Hamiltonians Say No to Fluoridation

Hamiltonians have left the Council in no doubt as to where they stand on the controversial practice of adding fluoride chemicals to the community water supply. A huge total of 1567 submissions were received by the Hamilton City Council for its Tribunal process, with 1392 of those saying they wanted fluoridation stopped.

137 people have said they want to speak to their submission. The Tribunal hearing later this month was scheduled to take three days but now may go over to four because of the huge response opposing fluoridation: only 11 of the people speaking want it continued.

“It appears there are very few people in the city that feel strongly enough about having it that they would bother to turn up to the council to talk about it” says Fluoride Free Hamilton’s spokesperson, Pat McNair.

“ Perhaps the message has got through that fluoride’s only known method of protecting against dental decay is by being applied to the teeth in high concentrations, not by swallowing, and not by means at 1ppm or less. Or perhaps people are increasingly aware that there is a growing number of known adverse health effects associated with fluoride such as arthritis, lowered IQ, thyroid disruption, increased cancer etc.”

However, it seems it is not only Hamiltonians that are getting to grips with the issue. This year over 800 people lodged submissions with the Thames-Coromandel District Council voicing their opposition and over 300 in Invercargill making them the most commonly submitted issue. Fluoridation was also the most commonly submitted upon issue in Dunedin, Palmerston North and Auckland.

In Australia, councils in Queensland have been quick to end fluoridation, following repeal of the hugely unpopular mandatory legislation which was passed by unelected (now ex) Premier Anna Bligh. City after city in Canada and the USA have been rejecting fluoridation in recent years and two weeks ago the Israeli Health Minister rescinded the legislation which had made fluoridation mandatory there.

Hamilton is one of only 23 councils, out of a total of 67 that fluoridates any of its water supplies. And some of those only fluoridate one small community, while not fluoridating the rest. Fluoride Action Network is compiling a list of health professionals who are opposed to fluoridation. “We already have around 87, with 38 of them being medical doctors, dentists or nurses, despite hardly any advertising.” Says Mary Byrne, from Fluoride Action Network NZ. “The reality is that those who continue to promote the archaic practice of fluoridation are on the wrong side of health, the wrong side of truth, and the wrong side of history”.

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