N.Z,

Call to ban fluoride from Dunedin’s water

• Otago Daily Times
• 4 Apr 2018

SODIUM fluoride, a known toxic industrial waste, is the main component in the manufacture of rat poison, pesticides, and chemical sprays. It has been added to Dunedin’s water catchment since May 1967, sited as being an ‘‘aid to dental decay’’.

This theory has been thoroughly discredited. Why then does the DCC persist in adding this poison to the population’s water? The ingestion of sodium fluoride has a detrimental longterm effect on a person’s skeletal structure — namely brittle bones and other internal body complications.

This is the 21st century and current research has disproved these outdated theories as touted by the Ministry of Health, which should know better than to foist its outdated research data on the public who have been systematically ingesting poisoned drinking water for more than 50 years.

It must stop. We deserve better than this. Of course, the Ministry of Health won’t admit it is in the wrong as it would expose its incompetence in basing its reasoning on outdated research.

Ban sodium fluoride from our water and preserve our clean, green image. Margaret van Zyl

Mosgiel [Dunedin City Council group manager 3 Waters Tom Dyer replies:

‘‘We make decisions about drinking water safety using regulations and advice from the Ministry of Health. Based on the ministry’s recommendations, we add sodium silicofluoride to the city’s drinking water. The product we use is specially manufactured and has very low levels of other minerals. The ministry provides a recommended band for the amount of fluoride to be added to drinking water — at this concentration it is safe to drink and helps teeth. The level of fluoride used by the Dunedin City Council is at the lower end of the band. If people want to remove fluoride from their drinking water, there are home water filters that do this.

Central government is discussing the fluoridation of drinking water at the moment. The Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Bill proposes giving district health boards the power to make decisions and give directions about the fluoridation of local government drinking water supplies in their areas. Your correspondent may wish to contact the office of the Hon Dr David Clark, who is the MP in charge of the Bill, to discuss this further.’’]