20/01/2017
HEALTH (FLUORIDATION OF DRINKING WATER) AMENDMENT BILL
For those who are concerned about water fluoridation, we encourage you to make a submission on the Bill by close of business on 2 February 2017.
This Bill proposes to give District Health Boards (DHBs) the power to direct local authorities to add fluoride to their drinking water supplies. Currently decisions on fluoridation are taken by local authorities after an extensive consultation process with their communities.
The Bill has had its first reading and submissions are being sought to the Health Select Committee.
This is a draconian Bill that is designed to bring about mandatory fluoridation. It should be opposed.
Under the Bill a DHB is not required to consult with the community. It is merely required to consider the scientific evidence of the effectiveness of fluoride to reduce tooth decay, and whether the benefits outweigh the financial costs taking into account the local oral health status, population numbers and likely financial cost and saving of adding fluoride.
A local authority who disobeyed a direction to fluoridate would be committing an offence, and would face penalties of up to $200,000 plus $10,000 per day that the offence continues.
The Bill is conspicuous in what it doesn’t require a DHB to take into account. Fluoride is a recognised neurotoxin. However, under the Bill a DHB is not required to consider the growing body of cogent scientific evidence linking excessive fluoride ingestion to harms such as IQ reduction, endocrine disorders, dental fluorosis, and skeletal fluorosis. There is no requirement that a DHB considers alternative methods of treating tooth decay, such as tooth brushing programmes. There is no requirement that if a local authority is directed to add fluoride, that the local authority must also provide non fluoridated water to those who want to avoid fluoridated water.
Fluoridation is mass medication without consent. Every citizen has the right to decide what they put in their body. It is heinous that water, which is essential to life, is being used as a vehicle to force people to consume a medicine.
Tooth decay is easily prevented through diet and good oral hygiene, and easily treated with a filling. It is not a communicable disease and poses no risk to anyone else. Those who want extra fluoride can easily buy fluoride tablets.
The government will tell you that fluoridation significantly reduces tooth decay. It doesn’t.
The government will tell you that fluoridation reduces social health inequalities. This is false.
The government will tell you that fluoridation is safe. They are wrong.
What the government won’t tell you is that the fluoride used in water fluoridation is unquantified and unprocessed industrial waste usually containing arsenic, mercury and lead, as well as other dangerous contaminants.
Ultimately the issue is the freedom of an individual to control their own body. If fluoride can be mandated by stealth what else can the government put into our water without our knowledge?
Send a submission opposing the Bill. We also suggest you ask to be heard on the submission. This would allow you to present your submission to the Select Committee in person.
Submissions are due by 5 pm on 2 February 2017.
Click the link below to access a copy of the Bill.
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2016/0208/latest/versions.aspx
Click the link below for information about making a submission.
https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/make-a-submission/document/51SCHE_SCF_00DBHOH_BILL71741_1/health-fluoridation-of-drinking-water-amendment-bill
Please send this email on to other interested industry members and or consumers.
If you are not the correct recipient in your organisation, please forward this email to the appropriate person.
If anyone hasn’t received this email directly from us and would like to be added to the list, please email me at dave@nzht.co.nz.
Kind regards
Dave Sloan
