The Government’s latest move on the fluoridation bill to shift decision making solely to the director-general of health proves its intention of
mandatory fluoridation.
The Commission of inquiry (in 1956) said it was important that the decision be made locally, with local input The mayor of Whangarei recently agreed. So has the National Party. To shift decision-making into the hands of only one person defies all norms of democratic process.
The decision to give the director general sole control is being done by the back door’ of a supplementary order paper. No select committee, no
public input.
A few weeks ago Andrew Little was calling for a public scientific debate. Fluoride Free NZ accepted this invitation, many times. Where is the debate, Mr Little? Where is the science? Where is democracy?
Of course, a public debate would alert people to the following facts: It is now beyond reasonable scientific doubt that fluoridation damages the infant brain as much as if not more than leaded petrol (shown by significant IQ loss); fluoridation chemicals are scrubbed from the chimneys of the phosphate fertiliser industry and contain traces of lead, arsenic, mercury and aluminium; the Supreme Court has ruled that fluoridation is forced medical treatment; New Zealand school dental statistics show no difference in tooth decay between fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas.
Tooth decay has declined in New Plymouth since fluoridation ceased in late 2011 at the same rate as fluoridated Hawera and Stratford.
At a time when we need to preserve every dollar to address the economic impacts of Covid-19, it makes zero sense to spend millions of dollars on fluoridation equipment that the way science is going, will have to be scrapped in a few years time.
Mary Byrne
National co-ordinator
Fluoride Free New Zealand
*Original letter online at http://fluoridealert.org/wp-content/uploads/nz.letters.mather.connett.howard.byrne_.northland-age-april-1-2021.pdf