The Maori Party has joined the ranks of those casting doubt on fluoridation.
A poll on its website asks members whether they want fluoride in their drinking water
The page says a law is before Parliament to put fluoride in drinking water supplied by local councils to thousands of homes throughout the country.
In fact what the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Bill does is shift responsibilty for fluoridation from councils to district health boards.
The page says the Maori Party has been reluctant to support such a move because it opposes taking the autonomy away from local councils and communities.
However, it is also aware of the high number of children, particularly Maori children, who have poor dental health.
The Government says the World Health Organization and other international and national health and scientific experts have endorsed water fluoridation as the most effective public health measure for the prevention of dental decay.
Just over 2 million New Zealanders have access to fluoridated water, and the Government is counting on DHBs to make decisions based on health-related evidence.
Print 
PDF