Report Title:

Fluoride legislation; moratorium

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

139

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2001

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

REQUESTING THAT THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII AGREE TO A MORATORIUM ON FLUORIDATION LEGISLATION UNTIL SUCH A TIME AS THE ISSUE OF FLUORIDATION, WHICH IS CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION BY CONGRESS, SHOULD BE DEBATED BY THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES AND/OR LITIGATED IN THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT, AND THOSE FINDINGS ARE PUBLISHED.

 

WHEREAS, approximately 30 bills regarding water fluoridation have been brought before the legislature in the past 45 years without success of passage; and

WHEREAS, the frequent introduction of bills has required disproportionate amounts of precious legislative time, significant taxpayers' dollars, government workers' time, significant expenditures of lobbying money by the Department of Health, and financial resources of many senior citizens and other individual citizens who are strongly opposed to such legislation; and

WHEREAS, the County of Hawaii (Big Island) passed a referendum in 1974 to stop fluoridation by a ratio of about 10 to 1; and

WHEREAS, the introduction of industrial grade fluoridation chemicals with heavy metal impurities such as arsenic and lead raises serious questions on long term health concerns since arsenic alone is acknowledged to cause six cancers (prostate, skin, bladder, kidney liver and lung), hormonal changes (e.g. diabetes), and numerous other problems; and

WHEREAS, no chemical should be added to the drinking water for the purpose of medical or dental treatment without thorough assessment and clinical study of adverse effects on all susceptible individuals; and

WHEREAS, no chemical should be added to the drinking water without a full environmental impact study to determine the effect on our flora, fauna, aquamarine industries and the numerous endangered species unique to Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, many of the studies available on the issue have not been properly reviewed and considered; and

WHEREAS, the issue of fluoridation, which is currently under investigation by Congress, should be debated by the Congress of the United States and/or litigated in the United States Supreme Court, who would have access to expert witnesses, technical resources, and various government data and agencies far beyond the reach of state and county elected officials, and can better research and determine the feasibility 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 both bodies are requested to agree to a moratorium on the artificial fluoridation of any drinking water in the State of Hawaii and the introduction of any water fluoridation legislation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this moratorium should remain in effect until such time that the following two conditions are met:

(1) A law is passed by the Congress of the United States to require mandatory fluoridation for the entire country or the issue of fluoridation safety and effectiveness is ruled upon by the United States Supreme Court;

and

(2) The fluoridation chemical(s) proposed for use have been tested and approved as safe, and effective for the purpose for which it is to be added, by the United States Food and Drug Administration.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________