Dunne slams ‘disgraceful’ Far North anti-fluoridation decision

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne today said the Far North District Council’s decision to end water fluoridation in the region where the children have the worst oral health in the country was “nothing short of disgraceful and a total failure of civic leadership”.

“Coming off the back of a two-year-trial that had shown positive results, the decision is grossly irresponsible,” Mr Dunne said.

“Frankly, this is a three-fold failure of leadership from the council.

“Firstly, it has failed in its duty to protect and promote the well-being of its communities. Water fluoridation protects the dental health of the most vulnerable members of the community – the children and those most disadvantaged.

“Northland already has the worst child oral health statistics in the country and the council’s decision further undermines the efforts by the Northland District Health Board to raise the level of child oral health in the region

“Secondly, the decision is a failure of nerve. An earlier council resolution had agreed to establish a fluoridation pilot in Kaikohe and Kaitaia.

“Bizarrely, the council agreed to stop fluoridation when the pilot ceased, even though it showed positive results.

“Bowing to pressure from misguided anti-fluoridation activists will have a significant impact on the most vulnerable populations," Mr Dunne said.

“Lastly, I see this as a failure of process. The council has allowed itself to be bound by a referendum in which only 16 per cent of the community’s population took part. Given the consequences of that, it is simply ridiculous,” he said.

He said the Northland DHB will now have to spend significantly more to repair the decayed teeth of children and adolescents than the council would have spent on fluoridation.

“Studies suggest that it costs around 30 times more to treat a case of tooth decay than to prevent it through fluoridation.”

ENDS

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