Debate #2 Speech

Here is the speech for my second debate perfomred in Research Class. I was on the 'Con' side and the statement was, "Smoking cessation counselling should be included in the dental hygienists scope of practice."

I was in a group of 7 people and this was my part I verbalized.

Dear ladies and gentle, honourable judges. There is a beast which we need to slay in this debate. A beast which is driving this statement forward, “that HPV vaccinations should be mandatory for all females.”


This beast does not take the forefront, on its drive to inoculate the females of the world, but creeps behind the scenes pulling on the puppet strings of government and loading the pockets of publicly trusted societies with crisp dollar bills.

But how does this creature use its influence? First it draws strength from a fundamental human feeling... FEAR! The fear in this case is caused by the possibility of getting cervical cancer. (Now we are not up here to show disrespect to anyone suffering from this or any other cancer. But we are here to show to you that the statement set in front of use is fruitless, unnecessary, and tarnished with too many questions and not enough answers.) And that lying in the shadows is a creature that wishes to grow bigger and more powerful under the idea this statement brings forth.

I am sure you all heard of the pandemic surrounding H1N1! But have you heard of the Cervical Cancer epidemic caused by HPV? The fact is, that despite the fancy print ads and heart gripping TV commercials for the HPV vaccination, Cervical Cancer is not an epidemic!! In 2008, the Canadian cancer society ranked cervical cancer, 13thon its list of common diagnosed cancers, and in 2009 it dropped to 20th place. So why is the government rushing to roll out a universal vaccination campaign when the prevalence and mortality rates of cervical cancer has been declining?

Is there a possible collaboration between the Canadian Government and Merck-Frosst, the developers of Gardasil? In 2007 Texas Governor, Rick Perry, and eight other lawmakers received $5000 from Merck-Frosst lobbyist, before they made the HPV vaccination mandatory for females. In the case of Canada, evidence has not proven the two to be bed partners, but the rate at which the vaccine was approved seems mind blowing. In July 2006 Health Canada approved Gardasil, in January 2007 the National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommended the inoculation of all girls between the ages of 9 –13 with the vaccine and in March 2007 the Federal Budget passed, which designated $300 million to a national HPV vaccination program.

In the 3 years since the start of the program, the beast, Merck-Frosst has gained more than 2 billion dollars in profit! To enhance their earnings Merck-Frosst also gave the publically trusted “Society for Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada” a grant worth 1.5 million dollars, in order to educate the public on the possible benefits of receiving the Gardasil HPV vaccination. By hiding behind the stage, Merck has been able to side step Canadian regulations which prohibit pharmaceutical companies from advertising directly to the customer.

So should it be mandatory for all women to receive the HPV vaccination? If you ask the pharmaceutical company, they would say YES! But that’s because they’re the only ones that have something to GAIN! We, the ‘Cons,’ empower you to take up arms, destroy this statement, burry the beast, and be home for dinner!