January 30, 2016
This was a good week for the fluoride-free movement. Two more communities have been added to the list of over 200 that have ended fluoridation since 2010.
Parry Sound
After adding fluoride to the public drinking water for over 50 years, the council in Parry Sound, Ontario voted to end the practice
on Tuesday. The vote came after more than six months of debate, which
was initiated by a June vote to resume fluoridation at a cost of $5,000
annually after a necessary $250,000 was to be spent on fluoride
injection upgrades at the water plant. Concerned residents
overwhelmingly expressed their opposition to the practice, and organized
the group Parry Sounders for Progressive Water Management to oppose the plan. The group collected petition signatures, wrote great letters-to-editors (another one), and made multiple presentations to the council, including showing the 20-minute video Our Daily Dose.
Residents from the neighboring town of McDougall, which purchases its
drinking water from Parry Sound, also shared their opposition. A survey
that was sent to McDougall residents found that more than 90% opposed fluoridation. The combined population of both towns is approximately 9,000.
While
the Parry council vote was almost unanimous, they still have to
formally approve a bylaw next month, then post the change for 21 days
for public comment before the fluoridation prohibition takes effect.
The fluoride lobby didn’t hesitate to comment. On Wednesday, a regional
medical officer sent a letter supporting fluoridation and calling for the will of the residents to be ignored.
Whakatane District
The
second major victory this week was in New Zealand, where 37,000+
residents were freed from fluoridation by a well-organized coalition of
citizens and professionals. Rather than FAN telling you about the
victory, we want you to hear from the campaigners themselves. Watch
local health professional Jon Burness proudly announcing the great fluoride victory, and read the press release from Fluoride Free New Zealand’s Mary Byrne:
Whakatane STOPS Water Fluoridation:
Money to Be Spent on Oral Health Care Programme
After
44 years of water fluoridation, Whakatane District Council has voted to
end the out-dated practice. Instead, they will consider providing funds
to the District Health Board for targeted oral health programmes, like
CHILDSMILE, which has been successful in Scotland for more than a
decade. Because of this programme, Scottish children now have better
teeth than New Zealand children, and Scotland has never been
fluoridated.
37,000
people, including Whakatane and Ohope, will now have their water
without added Hydrofluorosilic Acid (aka fluoride). With dental health
statistics for Bay of Plenty showing no difference in decay rates
between fluoridated Whakatane and the non fluoridated rest of the
region. The only health effect from ending fluoridation is expected to
be better health for all.
Fluoride
Free New Zealand congratulates those Councillors that voted to stop.
The reason most Councillors gave for choosing to stop fluoridation is
that they were unsure of the health risks, and did not feel it should be
their job to decide. Mayor Bonne said one of the reasons he voted to
stop fluoridation was because he had been advised by previous Health
Ministers that the Council was responsible, and that if it is found that
fluoridation causes harm, then it will be the Council that would carry
the consequences, not the Ministry of Health or Central Government.
Councillors
were made aware today that the evidence showing fluoride’s harm is
mounting every year. Fluoride is now classified as a neurotoxin. The US
Government’s Toxicology Program is now embarking on a systematic review
of all fluoride-brain studies and is conducting their own new animal
studies to try to determine the dose at which harm occurs to the brain.
Since
1972, Whakatane District has had some areas fluoridated and some not.
Now they will have a consistent no water fluoridation policy which is
also in line with their neighbours; Tauranga, Rotorua and Opotiki. It is
also in line with the vast majority of New Zealand councils and the
vast majority of the world. Less than 4% of the world is still adding
fluoride to public water supplies.
Whakatane
District Council also agreed to undertake a report to provide advice on
the logistics of earmarking the money, used on fluoridation chemicals,
to the DHB as a transition measure. This would assist the DHB into
implementing a targeted, comprehensive dental health programme to those
children who really need help. Mayor Bonne and Cr Jarrett were keen to
see a programme such as CHILDSMILE initiated so that children in need
could be substantially helped. Most other councillors were also happy to
assist the DHB to get this off the ground.
Fluoride
Free New Zealand would like to thank everyone who has campaigned for
this over many years, especially Jon Burness, Fluoride Free Whakatane
campaign coordinator and one of the 291 NZ Health Professionals Opposing Fluoridation.
Whakatane
Council members who voted in favour of stopping fluoridation were:
Mayor Bonne, Cr Johnston, Cr Silcock, Cr Sheaff, Cr Van Beek and Cr
Jarrett. Councillors who voted against stopping fluoridation were:
Deputy Mayor Judy Turner, Cr Julie Jukes, Cr John Pullar, Cr Andrew
Ilies, and Cr Russell Orr.
Latest Fluoride News:
Sincerely,
Stuart Cooper
Campaign Manager
No comments:
Post a Comment