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Ngā mihi
 
OIA Services Team
Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health
M[4]inistry of Health information releases 
 
 

------------------- Original Message -------------------
From: J Bruning <[FOI #24829 email]>;
Received: Wed Nov 22 2023 17:14:12 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
To: OIA Requests <[email address]>; OIA <[email address]>;
Subject: Official Information request - Relevant considerations - fluoride
levels in urine, levels in drinking water - IQ & cognitive harm to
children

Dear Ministry of Health,

[1] Following this High Court decision:

NEW HEALTH NEW ZEALAND INC v DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF HEALTH [2023] NZHC 3183
[10 November 2023]

Manatū Hauora (Ministry of Health) have informed Whangārei District
Council that while they are considering the judgement’s implications WDC
are to continue fluoridation preparations as initially directed by Manatū
Hauora.

(a) Please supply all advice legal and policy advice which provide the
underpinning rationale to justify your instruction to continue.

[2] Director-General Ashley Bloomfield cites a 2021 Update by the Office
of the Prime Minister and Cabinet's Chief Science Adviser as rationale for
the safety and efficacy of fluoridation of drinking water. (A Cochrane
Review cited by him does not consider neurotoxicity of fluoride). This
2021 Update did not consider existing levels of fluoride children's urine,
and the existing science that demonstrates that children absorb and
take-up far more fluoride in their bones than adults. As such, children in
New Zealand can have 18% higher levels of fluoride than older populations.

(a) Please provide all policy advice, emails and memos held by the
Ministry of Health that discuss this paper and its findings:
‘t Mannetje A, Coakley J, Douwes J. (2018) Report of the Biological
Monitoring of Selected Chemicals of Concern. Results of the New Zealand
biological monitoring programme, 2014-2016. Technical Report 2017-1.
March. Centre for Public Health Research. Massey University. Wellington

(b) Please provide all reasoning by the (i) Ministry of Health and the
(ii) Director-General considering the safety of exposures in drinking
water balanced against current levels in urine in New Zealand children,
and the potential risk of neurotoxicity (cognitive and IQ) based on
additive exposures from natural sources and levels in drinking water.

[3] The Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet's Chief Science Adviser
is not a regulatory body and has not risk assessed fluoride to understand
the lowest level where drinking water exposures may harm children under 7
- for cognitive and IQ loss.

(a) Please provide advice and reasoning directed to and by the (i)
Ministry of Health and the (ii) Director-General as to why a 2021 Update
by a politically appointed body, rather than a regulatory body should
constitute a sufficiently rigorous scientific analysis to justify the
safety and efficacy of fluoridated drinking water and exposures to
hydrofluorosilicic acid, and its co-ingredients in New Zealand.

(b) Please supply scientific advice on the lowest safe exposure to for
babies in utero and children up to age 7 on the lowest safe level (mg/L)
of fluoridated drinking water that will prevent IQ and cognitive loss
received by the (i) Ministry of Health and the (ii) Director-General.

[4] Ministry of Health data in Auckland inconsistently demonstrates that
the small marginal difference in fluoridated drinking water will barely
alleviate the oral and dental health burden experienced by low-income
communities. It shows poor dental health burdens are vastly and
disproportionately experienced by low-income communities, and this is seen
by your data on year 8s (12-13 year olds).
[5]https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/...

(a) Please advise any policy discussion from January 2021 to the current
date where the (i) Ministry of Health and the (ii) Director-General
discuss low income and disadvantaged communities and how a strategy of
redressing dental and oral health inequities through supply of
toothbrushes and toothpaste to schools and medical clinics in these
communities, and a programme of continuing education across these
communities may prevent tooth decay and dental caries. Please include
costings for such a strategy.

[5] Please supply the legal and policy basis which enabled the 2016 Select
Committee report and the 2021 Inquiry Committee Report, to brush aside and
dismiss all public concerns that were submitted about the health risk of
fluoridated drinking water for these two committee processes involved in
the passing of the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Bill.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

J Bruning
 

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Kia ora J,
Please find attached a response to your official information act request. 

Ngā mihi 

  

OIA Services Team

Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health

M[1]inistry of Health information releases 
U[2]nite against COVID-19 

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legal privilege.
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distribute or copy this message or attachments.
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immediately and delete this message.
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References

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