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Wexford County Council approves anti-flouridation motion printable version

13 Jan 2015: posted by the editor - Health, Ireland

Wexford County Council is the latest to join ranks of councils calling for an end to water flouridation, joining Cork County, Cork City, Kerry, Laois and Dublin City which have all supported motions calling for an end th fouridation.

A motion tabled by Cllr Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin (SF) that Wexford County Council would be calling on the Government to cease and reverse Ireland's Health (fluoridation of water supplies) Act 1960 with immediate effect received unanimous support from all delegates representing Sinn Fein, Fine Gael, Fianna Fail, Labour, People Before Profit and of Non Party affiliation, noting that every political party in the State has outlined policy positions of opposition to mandatory water fluoridation including Fianna Fail who became the latest to do so during their annual Ard Fheis in 2014.

Wexford historically becomes the first major Irish Council to formally adopt a position of opposition to involuntary medication in 2015 and the sixth major Council to do so since the beginning of 2014 where Cork County, Cork City, Kerry, Laois and Dublin City have all thrown their weight behind the National Effort in recent times.

The Health (fluoridation of water supplies) Act 1960 continues to inflict irreversible cosmetic and structural pre eruption damage to the teeth (fluorosis) of hundreds of thousands of people throughout the country otherwise violating legally binding conditions as laid out by Justice John Kenny during a constitutional challenge to the mandatory water fluoridation legislation that took place in 1964.

Councillor's have today vindicated the position that the country's public water and by default, the national food chain should not continue to be used as vehicles to involuntarily and indiscriminately medicate the Irish populace, a position for not one other European Government endorse on a mandatory basis due to health, environmental, legal or ethical concerns as a result of ongoing scientific and medical objection.

A great vote of confidence for the National Effort, here's to the Irish people's fundamental constitutional right to bodily integrity being upheld and to us all having access to clean and safe drinking water in 2015 or the near future.

A letter sent to councillors by Owen Director of: West Cork Fluoride Free Campaign & Fluoride Free Towns Project read:

"Dear Wexford County Councillors,

I write to you regarding the Irish State's isolated, outdated and dangerous public mandatory water fluoridation policy, a policy for which note one other European Government maintain a similar position due to health, environmental, legal or ethical concerns as a result of ongoing scientific and medical objection.

In consideration of 5 major Councils across the country passing motions last year, I'm writing to the outstanding and remaining Councils around the country requesting they have motions passed calling for the immediate reversal of The Health (fluoridation of water supplies) Act 1960 which will go a long way to supporting Ireland's position to this matter be brought in line with EU precedent.

For all Councillors willing to support the National Effort going forward in 2015, I'd like to reiterate the most important aspects relating to the practice in Ireland that have unfortunately been inadequately considered by those responsible for advising the State on this matter and it's quite clear that mistakes have been made that continue to have serious consequences for the Irish people.

Ireland's water fluoridation policy commenced in 1964 on one of the conditions that irreversible cosmetic and structural pre eruption damage to teeth (fluorosis) or any other adverse health effect would not be inflicted upon the population as a result of water fluoridation.

Justice Kenny, who presided over a legal challenge (Ryan v AG 1964) to the legislation stated,

"I accept the view that the mottling of the teeth of ten per cent of the children in Ireland will not be an indication of fluorosis or of any damage or harm having been done to the children's teeth by the fluoride ion in the water which they have drunk."

This point has either been overlooked or avoided by the Fluoridation Forum who's report and conclusions in 2002 were responsible for the continuation of the policy and since that time, both The Expert Body (responsible for advising the Minister for Health of ongoing aspects relating to fluoridation) and the IDA (Irish Dental Association) have failed to advise the Government to immediately cease water fluoridation. One can only be left wondering whether those who sat on the Fluoridation Forum committee and now The Expert Body or the IDA (Irish Dental Association) have even reviewed the 1964 legal summary. The IDA in one of their Journals in 2012 reported 38% of 15 year olds suffering from fluorosis which is evidence of unequivocal irreversible cosmetic and structural pre eruption damage to hundred's of thousands of people's teeth as a result of the policy.

Human rights to consent before medication are provided for by The Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights & The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union amongst others.

The right to bodily integrity is enshrined within the enumerated fundamental rights of the Irish Constitution or Article 40.3.1. Bodily integrity is also provided for by The Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights, The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union & The European Convention on Human Rights and Bio Medicine amongst others.

The main thrust of the debates surrounding motions brought before Council chambers over the last year have included these following four points,

1 - The individual legal human right to be informed or to express consent before medication.

2 - The individual right to bodily integrity which is being violated through the widespread infliction of irreversible cosmetic and structural damage to the teeth of hundreds of thousands of people throughout the state. This right to bodily integrity was ironically enshrined in the Irish Constitution as a result of the legal challenge taken against the fluoridation policy (Ryan v Ag 1964).

3 - The threat to the country's very valuable food and drinks industry through the use of fluoridated water. Fluoridated water according to ECJ (European Court of Justice) rulings and European Directives is a medicinal product and unlicensed one at that. Given the risk Irish food and beverage products pose to consumers through the addition of a widely undeclared ingredient (fluoride) and the increased danger of consumers suffering from irreversible cosmetic and structural damage to their teeth (fluorosis) and in consideration of violated European Food and Medicinal Product Directives, other European Governments could therefore call into question the safety of Irish food and drinks products therefore putting in jeopardy the jobs of over 200,00 people directly employed by the this very valuable sector of the Irish economy. This point has been brought to the attention of the Minister for Agriculture, Marine, Food and Defense, Mr. Simon Coveney and the FSAI (Food Safety Authority of Ireland).

4 - The EU precedent set for which not one other European Government maintain a similar mandatory public water fluoridation policy due to health, environmental, legal or ethical concerns as a result of ongoing scientific and medical objection.

I am in the process of bringing information of these legal points to the attention of various regulatory authorities and I hope that,

In the interests of serving and improving public health,

Protecting the very valuable food and drinks sector of the country's economy,

And defending and upholding the Irish Constitution,

That the logical step of scrapping the country's outdated and dangerous mandatory public water fluoridation policy will be brought to a prompt and wise conclusion in the near future for which there is growing national political support for.

I'd therefore be very grateful if Councillors would see to it that motions calling for the immediate reversal of the policy are tabled and passed as soon as is practicable. These motions will not unfortunately have any legal effect but will go a long way to supporting the 5 Councils who've passed motions in 2014 and will increase pressure on the Government to call the time this outdated and dangerous public health policy.

For the consideration of all Councillors, included here is one of the most concise and direct motions I have seen put together in the past 12 months. If any councillors are considering tabling motions, this may be of use in deciding what wording to use.

"That this Council records its opposition to the current policy of water fluoridation in Ireland, based on documented research that shows a decrease dental caries in all western countries irrespective of whether the water is fluoridated or not, as well as research which shows the effect of fluoride to be topical not systemic (ie works at the location not through the body); calls on the Government to organise a national referendum on water fluoridation in the next 18 months, (possibly in tandem with another referendum), which will educate the public thoroughly on both sides of the debate and allow their voice to be heard on this important public health issue; and that a letter recording this resolution shall be forwarded directly to the Taoiseach and the Minister for the Environment and CC'd to all cabinet Ministers, requesting the matter to be discussed at cabinet level."

I believe all concerned should also be aware that every political party in the State and many independents have at one time or another outlined policy positions of opposition to mandatory public water fluoridation including Fine Gael and Fianna Fail who passed an anti fluoride motion at their Ard Fheis in 2014. http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/fg-election-promise-to-ban-fluoride-in-drinking-water-26099298.html

I fully appreciate the matter discussed in this correspondence to be of a very serious nature and I therefore welcome queries or requests for references to support any of the points I have raised in this communication.

Thanking you in advance for your consideration and I'd be very grateful for any update from Councillors intending to table motions in the near future."

Tags: water flouridation

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