Re: Consumers for Dental Choice - US Govt Calls for Amalgam Phase-out

[Guest guest]

Nice to hear.. . Thanks for posting this, all that have. I figure it's things

moving in the right direction by as much

Mike

>

> [forwarded from Consumers for Dental Choice]

>

> U.S. government calls for the phase-out of amalgam!

>

> In an extraordinary development that will change the global debate about

> amalgam, the United States government has announced that it supports a

> " phase down, with the goal of eventual phase out by all Parties, of

> mercury amalgam. " This statement – a radical reversal of its former

> position that " any change toward the use of dental amalgam is likely to

> result in positive public health outcomes " – is part of the U.S.

> government's submission for the upcoming third round of negotiations for

> the world mercury treaty.*

>

> While couched in diplomatic hedging – remember it is still early in the

> negotiations – this new U.S. position makes three significant

> breakthroughs for the mercury-free dentistry movement:

>

> 1. The U.S. calls for the phase-out of amalgam ultimately and recommends

> actions to " phase down " its use immediately. Incredibly, the government

> adopted three actions that the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry

> and Consumers for Dental Choice proposed at the negotiating session in

> Chiba, Japan. Our key ally, The Mercury Policy Project, laid the

> groundwork for this success at a World Health Organization meeting in 2009!

>

> 2. The U.S. speaks up for protecting children and the unborn from

> amalgam, recommending that the nations " educat[e] patients and parents

> in order to protect children and fetuses. "

>

> 3. The U.S. stands up for the human right of every patient and parent to

> make educated decisions about amalgam.

>

> What does this mean? Our position – advocating the phase-out of amalgam

> – is now the mainstream because the U.S. government supports it. Who is

> the outlier now? It's the pro-mercury faction, represented by the World

> Dental Federation and the American Dental Association. With the U.S.

> continuing its leadership role in this treaty, we will broadcast the

> U.S. position to other governments around the world, encouraging them to

> support amalgam " phase downs " leading to phase-outs not only globally,

> but within each of their countries.

>

> We applaud the U.S. government. But tough work lies ahead. For example,

> we must demonstrate to the world that the available alternatives – such

> as composites and the adhesive materials used in atraumatic restorative

> treatment ( " ART " ) – can cost less than amalgam and will increase access

> to dental care particularly in developing countries.

>

> For now though, let's mark this watershed in the mercury-free dentistry

> movement: the debate has shifted from " whether to end amalgam " to " how

> to end amalgam. "

>

> -- Charlie

>

> G. Brown

> National Counsel, Consumers for Dental Choice

> President, World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry

> 5 April 2011

>

> * The full text of the U.S. submission is available at

>

http://www.unep.org/hazardoussubstances/Portals/9/Mercury/Documents/INC3/United%\

20States.pdf

> Here is the excerpt on amalgam:

>

> " We are aware that several delegations at INC-2 suggested mercury

> amalgam should not be included in Annex C, noting a number of

> difficulties and complexities related to this issue. The United States

> supports further consideration of dental amalgam by the INC such that

> the agreement is able to achieve the phase down, with the goal of

> eventual phase out by all Parties, of mercury amalgam upon the

> development and availability of affordable, viable alternatives. To the

> extent that Annex C is not structured to accomplish such a goal, the

> United States believes that a number of obligations could be considered

> within an appropriate operative paragraph of the agreement itself. Such

> a paragraph could commit Parties to phase down the use of mercury

> amalgam or address mercury releases through conducting and promoting

> further research on alternatives, mandating the use of separators in

> dental offices, promoting and incentivizing prevention strategies,

> educating patients and parents in order to protect children and fetuses,

> and training of dental professionals on the environmental impacts of

> mercury in dental amalgams, and to report on their progress in doing so

> to inform the Conference of the Parties on the progress being made to

> phase down amalgam use. "

>

>

> Our mailing address is:

> Consumers for Dental Choice

> 316 F St., N.E.

> Suite 210

> Washington, DC 20002

>