Invitation to Wellington City councillors to Michael Connett talk

Dear Mayor and Councillors,

On Monday the 10th of February 2025 acclaimed US lawyer, Michael Connett, will be speaking in Wellington (details above). Michael led and won a ground-breaking court case against the US Environmental Protection Agency regarding water fluoridation. The Federal judge ruled that “the plaintiff had provided a preponderance of evidence that fluoridation was harmful to human health and the environment” and that the EPA was required to “reduce or remove the risk posed by fluoridation”. 

This ruling was based on the US National Toxicology Program’s (NTP) systematic review of fluoride and developmental neurotoxicity. On 5 January 2025 a more stratified review confirming there is harm at levels experienced in fluoridated communities, carried out by the same NTP scientists, was published in the world’s leading paediatric journal, JAMA Pediatrics. .

Given this ruling, which the EPA cannot ignore, fluoridation is now on its way out in the US. 36 of the 67 counties in Florida have now stopped fluoridation after their Surgeon General held a press conference in which he advised municipalities to stop fluoridation stating, “It is public health malpractice with the information that we have now to continue adding fluoride to water”.

In New Zealand we are in a situation where only the Director-General of Health is legally allowed to order fluoridation to stop in any given area with threats of huge fines ($200,000 plus $10,000 per day every day thereafter) if councils defy that order. This means it is not straightforward for any council to make a simple decision to stop, but any council can seek an interim injunction, as stated by High Court judge Radich in his June 2024 Ruling. This could be on the basis of objecting to being party to adding an established neurotoxin, now being increasingly likened to Lead, to their community’s water supply.

The Whangarei District Council has rejected the DG’s directive to start fluoridation and is willing to seek an interim injunction pending the outcome of the New Health New Zealand v Director General of Health case, which is not yet scheduled for hearing, but could be heard sometime this year or next.

The Whangarei district councillors came to this decision through researching the fluoridation issue and becoming increasingly concerned about the adverse health effects. They are also hosting a Northland Forward closed-door workshop on the 30th January where Michael and representatives from the Ministry of Health can present to all councillors in the northland region.

Michael Connett is arguably one of the world’s leading fluoridation experts. He has deposed the top scientists at the Centers for Disease Control who are responsible for the promotion of fluoridation and the top scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency. Michael can answer any question anyone might have on this topic. He will also be able to relate to us exactly what is happening in the US and when, and how, fluoridation will be stopped there.

We would value your attendance at this event as we believe it is in New Zealander’s best interests that people who have been chosen for a leadership role are fully informed and can fulfil the responsibility bestowed on them. 

We are keen to ensure that New Zealand is not behind the rest of the world as we were with Lead – not stopping it being added to paint and petrol until 1996, 26 years after the US, causing countless harm to people because we refused to implement the Precautionary Principle.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any comments or concerns.

Regards

Mary Byrne National Coordinator

Fluoride Free New Zealand