Our teammates in the European Union are gearing up for a showdown against the pro-mercury forces as the European Parliament prepares to consider a total phase-out of amalgam. A creative strategy is needed in the pivotal country of Germany, and our German colleagues are up to the task! They just launched the Bonn Declaration to End Dental Amalgam, a resolution calling on their federal government to…
- phase out amalgam use by 2025
- ensure that insurance fully covers mercury-free alternatives to amalgam
More than 50 German organizations and researchers signed on. The nation's leading newspaper, the Frankfurt Allgemeine Zeitung, ran a great story headlined with the words "Amalgam Aus" (Amalgam Out)!
The Bonn Declaration was modeled after the Chicago Declaration to End Dental Industry Mercury Use, which was signed by major U.S. environmental, health, and rights organizations. The Chicago Declaration led to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's new recommendations against amalgam use in women who are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding; children; people with neurological disease; and people with kidney impairments.
Our Chicago Declaration in turn was modeled after the Abuja (Nigeria) Declaration for Mercury-Free Dentistry for Africa an Amalgam-Free Africa, whichpropelled the African Region into leading the drive for phasing out amalgam at the Minamata Convention talks. These synergies mean that the international campaign for mercury-free dentistry helps our U.S. campaign – and vice versa!
Consumers for Dental Choice will be working to make sure the Bonn Declaration has an even greater impact: an amalgam phase-out in Germany and the European Union that will reverberate worldwide!