The not-so-hidden politics of fluoridation
- UK : Policy Press, july. 2005
Fluoridation of public drinking water supplies has been an ongoing source of debate involving numerous actors including central and local governments, both internationally and in New Zealand. This article outlines the impact of restructuring on the political and health sector, and critiques the arguments used by political actors to justify certain processes of public participation and decision-making practices within the wider context of increasing distrust of science and political authority. The empirical material is drawn from a research project for the Ministry of Health, New Zealand, that explored and assessed factors affecting council decision making in relation to fluoridation