Time to listen to Pro-flouridation agencies raising alarms

Saturday, 20 July 2019, 12:54 pm

Press Release: Fluoride Free New Zealand

The O’Brien Institute for Public Health at Calgary University has just released their report on fluoridation. This institute has, up to now, been staunchly in favour of fluoridation. However, yesterday, with regards to fluoride’s effect on the brain, they say “The new emerging studies in this domain need to be tracked very closely, and carefully evaluated as they appear. We expect that health agencies at local, national, and international levels will confer and compare notes as they iteratively review, and re-review, this evidence”.

It certainly sounds like alarm bells have been ringing at the O’Brien Institute and a far cry from “the science is settled”.

Their report covers the major research that has been undertaken in this area which is showing fluoride exposure linked to cognitive impairment. “Of great relevance to the evolving evidence in this domain, another MIREC [Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Studies] study focusing on cognition also examined the association between fluoride exposure and childhood IQ”. This study was carried out in fluoridated Canada and links increased fluoride exposure during pregnancy to lowered IQ in their offspring.

In other words, the O'Brien Institute is telling us that there is a Canadian study in the works that has essentially reproduced the Bashash study findings from 2017: the more fluoride a pregnant woman is exposed to the lower the IQ of her baby. This must be the torpedo that sinks this battleship.

It is hard to imagine a parent that would willingly sacrifice some of their child’s IQ for the possibility of saving a filling or two over a lifetime. Brain function affects every part of our lives. Obviously, our work opportunities and income, but also our relationships and our ability to look after ourselves. The cost to society is also huge. A drop of 5 IQ points across the population, halves the number of geniuses and increases by 50% the number of mentally impaired.

Our health authorities have to accept that there is now science that tells us that fluoride is harming children’s brains and they have to put that above any possible reduction in dental decay and above the embarrassment of admitting they were wrong. They must act to protect the children.

Most of the world does not fluoridate their water supply, including Japan and 98% of Europe. Dental decay rates in these countries is just as good, if not better, than the rates in New Zealand. Countries such as Scotland, are implementing dental health programmes that primarily involve school tooth brushing schemes that have seen a huge reduction in dental decay rates, and a halving of the number of general anaesthetics for severe decay. Apart from the reduced suffering, this is saving millions of pounds every year. A school tooth brushing scheme in Kaitaia has found the same astonishing results. There is no need to force harmful fluoridation chemicals on the entire population.

Currently, 22 councils out of 67 have any fluoridation amounting to around 50% of the population. There is a Bill in Parliament awaiting Second Reading, that aims to shift decision making to the district health boards. This would effectively make fluoridation mandatory as the DHBs are required to carry out MoH policy and the councils would be required to do what the DHB dictates.

It is time to kick not only the Mandatory Fluoridation Bill down the road, but fluoridation itself. The science is clear – fluoride is neurotoxic and should not be added to our water.