Sean Plunket interviewed Dr Robin Whyman 13 February 2025
With councils around the country being ordered to implement fluoridation programmes, members of the public are asking “why do they need to this?”. Is dental health in their area worse than fluoridated areas? And if the Government wants to improve dental health, there are plenty of other ways to do it. However, when all is said and done, it seems the only reason to have fluoridation is so that fluoride can be forced on people.
This week a resident in Tararua wrote to their mayor and pointed out that the legislation that gives the Director-General of Health the ability to direct councils to fluoridate or not to fluoridate, also allows councils to provide a nonfluoridated source. The resident also advised that many of the fluoridated areas in New Zealand do provide public taps that are nonfluoridated and some are also non-chlorinated. (see Fluoride Free Water for more info).
Health Act S116F Contents of direction
Email from Tararua Mayor
Dear xxxxxx
We have reviewed that section within the Act as well as the Directive provided by the Director General of Health. We agree that S116F states that the content of the directive may allow councils to supply (at 1 or more specified site) water to which fluoride has not been added. However, the directive to Council did not include this ability. Council is required to comply with the directive as written.
This makes it look like the council want to fluoridate so they can force fluoridation onto people.It looks like they are not interested in providing people with an option at all. Even though the Directive the Tararua District Council received did not give explicit direction for the provision of a non-fluoridated supply, it is obvious that the legislation does allow for this to happen. Therefore, the council just needs to write to the Director-General of Health (DGH) and request permission to provide a nonfluoridated source. It is possible that the DGH may refuse, but it seems pretty unlikely since the Hastings District Council has started fluoridating under a directive and they are providing a tap with nonfluoridated water.
The whole thing is shameful. Shame on the mayor of Tararua District Council, shame on all the other mayors and councillors around the country that are going along with it, shame on the DGH and shame on the MPs for turning a blind eye.
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