Speaker: Roy Upton. If you have ever had a friend, colleague or relative observe that herbs "aren't safe" this lecture offers great information for an informed discussion! Some of the topics: historical use as a basis for safety assessment; the present regulatory situation for herbal safety, and reports on actual events of herbal toxicity. Possible adverse effects of herbs include: hepatotoxicity, overdose, allergic and idiosyncratic reactions. Other topics: myths of herbal toxicity. safe use of herbs in pregnancy and lactation, herb drug interactions (anticoagulants, drug metabolism, hypoglycemic agents, diuretics, etc). Herbal safety is then compared to the safety of conventional drugs and the talk concludes with a section on "what health professionals should know." The 33 page proceedings article is a valuable adjunct to this lecture and includes references for each section.