Very boring idea for the podcast
I think you should have a look at the recent fluoridation decision by the Far North District Council.
The Far North District Council undertook a two year trial of water fluoridation and then put the decision on whether or not to continue with it in Kaikohe and Katikati to a public vote. Only 16% of those eligible voted (and there’s a whole other argument about whether or not that constitutes a mandate for anything), and the vote went narrowly against continued fluoridation.
Associate Minister of Health Peter Dunne has said "Bowing to pressure from misguided anti-fluoridation activists will have a significant impact on the most vulnerable populations”. And for once I agree with him (actually, I might agree with him on other things, but he’s so boring I find hard not to get distracted by his ridiculous hair). The main opposition group appears to be the Fluoride Action Network NZ and the misinformation flows like foul syrup from both their website and their press releases on the subject. They tick all the boxes set out in Jason M Armfield ‘s “When public action undermines public health: a critical examination of antifluoridationist literature” paper (http://ukpmc.ac.uk/classic/articlerender.cgi?artid=1245025).
Kapiti Coast District Council and Hastings District Councils have recently voted to retain fluoride in their water supplies. These were votes of councillors and both votes were very close. FANNZ were involved in lobbying in both districts.
It’s not the most exciting topic, I know. The combination of local politics, long-term health consequences, dentistry and New Zealand’s most boring politician (Dunne) is stupefying. And the parts that aren’t boring are gross, I might not have downloaded The CUSP if the picture had been a rotting gum line. But I think it is an issue skeptics should look into. It’s little decisions like this, made at a local level, that can have the biggest impact on the health and well-being of communities. And the people making them shouldn’t be basing their decision on scaremongering and misinformation.