A WAR - AIC to chiroweb
http://www.chiroweb.com/world/italy.html

A WAR AGAINST CHIROPRACTIC IN ITALY:
A THREAT TO CHIROPRACTIC WORLWIDE

Submitted by Eddy Pellisier, DC, Former President of the Italian Chiropractic Association

Dear Colleagues:

On May 17, 2002, the Italian Federation of Medical Doctors, Surgeons and Dentists (FNOMCeO), effectively declared war on chiropractic in Italy, with the expressed intention of absorbing the chiropractic profession by legislative action. Their aim was to convince the Italian Parliament to officially declare chiropractic as a "medical act" to be practiced exclusively by medical doctors and dentists.

Since this ignominious declaration, the powerful FNOMCeO has been waging a ferocious mass-media campaign, attempting to turn public opinion in their favor to facilitate the passage of a proposed law currently set to be forwarded to Parliament for final vote. If this proposal should pass as written, aspiring medical chiropractors will become certified to practice chiropractic through abbreviated courses, such as the 80-hour chiropractic course offered by the state-recognized university "La Sapienza" in Rome. The completion of this course will qualify participants to register with the FNOMCeO as chiropractic practitioners, while true doctors of chiropractic will be denied the possibility to practice our profession.

The Italian Chiropractic Association (Associazione Italiana Chiropractici - AIC) has reason to be extremely concerned about this anomalous and dangerous situation, due to the fact that a large number of members of Parliament are also medical doctors, and may be influenced by this massive medical propaganda machine.

The AIC is a small association of approximately 160 members, and we find ourselves overwhelmed by the enormous resources the medical profession is investing in its mass-media and lobbying campaigns. Therefore, we are seeking assistance from concerned chiropractic colleagues worldwide in our efforts to stop organized medicine from eliminating chiropractic in Italy and establishing a dangerous precedent against the chiropractic profession worldwide.

To illustrate the seriousness of our situation and the arrogance of the Italian medical profession, we have included the complete text of the position paper produced in Terni by the FNOMCeO (see English translation)

The AIC has established a legal fund to help cover expenses in our fight against the medical establishment. Please help in whatever manner and measure you can to preserve chiropractic in Italy. All financial donations should be sent to the AIC at the following address:

Associazione Italiana Chiropractici
Via Brigata Liguria, 1/20
16121 - Genova