Council chamber overflows as residents oppose water fluoridation

A crowd of residents opposed to the mandatory fluoridation of the city’s drinking water packed out Nelson City Council’s public gallery last Thursday.

About twenty-five people filled the seats in the gallery and a similar number gathered in the foyer outside the council chamber in a show of support for Zoe Byrne and Dharan Longley from the Nelson Clean Water Coalition who presented to council on the risks they say fluoride poses to human health.

Nelson City Council was directed in July 2022 by then-Director-General of Health, Ashley Bloomfield, to fluoridate its water supply. Not complying with the directive would constitute an offence.

At the time, he said that fluoridating Nelson’s water would be “an important step in improving the oral health” of the city.

Zoe cited several studies – including a draft report by the National Toxicology Program (NTP), run by the United States Department of Health and Human Services – and said it was “dubious” that fluoride helps to prevent tooth decay and claimed the chemical is “incredibly toxic”.

The NTP's draft report has said there was “a large body of evidence" that suggested high levels of fluoride can effect the IQ of children and additionally there was "some" other evidence that high levels of fluoride can have “other neurodevelopmental and cognitive effects in children”.

But the draft also said that the development effects are only consistently observed when the level of fluoride "approximates or exceeds" World Health Organization guidelines of 1.5 mg/L of fluoride.

Nelson is only required to fluoridate its water to 0.7-1 mg/L.

The NTP report – which is a still a draft and has not been officially published is in the process of being peer-reviewed by other scientists – also acknowledged that "more studies are needed" to fully understand the effects of low-level fluoride exposure on children.

Dharan called on Nelson City Council to “strongly reject the mandate to fluoridate our water”.

He says the justification for rejecting the directive included a lack of individual choice, the inability to personalise dosage amounts, local decision-making being overridden by central government, and the low level of fluoridation practised in Europe.

“We will not accept the compulsory medication of our water. We will continue to uphold our right to choose.”

However, Mayor Nick Smith said in response to the presentation, that there were only two lawful paths that would allow Nelson not to fluoridate its water.

The first was the Ministry of Health’s directive being challenged and subsequently overturned through the courts by a group like the Clean Water Coalition, and the second was voting in parliamentarians during the upcoming general election who would reverse the decision that allowed the Director-General of Health to mandate fluoridation.

However, his response drew vocal opposition from the public gallery who called for the council to mount a legal challenge itself.

“You must consult with the community on significant assets. The number one asset is our water supply,” Dharan replied. “We do not see a democratic process being respected by the Government.”

Nick tried to ask Dharan and Zoe why they thought Parliament’s Health Select Committee had unanimously supported shifting the responsibility of water fluoridation away from councils despite hearing submissions that included concerns similar to those of the Clean Water Coalition, however he was drowned out by complaints from the gallery which prompted Nick to bring the public forum to a close. The presentation from the Coalition was already overtime.

The select committee’s commentary on the bill Nick referred to noted that “medical and dental associations and representative bodies, and most doctors and dentists, spoke in support of fluoridating water”.

A Ministry of Health spokesperson says it’s important to consider individual studies within the broader body of scientific research.

“There is strong international evidence that there are no adverse health effects of fluoride of any significance arising from fluoridation at the levels used in New Zealand,” they say.

“The analysis of evidence requires an assessment of all relevant information available and should not be based on a single study or opinion.”

They add that water fluoridation is considered the most effective public health measure to prevent dental decay and is recommended by key public health agencies around the world, including the World Health Organization, as an important contributor to health equity.

“It is beneficial to New Zealanders of all ages. It is especially beneficial for Māori and Pacific people, and vulnerable communities.”

Reports published by the Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor in 2014, jointly with the Royal Society Te Apārangi, and again in 2021, have both concluded that there are no adverse health effects of any significance arising from fluoridation at the levels used in New Zealand.