US Civil Rights leaders call for end to fluoridation

US Civil Rights leaders call for end to fluoridation; support Fluoridegate enquiry into promoters

Wellington, New Zealand, 15 April 2011

Former U.N. Ambassador, Atlanta mayor, and close associate of Martin Luther King Jr, Andrew Young, has joined with Prominent Pastor Gerard Durley in calling for an end to fluoridation. This is due to disproportionately high health risks to black Americans. Young is internationally respected and honoured for his work in civil rights.

“Those same health risks apply to Maori and Polynesians in New Zealand, for the same reasons”, says Mark Atkin, of health-promoting group Fluoride Action Network NZ.

Young stated, “My father was a dentist. I formerly was a strong believer in the benefits of water fluoridation for preventing cavities. But many things that we began to do 50 or more years ago we now no longer do, because we have learned further information that changes our practices and policies. So it is with fluoridation.”

“This announcement is timely, coming at the end of a month-long speaking tour of NZ by international fluoridation expert Dr Paul Connett. Dr Connett has spoken to Maori, the Ministry of Health, local councils, and at public meetings, about the significant health risks, and ineffectiveness, of water fluoridation”, says Mr Atkin.

Information in the 2006 National Research Council report on fluoride, cited by Young (and Dr Connett), appeared in stark contrast to decades of assurances from fluoridation promoters that fluoridation has been extensively researched. The NRC report also described fluoride risks for babies, kidney patients, diabetics, and seniors, and set the stage for a little-publicized change of stance by the Centers for Disease Control on baby formula.

Dr. Durley addressed disproportionate fluoride harm to black citizens’ teeth, and noted that with disproportionate amounts of kidney disease and diabetes in the black community, blacks (like New Zealand Mäori) are more impacted by fluorides.

“The New Zealand Ministry of Health continues to deny any risk from fluoridation, while it continues to use Mäori oral health as a platform for pushing fluoridation. It has just allocated $1.2 million to a contracted consortium, established to lobby for fluoridation. It particularly emphasizes pushing (non-existent) benefits for Mäori, while effectively requiring denial of risk no matter how overwhelming the evidence may become”, points out Mr Atkin.

Dr Durley further states “We also need to know why the full story about harm from fluorides is only just now coming out. I support the holding of Fluoridegate hearings … so we can learn why we haven’t been openly told that fluorides build up in the body over time (and) why our government agencies haven’t told the black community openly that fluorides disproportionately harm black Americans…“

What is “Fluoridegate”? The American Association for Justice in its Winter/Spring 2011 newsletter, ran an article “Fluoridegate and Fluoride Litigation: What Law Firms Need to Know About Fluoride Toxic Tort Actions”.

It states “Public and private sector groups as well as individuals are potentially responsible for the financial and health impacts of fluorides provided to consumers without full disclosure of the risks. A partial list of defendants includes manufacturers of fluoridation chemicals, oral care product manufacturers, retailers, water utilities, medical and dental practitioners, and professional associations … The curtain is lifting, exposing the degree of deception at the root of the Fluoridegate scandal … Causes of action may include personal injury, failure to warn, negligent misrepresentation, medical or dental malpractice, and consumer fraud.”

“When legal action comes to New Zealand, this will obviously include the Ministry of Health and all District Health Boards. But might it also potentially include the new consortium members, ministers like Peter Dunne and Annette King, Plunket, Otago University, and the NZ Medical and Dental Associations? What about local and district councils that ignore the current science, and public votes (like the Central Hawke’s Bay District Council)?”, ponders Mr Atkin.

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