US gov't calls for amalgam phase out!

[Guest guest]

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.â€

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:

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!

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.â€

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

(“ARTâ€) – 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.â€

-- 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. "

[Guest guest]

If they ³phase out² amalgams the way they¹ve ³phased out² thimerosal....I¹ll

bet we won¹t notice any difference!

Janet

On 4/5/11 6:12 PM, " Shepard Salzer " <_Shepard@...> wrote:

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> 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 ³phase

> down, with the goal of eventual phase out by all Parties, of mercury amalgam.²

> This statement ­ a radical reversal of its former position that ³any change

> toward the use of dental amalgam is likely to result in positive public health

> outcomes² ­ is part of the U.S. government¹s 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:

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

> to ³phase down² 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!

>

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

> recommending that the nations ³educat[e] patients and parents in order to

> protect children and fetuses.²

>

> 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? It¹s 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 ³phase

> downs² 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

> (³ART²) ­ can cost less than amalgam and will increase access to dental care

> particularly in developing countries.

>

> For now though, let¹s mark this watershed in the mercury-free dentistry

> movement: the debate has shifted from ³whether to end amalgam² to ³how to end

> amalgam.²

>

> -- 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/Unite

> d%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. "

>

>

>

>