Last weekend (12 Oct), at a packed conference of 275 delegates, New Zealand First overwhelmingly passed a remit to advocate for the repeal of the Amendment to the Health Act that gave decision making to the Director-General of Health (DGH). This Amendment, made in 2021, provides no right for communities to be consulted in any way and, in fact, threatens huge fines for councils who endeavour to prevent fluoridation.
History is littered with health professionals refusing to accept new information. One of the hardest to comprehend is the case of doctors refusing to try washing their hands before attending births, which was often after doing autopsies, as Dr Ignaz Semmelweis advised them to do in the mid-1800s. At the time, 18% of mothers were dying after childbirth from contracting a bacterial infection. It took a few more decades of mothers dying before doctors would incorporate this simple protocol.
The Tauranga City Council decision from Monday this week, where a majority of the councillors voted to start fluoridation despite serious reservations, highlights why decision making for fluoridation needs to be with the community. People who are not so invested in the political ramifications about a particular decision are much more capable of making an objective decision. Threatening people with huge fines to do something that goes against their conscience is straight out bullying.
The evidence that fluoridation is ineffective and harmful is now overwhelming. The Cochrane Collaboration, that the DGH relied on for making the directives to 14 councils to start fluoridation by misrepresenting its findings, has now been updated and has confirmed its earlier 2015 review that there is very little evidence and, in fact, there may be no benefit.
The US Government’s National Toxicology Program released the final version of its eight-year review of fluoride and IQ in August this year and found that fluoride is accepted by promoters and detractors alike, to be a neurotoxin and that there was no safe threshold for fluoride in the water.
A US Federal Court released its review of all the evidence presented by esteemed scientists on both sides, and especially the NTP review, and concluded that “fluoridation poses a risk to the IQ of children”. The court has ordered the US Environmental Protection Agency to undertake regulatory action to “reduce or remove” the risk posed by fluoridation.
On Friday last week (11 October 2024) Simon O’Connor, former MP and Chair of the Health Select Committee that heard submissions regarding fluoridation said on the RCR Political Panel:
“I think it’s about really our health officials, our dental associations to actually respond to what’s happening. Either reassure the public that their view, which they have held consistently is right, or begin to change it. Because I remember when I sat on the Health Committee years ago, the advisors, the MoH, the Dental Associations, all the medical people were emphatic that there was no problem at all. That’s basically why the parliament has gone down the line it has. As you note there is new information coming through and they’ve got to front it. They’ve got to be able to either, well not so much apologise, I suppose, as say look, we were wrong and change the advice and change the law or to argue the case to the contrary but they seem to be quite silent so far.”
We call on all political parties to realise the decision in 2021 was a mistake. The Ministry of Health is not capable of viewing this information objectively as they have their reputation at stake. Politicians from across the spectrum need to step up and protect New Zealanders from this known harm.





You say:
“The Cochrane Collaboration, that the DGH relied on for making the directives to 14 councils to start fluoridation by misrepresenting its findings, has now been updated and has confirmed its earlier 2015 review that there is very little evidence and, in fact, there may be no benefit.”
Could you please provide a link or citation for this claimed “update?” Or have you mistaken the recent republication of the 2015 review (https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010856.pub2/pdf/full) as an “update?” Thanks.
Here is the Cochrane 2024 review. I will also add that as a link to the post. http://fluoridefree.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Water-fluoridation-for-the-prevention-of-dental-caries-Iheozor-Ejiofor-Z-2024-_-Cochrane-Library.pdf
Yes, the whole population should not be forced to have fluoride added to their water!
People should be given the choice through toothpaste if they want it for their children.
This is proving to be a toxin and I am against Council’s and Governments using any control without any consultation with the people and advocate strongly against it everywhere in our country.
I do not want to be medicated without my permission!! This is a violation to human rights!
They haven’t learnt from the arbitratre stance of the Covid panic that caused a lot of angst between families and Communities because hurried push and treating people with disdain they couldn’t make a choice for themselves because they aren’t!! Up to it because of the scientific language used etc instead bullied and brainwashed into making it right because the so called vested interest groups used the World Health Organisation to push mandates and mass hysteria to get their way the same as this fluoride choice they are pushing to the public through government to the councils sorry I would like to chose for myself Thankyou If you want fluoride for yourself or family use fluoride tabs or floride infused paste
This is great that someone in parliament is at least acknowledging the issue, I was told by my local MP Mike Butterick that he could not comment on my concerns about our region just being fluoridated, despite a petition of 600+ asking for it not to be, as “it is currently in the courts”. Of course our council also refuse to address the issue stating they are acting under a directive, and referred me to Butterick..
How long is this process of repealing the amendment to the health act likely to take – how long do locals / council have to wait to get a say?
Thank you Mary and team for all your work..