Forty-year feud: Fluoride discontent still bubbles in Dannevirke, despite its health benefits

Dannevirke's drinking water will need to have fluoride added by the end of June 2024. Photo / NZME

Forty years ago, the town of Dannevirke swirled with conspiracy theories about the dangers of fluoridation.

An examination of the archives of the Dannevirke News shows that letters to the editor flowed. Purported (but dubious) experts were quoted.

And the myth of the danger has persisted in pockets of the Tararua town ever since.

In 2022, despite the science about its health benefits in preventing tooth decay being long settled, there remain residents of the town against a directive from the Ministry of Health to add it to their water supply.

Earlier this year, Tararua District Council was informed by then-Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield that Dannevirke’s water would need to have fluoride added by the end of June 2024.

In 2021, under the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act, the decision to add fluoride was taken out of local councils’ hands and put into the hands of the Director-General of Health in order to provide a consistent approach to community water fluoridation.

While there’s no open protest in the streets of Dannevirke, the decision’s caused bubbles of discontent all year.

Kerry Sutherland was concerned about ongoing costs of fluoridation. Photo / Leanne Warr

Councillor Kerry Sutherland said he’d been talked at and to about the issue since the news was released to the public.

He believed there were two camps on the issue, with one camp in favour, or just accepting of the directive, and the other being very outspoken about their views against it.

While the Government had advised Tararua District Council could apply for funding to the tune of $318,000 for the initial costs, Sutherland was concerned about any ongoing operational costs to the ratepayers, especially over the next 10 years.

Sharon Wards understood the context behind the directive. Photo / NZME

Councillor Sharon Wards, who used to run Dannevirke Hospital, said she had heard arguments from both sides, and while she respected the views, she also understood the context behind the directive.

She said she had noted that with the mobile surgical bus, one of the most requested services was for children’s dental health.

“There were so many young kiddies with a lot of their teeth ripped out because of decay.”

Wards said research had shown the benefits of fluoride.

She said the directive was to encourage community health.

“There’s a good reason why we’ve been asked to do this.”

A resident spoke up against fluoride at a ratepayers’ meeting last week, and it was also raised at an earlier meeting, as well as public meetings prior to the local body elections.

Opposition to fluoride began in October 1982, when the then-Dannevirke Borough Council works committee tabled a report on the subject, discussing costs of equipment and installation of fluoride.

At the time, councillor Pat Edwards “opposed fluoridation strongly”, saying there were better things the council could be doing. But now, in her 90s, she couldn’t provide any insight as to why she had opposed it.

Just two days later, the newspaper published a letter to the editor from a resident who was concerned that residents weren’t given an opportunity to decide the issue which supported the councillor’s stance.

That letter was from Grace Wallace, the aunt of one of the new councillors, Steve Wallace.

A further letter quoted several articles which made claims that fluoride was toxic.

A clipping from the Dannevirke Evening News in October 1982. Studies since have consistently shown that water fluoridation is an effective and safe preventive measure against tooth decay.

In 2014, the office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor and the Royal Society of New Zealand established a panel to review scientific evidence, which would “adhere strictly to the scientific issues of safety and efficacy, but take into account the various concerns that have been raised in the public domain about the science and safety of fluoride”.

A number of theories were investigated, including links to cancer, intelligence, bone fractures, reproduction and others, but in the review, under New Zealand standards, they appeared to be more myth than fact.

The review, which included a large number of studies, concluded that water fluoridation was effective as a preventive measure against tooth decay.

“From a medical and public health perspective, water fluoridation at the levels used in New Zealand poses no significant health risks and is effective at reducing the prevalence and severity of tooth decay in communities where it is used,” the report said.

A spokesperson from the Ministry of Health said approximately 51 per cent of the country’s population currently received fluoridated drinking water.

As of July 2022, 20 local authorities had all or some of their water supplies fluoridated for populations over 500.