Mass medication: a commie plot?
There has been a lot of debate in the past (and present) about the addition of fluoride in the water supply to combat tooth decay. Fact: populations with fluoridated water have lower instances of tooth decay. It works. However, as with most allergies, (very rare) instances of fluoride intolerance is becoming more apparent in individuals. The risk/benefit ratio is def tilted towards the benefit though. The number of people who benefit FAR outweighs the number of people who become at risk. We are all susceptible to tooth decay. Those who fear health risks from drinking fluoridated water, or those who think it is ethically abhorrent to mass medicate a population, even for something which effects EVERY member of a population, can always have a filter attatched to their tap, or move to an area which does not fluoridate (interestingly in Auckland the suburb of Onehunga gets its water from an underground source and does not fluoridate, unlike the rest of Auckland where our water comes from larger catchment areas reliant on rainfall). In New Zealand the Ministry of Health heavily encourages and promotes fluoridation but can not force a community to do so. Tauranga is an example of one community which has flip flopped through the decades of having their water added to and not. A few years back they again voted to remove fluoride from their water. So in New Zealand, communities have a choice, the government doesn't force them to do anything.
To the issue I actually want to talk on: folic acid in all bread (this is about to be mandatory in Australia and NZ from September, with the exclusion of organic bread)
Tooth decay = everyone. Projected number of birth defects that supposedly will be prevented by addition of folic acid to bread = 14
14!
Population of NZ from the Statistics NZ population clock = 4,318,639
So 4,318,639 are being mass medicated for the possible benefit of 14.
What. The. Fuck.
Bakers estimate that a pregnant woman would need to eat 11 slices of bread a day to get the recommended amount of folic acid to prevent those birth defects that are preventable by taking it. Seeing as not many people eat 11 slices of bread a day, the number of likely preventions comes down closer to around 3 if that. Bakers have also said that they can not garentee the same amount will be in every loaf. Folic acid in the past has been seen as a health benefit in other areas, not just pregnant women, but recent research has shown it to accelerate certain cancers. So as for the risk/benefit ratio the LA Times has a good story weighing it up. Our Minister of Food Safety Kate Wilkinson is against mandatory addition of folic acid in bread, yet claims her hands have been tied by the previous Labour govt in this joint food standard with Australia. But what is there to fear by at least delaying the implementation in light of new evidence? This is the health of our citizens in question. Ms Wilkinson says "We have to abide by the rules, we have to do it within the system, within the joint regulatory system, and we're doing it ... It doesn't set a good example if just because we don't like a decision we decide to break the law."
I'm sorry, if keeping to the law endangers the health and lives of members of your nation, that law should damn well be broken.
The UK and Ireland were set to add folic acid to bread and they've both halted implementation of the regulation due to the new risk data.
And really what would be the repercussions of stopping folic acid being added to our bread? The bakers damn well don't want to add it. Over 80% of New Zealander's don't want it added. The risks haven't been proven. Nor has the real world benefits. The minister herself doesn't even want to go through with it. So why is she? Australia's reaction? Is that it? Is that the best answer our government can give us? Green MP Sue Kedgley made the astute point that in this issue, New Zealand had lost part of its sovereignty (national soverignty being a nations ability to make its own decisions with out interferance, lost here by either pressure from big brother Australia or a weak government frightened by big brother Oz).
From time to time when I'm not too lazy, I bake my own bread. I think this is going to become a far more regular occurance. I am a woman of childbearing age, so technically I'm in the group to benefit (well the group to benefit is pregnant women, and EVEN THEN only the very very small minority who are at risk of concieving when they are not getting enough folic acid from other sources and EVEN THEN of that group the tiny number who could go on to develop birth defects). Basically I'm going to bake my own out of protest, much like those who attatch a filter to their tap. They're set to benefit, but opt out anyway. That and a home that smells of fresh baked bread is just wonderful. And then there's the issue of preservative avoidance.....
Other great places to get folic acid =
Pretty much all leafy vegetables which are dark green in colour
Chick peas
Black eyed peas
Asparagus
Avocado
Whole wheat (bread and pasta)
Wheat germ
Lentils
Pinto beans
Sunflower seeds
fortified breakfast cereals
Orange, pineapple and grapefruit juice
aaaaaaaand liver
Yum.
To the issue I actually want to talk on: folic acid in all bread (this is about to be mandatory in Australia and NZ from September, with the exclusion of organic bread)
Tooth decay = everyone. Projected number of birth defects that supposedly will be prevented by addition of folic acid to bread = 14
14!
Population of NZ from the Statistics NZ population clock = 4,318,639
So 4,318,639 are being mass medicated for the possible benefit of 14.
What. The. Fuck.
Bakers estimate that a pregnant woman would need to eat 11 slices of bread a day to get the recommended amount of folic acid to prevent those birth defects that are preventable by taking it. Seeing as not many people eat 11 slices of bread a day, the number of likely preventions comes down closer to around 3 if that. Bakers have also said that they can not garentee the same amount will be in every loaf. Folic acid in the past has been seen as a health benefit in other areas, not just pregnant women, but recent research has shown it to accelerate certain cancers. So as for the risk/benefit ratio the LA Times has a good story weighing it up. Our Minister of Food Safety Kate Wilkinson is against mandatory addition of folic acid in bread, yet claims her hands have been tied by the previous Labour govt in this joint food standard with Australia. But what is there to fear by at least delaying the implementation in light of new evidence? This is the health of our citizens in question. Ms Wilkinson says "We have to abide by the rules, we have to do it within the system, within the joint regulatory system, and we're doing it ... It doesn't set a good example if just because we don't like a decision we decide to break the law."
I'm sorry, if keeping to the law endangers the health and lives of members of your nation, that law should damn well be broken.
The UK and Ireland were set to add folic acid to bread and they've both halted implementation of the regulation due to the new risk data.
And really what would be the repercussions of stopping folic acid being added to our bread? The bakers damn well don't want to add it. Over 80% of New Zealander's don't want it added. The risks haven't been proven. Nor has the real world benefits. The minister herself doesn't even want to go through with it. So why is she? Australia's reaction? Is that it? Is that the best answer our government can give us? Green MP Sue Kedgley made the astute point that in this issue, New Zealand had lost part of its sovereignty (national soverignty being a nations ability to make its own decisions with out interferance, lost here by either pressure from big brother Australia or a weak government frightened by big brother Oz).
From time to time when I'm not too lazy, I bake my own bread. I think this is going to become a far more regular occurance. I am a woman of childbearing age, so technically I'm in the group to benefit (well the group to benefit is pregnant women, and EVEN THEN only the very very small minority who are at risk of concieving when they are not getting enough folic acid from other sources and EVEN THEN of that group the tiny number who could go on to develop birth defects). Basically I'm going to bake my own out of protest, much like those who attatch a filter to their tap. They're set to benefit, but opt out anyway. That and a home that smells of fresh baked bread is just wonderful. And then there's the issue of preservative avoidance.....
Other great places to get folic acid =
Pretty much all leafy vegetables which are dark green in colour
Chick peas
Black eyed peas
Asparagus
Avocado
Whole wheat (bread and pasta)
Wheat germ
Lentils
Pinto beans
Sunflower seeds
fortified breakfast cereals
Orange, pineapple and grapefruit juice
aaaaaaaand liver
Yum.