Ryan Hamilton has voiced support for groups that spread misinformation about fluoridation.

He refuses to be interviewed but the National Party claims he has changed his mind about the fluoridation of water, after more than two decades of public opposition.

In social media posts, Hamilton claimed Covid deaths data had been inflated and once said poverty was not a reason to fluoridate water because “most lower socio-economics filled their tap water with raro”.

Hamilton’s posts are revealed in a new episode of Undercurrent, an RNZ podcastreleased today.

Hamilton, a Hamilton City Councillor, has consistently and openly opposed fluoridation of water for more than two decades.

In 2013, he posted a comment on a Facebook post by TVNZ’s Seven Sharp about fluoride which said: “Get rid of fluoride. The poverty issue is redundant, most lower socioeconomics fill their tap water with raro so pull the other one.”

Fluoride is added to drinking water to improve the dental health of children and adults. Multiple scientific studies have demonstrated it is effective and that there are no significant adverse effects from fluoridation at the levels used in New Zealand.

In another post, Hamilton praised “Fluoride Free Hamilton & NZ”, a group that has published extensive misinformation about fluoride. In 2016, he said he was “with the minority” in opposition to fluoride and had been for 22 years.

Hamilton’s views are in sharp contrast with the National Party he now represents.

In 2021, National MPs voted strongly in favour of a bill giving the Director-General of Health powers to enforce fluoridation of water.

The party’s local government spokesman at the time was Christopher Luxon who stated in Parliament he shared concerns about “rampant misinformation” on the topic.

“The National Party is backing the science of fluoridation — no doubt about it,” Luxon said.

“We have 60 years of history, we have a Royal Society of New Zealand report on it, we have our Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor’s advice on it, and I want the public to know that it’s incredibly safe. It’s completely safe and reasonable that we are doing this.”

Luxon was elected National leader about three weeks after he gave this speech.

*Original full-text article online at: https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/09/18/nationals-anti-fluoride-anti-mandate-mp-in-waiting-ryan-hamilton/

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