NZ - Fluoridation bid fails
Fluoridation bid fails again
31.01.2007
By HOHEPA WALKER
A plea to Te Arawa to put pressure on the Rotorua District Council to fluoridate the district's water supply has been unsuccessful.
Bay of Plenty Medical Officer of Health Dr Phil Shoemack says Taupo children aged 5 to intermediate school age have 20 per cent less tooth decay than those in Rotorua because the water they drink is fluoridated.
In Tauranga, children's dental health has worsened since fluoridation was stopped, he has told members of the Rotorua District Council's Te Arawa Standing Committee. He sought the committee's support for fluoridation but committee members voted for the status quo, which is not to fluoridate the city's water supply.
Dr Shoemack cited figures from 2001 Lakes District Health Board Dental Service data which showed that across schools of all deciles, more Taupo children were decay-free than Rotorua children, who also had more decayed, missing or filled teeth. The average difference in dental health was about 20 per cent better for Taupo children.
Dr Shoemack had hoped the Te Arawa Standing Committee would accept fluoridation was needed to improve the dental health of Rotorua children and would try to persuade the Rotorua District Council the city's water supply should be fluoridated in the interests of public health. However, the committee voted against accepting the recommendation.
Dr Shoemack said only Whakatane, Taupo and Turangi had fluoridated water. Dental health figures for Tauranga, which had fluoridated water until 1992, clearly showed an increase in tooth decay since fluoride was removed.
Late last year Dr Shoemack made the same presentation to Te Ropu Hauora o Te Arawa, a consultative group on Maori health attached to the Lakes District Health Board. While the Maori health group could not be contacted for comment yesterday, Dr Shoemack said it had accepted his recommendations.
"They particularly saw a need for Maori children to have it [fluoride]," he said.
Rotorua mayor Kevin Winters, chairman for the Te Arawa Standing Committee, said although the debate about fluoridation was a contentious one, it was not new. Despite the data in support, ultimately the decision to fluoridate Rotorua's water supply was outside the scope of local council and should be decided at central government level, he said.
"I will be writing to the minister of health as I did last year to put it to them that this issue is one for the Government to decide."
Councillor Bob Martin supported Mr Winter's stance. "I would hate to make a decision like that. "Who are we to decide on what's best for the people of Rotorua?"
Dr Shoemack told the Te Arawa Standing Committee fluoride had been well investigated and confirmed as being safe for all age groups and the Ministry of Health provided a 100 per cent subsidy for equipment needed to add fluoride to water supplies.
There was no evidence of health risk from the levels of contaminants in commercially available fluoride products.
There should not be any contaminants - and do they look
31.01.2007
By HOHEPA WALKER
A plea to Te Arawa to put pressure on the Rotorua District Council to fluoridate the district's water supply has been unsuccessful.
Bay of Plenty Medical Officer of Health Dr Phil Shoemack says Taupo children aged 5 to intermediate school age have 20 per cent less tooth decay than those in Rotorua because the water they drink is fluoridated.
In Tauranga, children's dental health has worsened since fluoridation was stopped, he has told members of the Rotorua District Council's Te Arawa Standing Committee. He sought the committee's support for fluoridation but committee members voted for the status quo, which is not to fluoridate the city's water supply.
Dr Shoemack cited figures from 2001 Lakes District Health Board Dental Service data which showed that across schools of all deciles, more Taupo children were decay-free than Rotorua children, who also had more decayed, missing or filled teeth. The average difference in dental health was about 20 per cent better for Taupo children.
Dr Shoemack had hoped the Te Arawa Standing Committee would accept fluoridation was needed to improve the dental health of Rotorua children and would try to persuade the Rotorua District Council the city's water supply should be fluoridated in the interests of public health. However, the committee voted against accepting the recommendation.
Dr Shoemack said only Whakatane, Taupo and Turangi had fluoridated water. Dental health figures for Tauranga, which had fluoridated water until 1992, clearly showed an increase in tooth decay since fluoride was removed.
Late last year Dr Shoemack made the same presentation to Te Ropu Hauora o Te Arawa, a consultative group on Maori health attached to the Lakes District Health Board. While the Maori health group could not be contacted for comment yesterday, Dr Shoemack said it had accepted his recommendations.
"They particularly saw a need for Maori children to have it [fluoride]," he said.
Rotorua mayor Kevin Winters, chairman for the Te Arawa Standing Committee, said although the debate about fluoridation was a contentious one, it was not new. Despite the data in support, ultimately the decision to fluoridate Rotorua's water supply was outside the scope of local council and should be decided at central government level, he said.
"I will be writing to the minister of health as I did last year to put it to them that this issue is one for the Government to decide."
Councillor Bob Martin supported Mr Winter's stance. "I would hate to make a decision like that. "Who are we to decide on what's best for the people of Rotorua?"
Dr Shoemack told the Te Arawa Standing Committee fluoride had been well investigated and confirmed as being safe for all age groups and the Ministry of Health provided a 100 per cent subsidy for equipment needed to add fluoride to water supplies.
There was no evidence of health risk from the levels of contaminants in commercially available fluoride products.
There should not be any contaminants - and do they look
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