Fluoridation meeting gets heated

TUESDAY , 11 APRIL 2006

By GEOFF TAYLOR
It took more than two hours before the inevitable happened.

About 70 people sat politely through most of a public
meeting on water fluoridation in Hamilton last night. But as
the question session started, the emotion began to surface.

By the time a halt to the meeting was called, even a panel
of experts who had made presentations were openly arguing
with each other.

A postal ballot on whether fluoridation of Hamilton’s
drinking water should continue runs from April 21 to May 13
and the Hamilton Citizens and the Ratepayers
Association-organised meeting at the Celebrating Age Centre
could be the only public meeting to inform voters.

The audience, which appeared to be mainly opponents of
fluoridation, heard six speakers.

Brian Nicholson from Waikato University’s chemistry
department tried to debunk “myths” which he said were being
propagated to scare people. He said a key issue was what
quantities of fluoride were used in drinking water.

“Every time you hear someone say fluoride causes problems,
ask at what concentrations?”

He said two paracetamol would cure a headache while 20 would
probably kill you.

Fluoride Action Network spokeswoman Caren McConnell and
Ruakura biochemist Keith Sharrock spoke about the dangers
for people who were allergic or sensitive to fluoride. They
showed videotape of overseas medical experts who questioned
fluoride’s safety and believed it should not be ingested.

Audience member and Watch (Waikato Against Toxic Chemical
Hazards) spokesman Phil Evans said he knew of six dentists
who didn’t support fluoride but wouldn’t speak out in case
they were ostracised.

Dr Sharrock said it seemed patently obvious to him that
there were risks with fluoride and more research should be
done before its use was continued.

Ms McConnell said no monitoring was done by any agency in
New Zealand to detect how much fluoride people were getting
from various sources.

Professor Nicholson said opponents were presenting a
selection of quotes from studies used to cast doubt on
fluroide.

“It’s easy to associate fluoride with anything but to
disprove it is very hard.”

Waikato medical officer of health Felicity Dumble said
despite Hamilton residents drinking fluoridated water since
the 1960s, there was no evidence of problems.

“We are not seeing some bizarre manifestation of these
symptoms.”

Treatment of drinking water is also contentious in Raglan as
its community board’s desire to have chlorine removed has
attracted concern from Waikato District Council. Council