Government must act

Government must act

Making Sense of Fluoride believes Whakatane is the latest local community to pay a high price for the government’s continued lack of action on its own child health report into fluoridation.

‘Whakatane District Council has been hoodwinked by fluoridation opponents into removing this proven protection from its public water supplies,’ says making Sense of Fluoride president Daniel Ryan, ‘while the government has sat for more than 2 years on a recommendation from the widely-welcomed select committee report on child health to make fluoridation compulsory.’

The Whakatane District Council voted narrowly last week to remove fluoride from its local water supplies, despite local referendum results over 20 years that have consistently favoured fluoridation and despite the overwhelming scientific and medical consensus that fluoridation effectively improves oral health with no credible evidence of harm.

‘Fluoridation opponents are wasting an unconscionable amount of ratepayers’ money with their ongoing challenges to the settled science,’ adds Ryan. ‘Whakatane District Council’s decision follows a recent expensive and unnecessary referendum in Thames and a travesty in Hamilton that saw fluoridation ousted, then reinstated following a referendum. All these examples underline how challenging it is for local governments to have an effective public discussion when it’s clouded by ideology. The time, money and energy could be much better spent on a genuine issue.’

The 2013 child health report recommended compulsory fluoridation in public water supplies because of the benefits to children, particularly those in lower socio-economic families.

The government initially rejected the recommendation, which would require legislative change, in part because of a high court challenge that has since been settled in favour of fluoridation.

‘There are just no excuses any more for John Key’s government to keep making councils juggle the expensive and diversionary hot potato’, argues Ryan. ‘They want councils to focus on core business and be fiscally responsible – and they say they care about children’s health. With one simple measure on fluoridation they could have a really meaningful impact on all of that.’

Full 2013 child health report:
http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/pb/sc/documents/reports/50DBSCH_SCR6007_1/inquiry-into-improving-child-health-outcomes-and-preventing

ENDS

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