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UK Against Fluoridation

Saturday, September 29, 2007

NZ - Fluoride war on again

Fluoride war on again
29.09.2007
By ALISON BROWN
FRESH calls for fluoride to be added to Rotorua's water have prompted the city's Fluoride Free Water Group to reunite.
Eight members of the group met this week to discuss what action, if any, they should take to counter efforts by education and health officials to fluoridate Rotorua's water supply. The latest call has come from John Paul College principal Patrick Walsh who says the absence of fluoridation is a form of child abuse.
He was disgusted to hear how bad Rotorua's dental problem was at a meeting between primary and secondary school principals and dental health experts. Rotorua has the worst dental hygiene in New Zealand behind Northland. Neither region fluoridates its water. The city's bad dental hygiene was compounded by a lack of dentists and dental therapists in the city which meant students had to wait two to three months to be seen. Mr Walsh said the only way to help ease the problem was to fluoridate Rotorua's water supply.

However, anti-fluoride campaigners argue a lifetime of fluoride does more harm than good. The Fluoride Free Water Group, led by business people Judith Lee and Martin Sharp, claims fluoride has been linked to cancer and the chemicals used in sodium fluoride are byproducts from phosphate fertilisers. The group also argues fluoridation is "mass medication", denying people freedom of choice.
Mr Sharp said a more effective solution would be to adopt a scheme rolled out in Northland a few years ago. In that scheme, a Maori health provider funded a toothbrushing programme for 1500 primary school pupils in rural Northland and at 17 kohanga reo. The schools had daily brushing sessions in class over five years.
Northland's Maori children had an average of 4.35 rotting teeth each at 5 years old at the start of the scheme. Check-up visits five years on showed that pupils' permanent teeth were free of dental decay.
Mr Sharp said he was prepared to continue fighting against fluoridation for as long as it took to convince people of its harmful effects.

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