A referendum in Hamilton has returned a sizeable majority in favour of adding fluoride to the city’s water.
In June this year, eight Hamilton City councillors took a vote on fluoride in the public water supply and voted to remove it – seven to one – despite opposition from the Ministry of Health. Four councillors did not vote.
Today, 70 percent of Hamilton voters (23,000) said they wanted their water fluoridated, while 10,000 voted against it. . .
A media release from the Waikato District Health Board says:
Community water fluoridation has been a hotly contested issue since the city council removed fluoride earlier this year. It was added, at the rate of about one spoonful of fluoride per full bathtub of water, for 47 years with the only health effect being less tooth decay.
Since then, Waikato and national health professionals have weighed in to protect the science of water fluoridation as the most important public health measure New Zealand has seen, providing baseline protection against dental cavities for all who drink and cook their food in fluoridated water.
“The positive result is absolutely what we would have expected being that the decision to remove fluoride was lobbied by an active minority rather than the average ratepayer going about their business,” said Waikato District Health Board chief executive Craig Climo.
“It hasn’t come as a surprise. It was only in 2006 that Hamilton overwhelmingly voted to retain fluoride in the water after it was brought to referendum then as well.”
Hamilton City Council held a tribunal earlier this year, resulting in city councillors voting 7-1 to remove fluoride, although four councillors, who were also on the Waikato DHB board, did not vote.
Mr Climo said it was disappointing that the issue came to tribunal in the first place and that the DHB had to spend so much time and effort on the referendum when there are other major challenges in health. The DHB spent $47,000 on its pro fluoride campaign, $8000 of that on billboards and banners.
Waikato DHB Medical Officer of Health Dr Felicity Dumble (pictured adding a teaspoon of fluoride to a bathtub of water) has been involved in the last two community water fluoridation referenda in Hamilton and says the non-binding nature means it’s not yet over.
I’m obviously pleased with the results, but the important thing is that the new council listen to the opinion of their community,” she said.
“And ultimately use these results, and those from 2006, as an example as to why it’s not a good idea to use tribunals which grossly over represent the position of small interest groups, when it comes to making public health decisions for the whole city.” . . .
This looks like a win for science over emotion.
Although, some who oppose adding fluoride do so not through any problems with fluoride itself.
Some accept its benefits but don’t think everyone should have to have it when there are alternatives ways for those who need it to get it.
Posted by homepaddock 
Homepaddock 