Following a long, drawn-out legal battle, plaintiffs in a case against water fluoridation successfully argued that it simply does not make sense to continue lacing public water supplies with fluoride chemicals.
"Plaintiffs have proven, by a preponderance of the evidence, that water fluoridation at the level of 0.7 mg/L - the prescribed optimal level of fluoridation in the United States - presents an 'unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment,'" the judge ruled in the case.
Across New Zealand, most fluoridated water supplies fluoridate at a level of 0.85 mg/L, with some councils fluoridating even higher at the top-end amount of one part per million (1 ppm) of fluoride.
(Related: Did you know that fluoride does absolutely nothing to protect teeth from cavities, despite what public health authorities claim?)
Drawing from a pool benchmark dose analysis carried out by renowned toxicologist Prof. Philipe Grandjean, who is famous for his work on mercury neurotoxicity, the judge highlighted the fact that drinking fluoridated water causes a child's IQ to drop.
"The pooled benchmark dose analysis concluded that a 1-point drop in IQ of a child is to be expected for each 0.28 mg/L of fluoride in a pregnant mother's urine," the judge explained. "This is highly concerning, because maternal urinary fluoride levels for pregnant mothers in the United States range from 0.8 mg/L at the median and 1.89 mg/L depending upon the degree of exposure."
"Not only is there an insufficient margin between the hazard level and these exposure levels, for many, the exposure levels exceed the hazard level of 0.28 mg/L."
Other research confirmed that people who drink fluoridated water show noteworthy levels of fluoride in their urine. In New Zealand's Palmerston North, which is fully fluoridated, test subjects showed levels of fluoride in their urine at 0/82 mg/L.
Mothers who drink fluoridated water while pregnant were shown to give birth to children with sustained central nervous system damage that likewise results in lowered IQ and symptoms of ADHD, anxiety, and / or depression.
Dr. Diana Sarfati, New Zealand's Director-General of Health, now has the option to completely call off all water fluoridation efforts across the country in order to protect the nation's citizens, and especially its children. The question remains: will she do it?
Fluoride Free New Zealand has created a petition that it is urging people to sign calling for an end to all water fluoridation in New Zealand. Be sure to check it out and sign!
"It's a good sign, but it needs to go to the top supreme court to be valid and implemented," tweeted someone on social media in response to the news.
Others here in the United States shared Fluoride Free NZ's tweet about the court ruling with their own politicians - one this writer saw shared it with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for his consideration - so perhaps they, too, will take similar action.
"They're still poisoning us with the death shots, so they're not going to stop poisoning our water," tweeted another with a more skeptical take on the situation.
"All those of us that stood against fluoridation were called all kinds of nasty crap," added Counterspin Media NZ to the conversation. "It may have been because those that targeted us, were themselves affected by lower IQ?"
More related news about the dangers of fluoride consumption and exposure can be found at Fluoride.news.