Taumarunui
COUNCILLORS| Councillor |
Fluoridation |
Position statement |
| Jeni Kydd |
Against |
1. Do you support fluoridation? No 2. If not, what definite steps would you take, if you are elected, to stop fluoridation in this area? I would support a referendum or some sort of consultative process. 3. If you do support fluoridation, do you believe that it is acceptable for councillors to rely on the advice by the Ministry of Health and disregard the opinion of the people who pay for and drink the water? No |
OTHER CANDIDATES 2010 ELECTION
| Candidate |
Fluoridation |
Position statement |
| Terry Hemmingsen | Not sure, fluoridation not priority |
In addition to being a candidate for the Ruapehu District Council elections I am also a primary school principal. In my educator’s role, I am very aware of the dental health issues facing our children. In my view, anything that can be done to reduce the dental decay in children should be actively pursued. Fluoride in the drinking water might be one of those methods that could help. My issues with your communication however, are 1. You are part of a lobby group that works on a single item agenda. The information you provide must, by its very nature be filtered to support the views of your group. Others may choose to have a differing view. We should all then, seek to be more educated on the matter before we consider trying to make an informed comment. 2. Fluoride in the water is not the only health issue facing our communities, particularly our school communities. We now have “Fat” kids, often brought about by unhealthy diets and family lifestyle choices. And, the second highest cause of children’s deaths, after motor vehicle accidents is drowning. Did you know that schools are no longer required to teach swimming? Hence, more drownings because kids cannot swim. 3. It is my view that greater commitments need to be given to stop obesity in children, reduce drowning deaths in children, reduce the pre-cursors for end stage renal failure in our children and adults and reduce the risks of diabetes. Sorry, but there are issues in our community that need a far greater emphasis than fluoride in the drinking water. Once I am elected, I shall take some time to read about and consider the fluoride issue, but until then I must, of necessity focus on the bigger picture. |
