Report Title:

Fluoridation; Health and Safety Concerns; DOH Study

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

175

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2001

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

requesting the department of health and THE HAWAII CITIZENS FOR HEALTH, to conduct a definitive study on the effectiveness of fluoridation that also addresses concerns relating to the health and safety of fluoridating Hawaii’s drinking water.

 

 

WHEREAS, poor oral health among children and vulnerable adult populations is among the most widespread and pressing public health problems identified in Hawaii. Affecting most Hawaii residents at one time or another, tooth decay causes pain, loss of productivity at school and work, expensive treatment, and the risk of severe, even life-threatening infection; and

WHEREAS, based upon Department of Health (DOH) Dental Health Division's findings in 1999 among public elementary school children statewide, children in Hawaii have tooth decay (dental caries) rates that far exceed those documented on the continental United States; and

WHEREAS, at an average of 3.9 decayed teeth per child, the rate of dental caries among children ages five through nine in Hawaii is 2.1 times the last published United States national average of 1.9; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii's dental caries prevalence rate is among the highest in the nation with rates among Hawaii's native Hawaiians (4.2) and Filipinos (5.5) exceeding the national average by 2.2 and 2.9 times, respectively; and

WHEREAS, community water fluoridation is considered the basis for all community health strategies aimed at reducing oral disease prevalence and disparities; and

WHEREAS, identified by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as one of the top ten greatest public health achievements of the past century, community water fluoridation benefits children and adults equally and has a demonstrated cost to benefit ratio of 1:80. That is, for every $1 spent on community water fluoridation, the public will experience $80 in savings related to reduced dental treatment expenses; and

WHEREAS, comprehensive studies released this year by the University of York in Great Britain, New Zealand Ministry of Health, University of West Florida, the Texas State Legislature, and United States Surgeon General Doctor David Satcher conclude that community water fluoridation is safe, effective, economical, and beneficial for people of all ages. Findings include significantly lower dental treatment costs associated with the Texas Medicaid program in fluoridated communities and increased bone density with reduced risk of fracture among older American women residing long-term in fluoridated communities; and

WHEREAS, nationally, an estimated 145,000,000 Americans currently benefit from optimally fluoridated drinking water; and

WHEREAS, in 1987, the Legislature considered fluoridating water in Hawaii but did not enact legislation to do so even though DOH testified at the time that there was overwhelming evidence that fluoridation was beneficial, especially benefiting children and the poor; and

WHEREAS, in an article appearing in the Honolulu Advertiser on February 9, 1990, DOH reversed its opinion and expressed doubt whether the tooth decay-fighting chemical should be added to Hawaii’s drinking water after a federal study linked fluoride with bone cancer; and

WHEREAS, before legislation is adopted to require fluoridation of Hawaii’s drinking water, DOH must conduct a definitive study to clarify its own position to the Legislature, and to address concerns raised related to the health and safety of fluoridating the public water system; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2001, the Senate concurring, that DOH and the Hawaii Citizens for Health (HCH), are requested to conduct a definitive study on the effectiveness of fluoridation that also addresses concerns relating to the health and safety of fluoridating Hawaii’s drinking water; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DOH and HCH are requested to address the following concerns in their study:

(1) Public education and awareness efforts in communities;

(2) Environmental concerns, such as wastewater run-off and the effects of fluoridation on plants, flowers, animals, reefs, and marine life;

(3) Lack of United States Food and Drug Administration approval;

(4) Lack of Environmental Protection Agency approval;

(5) The effects on children and adults with chemical sensitivity;

(6) Monitoring levels of fluoridation;

(7) The breakdown of the prevalence of dental caries and dental diseases among the different ethnic groups in the State of Hawaii;

(8) Other problems, side effects, or illnesses that may be attributed to fluoridation of the water system; and

(9) The concerns of those in opposition to fluoridation, including the Hawaii Coalition for Health;

and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DOH and HCH are requested to include in their study:

(1) An examination of studies of other cities, states, and countries that have had fluoridated water for many years;

(2) An examination of military bases, housing, and installations throughout the State of Hawaii which already use fluoridated water and the effects of fluoridation; and

(3) The cost of implementation and the method and source of funding;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of Health is requested to submit findings and recommendations, including proposed legislation, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2002; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health and the President of the Hawaii Citizens for Health.