We have only until Friday to contribute to the consultation the Government is undertaking with regard to the Ministry of Health’s proposal to exempt fluoridation chemicals, hydrofluorosilicic acid (HFA) and sodium silico fluoride (SSF) from being subject to the Medicines Act. That leaves only tonight and two more days to get a submission in.
We need as many people as possible to put in a submission, no matter how small. All submissions are counted so taking a few minutes to fill out the form and send in is very worthwhile. See http://fluoridefree.org.nz/urgent-moh-try-exempt-fluoride-chemicals/ for instructions.
The Ministry of Health claim they are doing this to give clarity, but since we already have a judicial system that is there to provide clarity to the law, there is no need for them to do that. In fact, the Government stepping in and overriding the judicial system whenever it does not suit them is a slippery slope that should concern all New Zealanders.
We believe the real reason for this drastic action can only be that the Ministry of Health knows that these chemicals, when used for the purpose of fluoridation, will be considered to be medicines when New Health New Zealand takes the case to the Appeal Court in a few months time.
In October last year, Judge Collins found that HFA and SSF satisfied all the key elements of a medicine in that they are used for a therapeutic purpose and they achieve their intended action on the human body by a pharmacological means. He then incorrectly concluded that since they are added at a level less than 10 mg/L (10ppm) that they are not classified as medicines. However, the clause he refers to says “if the medicine is not an injection or eye preparation, only if the concentration of the medicine is greater than 10 milligrams per litre or per kilogram” (my emphasis) is in a Section of the Regulations http://www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/1984/0143/latest/DLM96863.html) that only refers to prescription, restricted and pharmacy-only medicines and obviously only applies to medicines. If his conclusion was valid, then all the thousands of prescription, restricted and pharmacy-only medicines would no longer be medicines if they were less than 10 mg/L. That would be an absurdity and is not the case. They are still medicines; they are just classified as general sale medicines rather than prescription, restricted or pharmacy-only.
Dr Robin Whyman, consultant to the now defunct National Fluoridation Information Service, stated on TV One News 4th January 2015 (http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/anti-fluoride-campaigners-cry-foul-over-controverisal-legislation-6214457), that “It would make it very clear that under the Medicines Act, at the low concentrations we’re talking about for community water fluoridation, fluoride in that regard is not a medicine”.
Then why add to the water supply? If the concentrations that are used to fluoridate the water are not enough to provide a therapeutic purpose then there is no need to add them.
After delivering the Ruling, the judge advised the Ministry of Health to apply for an exemption in case his ruling was not correct.
The Ministry of Health can see the writing on the wall, and see that no Appeal Court can uphold this Judge’s decision without the whole judiciary system in New Zealand becoming a kangaroo court.
Therefore, fluoridation chemicals when used to fluoridate public drinking water supplies are medicines and there is absolutely no reason why they should be treated otherwise.
See http://fluoridefree.org.nz/urgent-moh-try-exempt-fluoride-chemicals/ for instructions to make a submission as soon as possible.