Group of concerned residents oppose flouridation of Ohakune's water supply

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 2, Issue 1, 5 June 1984, Page 14

Group of concerned residents oppose flouridation of Ohakune's water supply

We question the wisdom of flouridisation of the Ohakune Water Supply said Carol Hitchcock, spokesperson for a number of Ohakune residents who are concerned about the possibility of flouride being added to the town's water supply. This follows a recent report from the district's dental health officer which pointed up the high incidence of dental decay in Ohakune. Flouride should only be used by those convinced of its safety. It should NOT be put in the water for all to use, said Carol Hitchcock. "Flouride is a waste product from Aluminium Smelter Works. Flouride has never been proved to be a body requirement. The World Health Organisation claims after a report from 30 countries was made public that it can prevent decay only wherever sugar is not eaten. There is no decay

when sugar and refined foods are not eaten." Flouride is in fact a potential poison and the dosage is still inaccurate, said Mrs Hitchcock. Excess of flouride causes: kidney damage, calcification of soft tissues; such brittleness that bones break easily; mottled teeth. Flouride works on the body — it stops the work of enzymes which are essential to life and health. Asked what her group of concerned residents would advocate as an alternative to flouride, Carol Hitchcock said that dental cavities are due to 'Junk Food' — highly processed 'filler' products that give little or no nutrition and in fact often add to chemical buildup in the bodies of children causing various medical problems. According to a survey taken in Auckland, tooth enamel defects are just as

likely to be found in children living in flouridated areas as unflouridated areas: mild defects were found in 36% from flouridated areas as against 27% from nonflouridated areas. More serious 'cosmetically disfiguring' defects were found in 1 .4% of the former group and 1.2% in the latter group while equal numbers had white patches on their teeth — 18% in each group. 'Diffuse defects' were found in 19% of children in the flouride group as against 8% in the non-flouride group. " So flouride is not the answer," said Carol Hitchcock. "Nor is 'junk food' ... junk food equals junk teeth." The answer lies in fresh fruit and vegetables and the sooner parents stop giving their children junk food or encouraging them to buy it, the sooner the dental decay problems in Ohakune will be solved.