Wellington stop fluoridation campaign
Action Meeting Saturday the 19th of February 2012 Wellington library - everyone welcome.
WCC Draft Annual Plan 2011/2012 Submissions
Dr Stephen Palmer – Medical Officer of Health, Regional Public Health
Dr Robin Whyman – dentist, Regional Public Health (ex Oral Health Advisor for MoH)
Dr Neil Stephen – head of school dental clinics for New Zealand
Peter Gush – Service Manager of the Disinformation Service
There was also another woman at Lower Hutt from the DHB who sat with the team presenting. At Lower Hutt there were also another 7 or 8 people who had come along to support the pro-F team whom Stephen Palmer introduced as representatives from the NZ Dental Association.
Stephen Palmer started off both presentations by putting up Paul Connett’s power point and saying that he had reviewed it. After showing Paul’s slide that says fluoride is linked to a whole list of adverse health affects, Palmer’s next slide says that he has reviewed all the information he can safely say that Paul Connett’s data is … wait for it… complex! He then shows a slide with a whole lot of circles, and lines joining the circles, to give a visual on how complex it is. He then goes on to introduce all his esteemed colleagues and to let the councillors ask them questions. The whole strategy is to make the councillors feel that the subject is way too complicated for the mere lay councillor and that they should just put all their faith in these doctors and dentists as they are the only ones that are intelligent enough to understand such huge and complex information.
This seemed to work quite well in Wellington where only Cr Bryan Pepperall seemed to be prepared to challenge them. Maybe there are some other councillors who are not completely taken in by the “believe us we are the experts”, but I’m not aware of who they are.
In answering questions, Robin Whyman stated “the benefit from fluoride is topical” but went on to explain that we still need to swallow it because some washes past our teeth as we are swallowing the water and that because fluoride gets into our bloodstream that some then comes out of our saliva glands to provide a constant stream of fluoride to the teeth. This is where fluoridation meets Monty Python and if it wasn’t true it would make a great comedy sketch.
Whyman also explained that we shouldn’t compare ourselves with overseas data and the fact that dental health has improved in all the non-fluoridated countries of Europe is nothing to go by. We should instead focus on the Wellington Canterbury study that shows that children in Wellington (Wellington has the best dental health in the country) have, on average, one less decayed, missing or filled permanent tooth SURFACE (out of over 100 tooth surfaces) than children in unfluoridated Canterbury. This is so incredible it never fails to amaze me that we have so many councillors who will swallow this. What on earth is the matter with them?
The Hutt city councillors were better though, with a lot more intelligent questions. Palmer then offered that they could give the Council a two hour presentation that they gave to Regional Council in April. Mark Atkin has obtained a copy of Palmer’s presentation and is in the process of obtaining Whyman’s. Email info@fannz.org.nz if you would like a copy.
1st June 2011
Greater Wellington Regional Council launched a new online forum for people to have their say about what Council does. People are encouraged to use the forum to let Council know they object to fluoridation.
28th March 2011
Public meting and presentation by world leading fluoridation expert, U.S. Prof Emeritus Paul Connett: 7.30pm - 9pm, at Wesley Church Hall, Taranaki Street.
In 2010 Wellington people got active and put submissions into both the Regional and the city council. Over 20 people attended the hearings at both councils. This year we plan to do it again!
Celia Wade Brown is the new Wellington mayor (Oct 2010). Her and another councillor, Iona Pannett are members of the Green party.
In 2009, Celia Wade Brown organised a workshop at Wellington City Council so that FANNZ members could show the Professional Perspectives DVD.
However, only her and Cr Pannett turned up. After contacting some of the other councillors it was found that they had told Celia Wade Brown that they
could not make that time.
Then in 2010, about 20 Wellington citizens attended the submission hearings for the Draft Annual Plan. Because each of these people would have been allowed
5 minutes to speak, the Council agreed to show The Professional Perspectives instead. Only 5 councillors were present at the meeting:
Andy Foster, Ian McKinnon, Ray Ahipene-Mercer, Iona Pannett and Celia Wade-Brown. Only Crs Pannett and Wade-Brown bothered to watch the video with the others seeming
to use the time to catch up on reading.
Wellington Regional Council - In April 2010 22 Wellingtonians attended submission hearings where The Professional Perspectives video was shown as well as the Council allowing 5 speakers.
All council members attended, watched the video and asked thoughtful questions. They then requested the MOH provide feedback (aka rebuttal) of what they were shown. FANNZ was not allowed to be
included in further correspondence.
