• use many allopathic diagnostic procedures including X-rays, electrocardiograms, ultrasound, and clinical laboratory tests.

Since the AANP's goal is for its members to function as primary care "physicians," and since their training includes many hours of allopathic technique, it is clear that they plan to cross into areas currently reserved for medical doctors. However, the training available in their schools cannot match the training required of a medical doctor, especially considering the years of hospital internship and residency.

If a naturopathy licensing bill is signed into law:

• in most states, only a small handful of individuals would be eligible to seek licensure, although there may be many times that number of true naturopaths who are currently conducting legal health practices;
• all Traditional Naturopaths would be forced to seek other employment;
• the state would be required to fund a regulatory board to oversee the actions of a small number of "naturopathic physicians;"
• "naturopathic physicians," who would have no standing with your state's hospitals, would, necessarily, refer critically ill patients to allopathic physicians, thus potentially delaying treatment to the detriment of their patients.

At least two Western states, Nebraska and Colorado, have rejected the idea of naturopathic regulation. In both cases, their conclusions were that the practice of unregulated naturopathy posed no danger to the public. Both states saw danger in elevating the naturopath to the status of physician. In those states, all naturopaths may conduct a traditional practice, teaching people how to stay healthy -- the best form of prevention.

Naturopathic regulation would have several broad effects. It would:

• elevate in stature practitioners whose training is substandard, thus exposing the public to danger which would not be present should the profession remain unregulated;
• exclude a majority of practitioners, those who currently work within the law in the traditional way, as educators, not medical doctors;
• cause the state to incur a huge expense to regulate a profession consisting of a small handful of practitioners.