Center for Environmental and Toxicological Research
University of Puerto Rico,
Medical Sciences Campus
anitatibau@hotmail.com
For 16 years, Anita Vazquez Tibau diligently continues her International Advocacy and Activism, which include her published works and speaking engagements dedicated to the “Global Ban on Toxic Mercury.” Of Puerto Rican heritage, Anita is deeply immersed in ensuring all Latin American countries are also included in her educational process.
She has parlayed her passion for social justice into changing “toxic substance” laws and has therefore dedicated her life as a spokesperson, panelist, advisor, policy activist, grass roots organizer, and wellness conference coordinator.
For well over a decade, Anita Vazquez Tibau has consistently participated in government legislative hearings and legal proceedings concerning the dangers of mercury, a known neuro-toxin, its disclosure in Amalgam usage for dental fillings, and the inclusion of poisonous mercury as the primary ingredient in its production.
Anita uses forensic investigation techniques to assemble her research. Her work includes: peer reviewed scientific literature, assembling of attorneys, scientists, activists, politicians and community outreach in bringing “toxic mercury” awareness to a health problem that affects millions of people around the globe. Her language abilities include English, Portuguese and conversational Spanish.
In 2002, she attended the United Nations Environmental Programmes (UNEP), Global Mercury Assessment, which would later become the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) and concluded with the Minamata Convention on Mercury Treaty. She subsequently attended all of the UNEP, INC sessions as well as several sub-regional meetings all related to the Minamata Convention on Mercury Treaty.
At the final session, she drafted the closing statement on behalf of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) and presented this statement at the plenary to the entire delegation. During all of the sessions, Anita networked and educated many of the delegates on the dangers of toxic mercury in dentistry and introduced the organization IAOMT, as the global leaders of mercury free/mercury safe dentistry to the delegates.
During the UNEP mercury negotiations, she and her colleagues of the IAOMT developed the Technical Assistance Programme (TAP), which was designed to transition all countries out of the use of toxic dental mercury using safe mercury removal protocols and proper handling of dental office mercury waste.
At the close of the Minamata Convention on Mercury Treaty, Anita announced the first TAP workshop that was held immediately after in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. This country was chosen because Brasil has more dental schools than the United States and the European Union combined. Brasil also graduates more dentists than any other country except India. Anita’s close associates provided the entrance into Brasil to start the “toxic mercury” education process in this vitally important country. Since the first workshop, Anita and her colleagues have gone back to Brasil and created a national campaign holding 3 more workshops in key cities, as well as one university workshop.
Anita Vazquez Tibau has participated in US talk radio programs from KPFK, to the Pacifica radio network in Los Angeles. Her work has also been featured in various newspapers and magazines both nationally and internationally. In addition, Anita has lectured on the nutritional awareness and the dangers of “toxic mercury” at numerous holistic health expos and the US NAACP western conference.
Anita’s published articles include her works in the Dental Tribune International a global leader in dental news that currently includes more than 130 print publications and multiple websites that reach more than 650,000 dentists in more than 90 countries and 27 languages. (See links below).