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UK Against Fluoridation

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

USA - Your children's dental health in decline; sugary diet cited

Your children's dental health in decline; sugary diet cited
By Tina Shah | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
July 31, 2007
Dental health has improved greatly for most Americans over the past 30 years, but dentists are seeing a surprising increase in tooth decay in young children, partly because of sugary foods, according to a new federal report. The report, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that children ages 2 to 5 are lagging in part because of health-care insurance access and socioeconomic factors. But sweet foods, snacks and drinks are the primary culprit, researchers said. "Sodas are a no-no!" said Jupiter dentist Gilda Alonzo. "I don't want to see them drinking sodas."
Twenty-eight percent of kids in this age group had tooth decay in baby teeth, from 1999 and 2004, compared with 24 percent a decade earlier. Meanwhile, tooth decay has declined in teens and adults since the late 1980s. Dentists say that having cavities in baby teeth can make children more prone to decay in their permanent teeth.
Researchers also found that some minorities and low-income people have higher rates of tooth decay than other Americans. Dentists also reported placing 8 percent more dental sealants in children ages 2 to 11 to protect against tooth decay than a decade earlier. Dentists in Broward and Palm Beach counties advise families to brush often and eat right to prevent decay before it becomes a problem. Jason P. Hirsch, a pediatric dentist in Plantation, said nine of 10 times tooth decay is because of poor diets. "A 4-year-old should not be in charge of his own health," said Hirsch, whose office sees as many as 100 kids on Saturdays.
Parents need to monitor their children's sugar intake, snacking and the consumption of processed foods, he said. Hirsch recommends that kids drink milk and fluoridated water and stay away from juices and sodas high in sugar.
Studies show adding fluoride to water leads to stronger teeth less prone to tooth decay, according to Michael Easley, dental coordinator at Florida's Department of Health. Water intake provides more than half the recommended daily dose of fluoride; foods like spinach and seafood are also good sources...........................

USA - West Virginia fairs poorly

Video News

Lawmakers Chew on Solutions to Dental Health Problems in West Virginia
Posted Sunday, July 29, 2007 ; 04:57 PM
Updated Sunday, July 29, 2007 ; 07:27 PM
It is just one of many topics they tackled this weekend during interim committee meetings.
Story by Nicky Walters Email | Bio
CHARLESTON -- Interim committee meeting wrapped up Sunday evening at the state Capitol, and lawmakers are looking for ways to improve the state's oral health.
West Virginia fairs poorly when compared to other states in the areas of cavities and tooth decay. Delegates and senators met with experts to come up with prevention plans and ways to bring more dentists to the Mountain State.
"It is a chance to study issues that might lead to legislative action when the session begins," said Delegate Dave Higgins, a Democrat from Kanawha County.
Usually interim committee meetings are scheduled Sunday through Tuesday.
This weekend, lawmakers tried out a new plan. They started on Friday and wrapped up Sunday.

West Virginia is 91.5% fluoridated: NYSCOF

USA - Not very cheerful

A plug for Dr mercola but he is right in many respects. The first who said Mercury was in all fish and the sun is good for you.

Monday, July 30, 2007

Australia - Fluoride fight hopes fade

Fluoride fight hopes fade
SARAH SCOPELIANOS
July 30, 2007
CALLS for a referendum on the controversial fluoride issue in Warrnambool won't succeed because the city council has no power to hold one and the state health department says the deal is already done.A request to hold a public meeting and explore the council's powers to hold a referendum came from Warrnambool Fluoride Action Group member Peter Sycopoulis who is alarmed by the lack of community consultation on the decision.
Mr Sycopoulis asked councillors a fortnight ago, before the decision, at a council meeting when and how the community would be consulted on fluoride. The Department of Human Services which announced Allansford, Warrnambool and Koroit would have fluoridated water supplies told The Standard ``the decision is made''. Warrnambool City chief Lindsay Merritt said the council had no authority to conduct a referendum and could only hold a survey.
He said a move to do that was unlikely because it was a State Government decision. Department of Human Services spokesman Bram Alexander said information had already been distributed informing the community. ``The decision is made. I wouldn't think there would be a hold on it,'' Mr Alexander said. Few calls to the department's 1800 hotline or letters were against the proposal for Warrnambool, he said.
Mr Sycopoulis said the department's claims that the community had and would be consulted were a joke.
''We're on the back foot and it's a bigger fight and it will be a fight to the death,'' he said. Action group member Peter Hulin is equally alarmed by the lack of balanced information. Several councillors told The Standard the health plan was unlikely to be overturned and public meetings didn't need to be called by councillors.

USA - Vail, Colorado, is fluoridated: NYSCOF

Free dental work frees smiles
Vail Daily Online
July 27
EDWARDS - Daisy Alarcon was undergoing several painful drilling procedures that would make most adults cringe, but the six-year-old remained the model patient."Open wide like a tiger!" said dental assistant Kirsten Hoffman. EDWARDS - Daisy Alarcon was undergoing several painful drilling procedures that would make most adults cringe, but the six-year-old remained the model patient.
"Open wide like a tiger!" said dental assistant Kirsten Hoffman.
Daisy, of Edwards, needs seven pulpotomies, or root canals, and this may be her only chance to get the procedure done without charge.
In June, 190 area children between the ages of 5 and 18 received free dental screenings, and now many of those patients are receiving free treatment from the Colorado Smile Makers program's mobile dental clinic.

Sunday, July 29, 2007

How healthy are you?


Poodwaddle.com

Alaska - Letter

Please consider the fluoridation facts
I am writing this letter in response to all of the misinformed articles I have been reading lately. Have any of you people out there even done any research on fluoride at all? The Environmental Protection Agency lists lead as a toxic substance with a classification of three to four (the higher the number, the more toxic) and fluoride is listed a solid four.
The maximum contaminant level for lead is set at 0.015 parts per million and the current level for fluoride is 4 parts per million, 350 times higher than lead. It is one of the most bone seeking elements known to man. Why do you think there is a poison control label on fluoridated toothpaste?
Drinking bottled water is not the answer as human skin is a sponge and every time you shower, bathe or even go swimming you are soaking up toxic waste through your skin. Fluoride has a cumulative effect in the human body and builds up over time, causing all kinds of health problems ranging from arthritis to cancer and a wide range of things in between including osteoporosis. For years, it was only approved as a rat poison and insecticide as it is a toxic byproduct of fertilizer manufacturing. The shipping containers, to this day, have a skull and cross bones on them. Only five grams will kill an adult human.
Do some research and make an informed decision when the issue is put on the ballot. I don't have any children, but I pay to put everyone else's children through school. How about you parents out there that want your children to take fluoride give them fluoride drops every day, let them use fluoridated toothpaste and please stop poisoning me. Teach your children good oral hygiene and watch what they eat, and it will do more good than fluoride ever will.

Steven Church
Juneau

USA - Letter: Article misrepresented effects of fluoridation

When we read a recent letter by Minnesota Dental Association Executive Director Dick Diercks, we were stunned.The information stated in the article was certainly misguided, containing misinformation and vital omissions. As a dental association representative, Mr. Diercks may want to familiarize himself with some credible research on the health effects of fluoridation — a practice he states, "benefits everyone." The National Research Council completed an extensive 2006 report on fluoridation. It is the same organization commissioned by the EPA to determine major policy. The panel identified many research studies in which animals or humans drinking water close to, or even lower than, Minnesota's 1.2 parts per million level of fluoridation showed numerous adverse health effects.
These included: bone fractures, decreased thyroid function, impaired glucose tolerance (prediabetes), brain cell damage, lowered IQ, kidney damage, arthritic-like conditions, and symptoms characteristic of Alzheimer's disease and cancer.
The CDC quietly conceded, in 1999 and again in 2001, that the predominant benefit of fluoride in reducing tooth decay is topical and not systemic.
The source for this statistic comes from http://keepersofthewell.org. To the extent fluoride works to reduce tooth decay, it works from the outside of the tooth, not from inside the body.

It makes no sense to drink it and expose the rest of the body to the long-term risks of fluoride ingestion when fluoridated toothpaste is readily available. This is comparable to swallowing sunscreen to prevent sunburn!
Unfortunately, little of the documented information cited above is broadly publicized. The phrase used by fluoridation promoters, "one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century," might provide a good sound bite — despite its unfounded dissemination of science.
Why is it this way?

Appeal

If any water operators, engineers or supervisors are opposed to water fluoridation for the safety of their employees or for other reasons, please contact us offline (or online if you want)
NYSCOF nyscof@aol.com
Fluoride Action Network
http://www.FluorideAction.Net
Fluoridation 101

UK - The daily super pill all men over 50 should take to avoid heart attacks

..................Introduced in the late Eighties, statins can, in rare cases, cause muscle pain and liver problems, leading some doctors to argue that the risk of the side-effects outweighs the benefits of the drugs for those not showing symptoms of heart disease. "With statins the downside is about as low as I have seen with any drug, but there is some downside,' added Professor Weissberg.
"You need to accrue quite a lot of information from clinical trials, but also from experience, before you take the sort of approach of putting fluoride in tap water."
Statins, which are thought to save up to 10,000 lives a year, are currently prescribed to survivors of heart attacks and strokes and to those whose cholesterol is much higher than normal.
However, doctors are being urged to prescribe them more widely, with new guidelines recommending they are handed out to all adults judged to have a one in five chance of developing heart disease in the next decade. Doing this would take the number of patients on the drugs to around six million and the annual bill to over £1billion.

Save us all from the crazy Medics. You can keep the Statins I'd rather take my chance with a good diet and healthy exercise. We all have to die of something and sometimes I think the people who die early from heart attacks are lucky compared to many who end up dribbling and incontinent in an old folks home.

USA - Fluoridation – Just Say No!

Fluoridation – Just Say No!
Ian Brockwell
Ian Brockwell is the creator of Profindsearch.com and interests include writing, teaching, politics, climate change, UFO reports, businesses of all descriptions, medicine and generally trying to enjoy life.
July 28, 2007
Having been one of those people who always believed that fluoridation was good for you (that's what they told us!), it came as quite a shock to discover that this is not the case.
After reading some incredible information on this subject, created by Dennis Stevenson, and provided on a very convenient single page, I felt it was my duty to help let others know about this.
The one page sheet is called “12 Reasons to reject fluoridation!” and you can help to spread the word by copying this information and sending it to your friends, newspapers, magazines etc. You can also distribute this page to: Members of Parliament, local government, radio, television and the print media, law enforcement officers, lawyers and court officials, armed forces, scientists, universities, schools, colleges, libraries, at conventions, election rallies, to celebrities, authors, health campaigners and any others who you feel may be able to help take some action on this problem.

Please copy and distribute the following information as you see it. Thanks.

12 Reasons to reject fluoridation!

For over 100 years, science and medicine have understood the poisonous nature of fluoride. In the 1930's and 40's, giant US companies, e.g. ALCOA, were sued for millions of dollars due to toxic fluoride waste escaping from factory smokestacks killing crops and livestock. ALCOA's owners (Mellon) figured that if people could be persuaded fluoride isn't poisonous but is good for teeth, profits could be protected. So, to introduce water fluoridation, they hired the brilliant 'father of propaganda' Edward L. Bernays. Joined later by other fluoride polluting industries (e.g. nuclear) and the multi-billion dollar sugar, toothpaste, confectionary and soft drink industries, they became strong financial supporters of dental associations that promoted fluoridation. One such support group, the Dental Health Education & Research Foundation (DHERF) was founded in Australia in 1962. Its Governors, Members and donors comprised key representatives from Coca-Cola, CSR, Kelloggs, Colgate-Palmolive, Wrigleys, Arnotts, Scanlens, Cadbury Schweppes, etc.

The following 12 points require no expertise in fluoride toxicity, just common sense.

1. Only parents or individuals have the right to decide if they or their children take drugs. This point should end the debate on compulsory fluoridation. (The U.S. Food and Drug Administration show fluoride isn't a food, nutrient or dietary supplement: "Sodium fluoride used for therapeutic effect *[e.g. water fluoridation] would be a drug, not a mineral nutrient." F.D.A. 1963).

2. Claiming fluoride is natural, as it is found in the Earth's crust or water, is misleading. So is arsenic, mercury and other poisons. The fluoride chemical used for fluoridation in Australia is untreated toxic waste captured inside fertiliser factory smokestacks.

3. Doctors have legal and medical restrictions in prescribing drugs. A patient's medical history, age, weight, sex, allergic reactions, other drugs taken and illnesses must be determined. After an adequate medical examination, scripts must be for a specific person, drug, duration and dose - never 'take some whenever you're thirsty'. Harmful side-effects must be explained. You have the right to refuse! These 14 safety requirements are vital. All are ignored with fluoridation.

4. The World Health Organisation's (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer, reports sodium silicofluoride [as used for fluoridation in Australia] as, "... an insecticide, fungicide, bactericide and rodenticide [rat poison] ... [and] a fluoridating agent for municipal drinking-water. ... The Commission of the European Communities (1978) requires that sodium silicofluoride be labelled as toxic by inhalation, in contact with the skin or if swallowed." I.A.R.C. Monograph on the Evaluation of the Carcinogenic Risk of Chemicals to Humans, 27-4-82, p 250.


5. Fluoride deaths. In a 5 month court case of world experts in Pittsburgh 1978, scientists, led by Dr Burk, a US National Cancer Institute founder and its Chief Chemist for 35 years, proved fluoridation **kills 10,000 yearly (cancer), admitted by opponents under cross-examination. In Brisbane, 2 year old **Jason Burton died after taking 6 fluoride pills. His death certificate states, 'Fluoride poisoning'. In New York, 3 year old **William Kennerly died from a 'fluoride rinse' at a dentist. The Court awarded US$750,000.

6. Fluoridation is undemocratic. We've rejected fluoridation in over 90% of referendums with votes as high as 98% against. Now, referendums are denied us.

7. Fluoridation does not reduce decay. Few (4%) countries are fluoridated yet nearly all have decades of falling decay rates, including all 10 (unfluoridated) in west continental Europe. WHO (www.whocollab.od.mah.se)1. Also, decay was reducing decades before fluoridation, e.g. NZ school records since 1930 show steep decay reductions for 25-35 years before fluoridation.

8. Fluoride is so toxic it causes fluorosis, a disease of constant 'whole body' fluoride poisoning. Its first sign is chalky white mottling of teeth called dental fluorosis. Teeth can also fracture, pit or become dark brown. This irreversible, disfiguring tooth decay is the cellular break down of teeth. Australia's three major government fluoridation inquiries (Tas 1968, Vic 1979, ACT 89-91) all reported that up to 10% of children will get mottled teeth if water is fluoridated. In practice, mottling is as high as 48% (UK Govt. York Report, 2000). Dentists make $600-$1,200 per tooth to hide (cover) fluorosis.

9. Fluoridation aside, most other decay is due to a poor diet of lots of processed carbohydrates, e.g. we average 22 teaspoons of sugar a day. The only reason teeth get badly decayed is they weren't filled early enough as parents often can't pay the high costs charged by dentists (earning up to $500,000 a year).

10. Australian authorities often make mistakes. Fluoridation is claimed to be safe, but so was Arsenic, DDT, Thalidomide, Dioxin, Asbestos, Agent Orange, the Dalkon Shield, Deildrin, Mercury, Lead and more recently, Vioxx, all shown later to harm or kill people. But at least they weren't compulsory. Fluoridation is!

11. If someone tried to force us to take a pill every time we drank a glass of water, we'd suggest they go where it's eternally hot. The only real difference with fluoridation is that the pill is dissolved in the water before they make us take it.

12. Among experts, the controversy rages over fluoridation. Regardless of who's right, if the safety of any drug is so hugely controversial, doesn't common sense demand it not be used at all? Certainly not forced on millions of people for their whole life!

If fluoridation is forced onto any State, deaths and tooth decay will increase (search 'fluoride deaths', 'dental fluorosis' on the internet) and the ecosystem, other life forms and our rights will suffer.

ACTION: 1. Copy this page - as is. 2. Form a team. 3. Letterbox your electorate. 4. Display on notice boards/shops. 5. Tell representatives of your will. For a digital copy, email nofluoridation@aanet.com.au© 2006 Dennis Stevenson (07) 5594 2023 can help with fluoridation interviews, debates, talks, humour, workshops and campaign plans.

Dennis is a former Parliamentarian and Member of the ACT Legislative Assembly 'Fluoridation Inquiry' (1989-91). The majority of inquiry members would not report the scientific, medical, dental and court evidence received in worldwide submissions proving that fluoridation causes disease, deaths, tooth decay and is useless and environmentally destructive. Dennis put this evidence in a 177 page Dissenting Report, part of this major government report, but longer than the 131 page section which attempted to suppress the evidence.

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Alaska - Letter - Science supports fluoride

My turn: Science supports fluoride
MARILYN LINSELL
As a dental hygienist, who has been practicing for 37 years, I know the benefits of water fluoridation. There is much misinformation about fluoridation. Web sites and agencies that provide scientifically proven accurate facts about fluoridation are the American Dental Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Medical Association.
All water naturally contains fluoride. Fluoride is a natural element found in rocks, soil, in fresh water and in ocean water. Waters in and around the United States have natural fluoride levels that range from 0.1 to more than 12 parts per million.
The United States Public Health Service recommends water fluoridation. Fluoride when consumed by children through water fluoridation prevents decay during the tooth-forming years and by direct contact with teeth throughout life. Recent studies demonstrate that decay in adults is also reduced by fluoridation. Older Americans are especially susceptible to tooth decay because of exposed root surfaces and mouth dryness that may result from many medications. The most inexpensive way to deliver fluoride to all residents is through water fluoridation. When a community fluoridates its water, it adjusts the level of fluoride in the water to the optimal level for preventing tooth decay.
Since 1950, the ADA has endorsed water fluoridation as safe, effective and necessary in preventing tooth decay. In the U.S., approximately 170 million people benefit from water fluoridation. Nearly all tooth decay can be prevented when water fluoridation is combined with professional fluoride treatments, dental sealants and other fluoride products, such as toothpaste.
More than 60 years of research have shown that fluoridation at optimal levels does not harm people or the environment. The CDC has recognized fluoridation as one of one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century. It continues to support fluoridation and works with state and local health departments and water districts to help ensure that this health benefit is delivered safely and effectively to the American public.
The AMA urges state health departments to consider statewide fluoridation.
The National Research Council released its report, "Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Scientific Review of EPA's Standard," on March 22, 2006. This study was not done on water fluoridation in community water systems. It was on fluoride concentrations in water that are much higher than normal, mostly from natural sources. The CDC's comment on this report stated that the current range for water fluoridation is 0.7 to 1.2 parts per million. and community water systems that have fluoride at these levels is safe and effective for preventing tooth decay. (Juneau's water is below these levels, so water fluoridation is necessary.)
Vice Admiral Richard Carmona, U.S. surgeon general from 2002-06, stated "Community water fluoridation continues to be the most cost-effective, equitable and safe means to provide protection from tooth decay in a community. A person's income level or ability to receive routine dental care is not a barrier to receiving fluoridation's health benefits. Water fluoridation is a powerful strategy in our efforts to eliminate differences in health among people and is consistent with my emphasis on the importance of prevention."
The surgeon general also recommends self-care practices such as brushing at least twice a day with fluoridated toothpaste. He suggested that manufacturers label bottled water with the fluoride concentration to allow consumers to make informed decisions on fluoride intake.
When it comes to the costs of treating dental disease, everyone pays. Not just those who need treatment, but all of us - through higher health insurance premiums and higher taxes. For most cities, every $1 invested in community water fluoridation saves $38 in dental treatment costs. Through water fluoridation, communities can improve the oral health of their residents and save money for all of us.

The key points to remember about water fluoridation are these:

Fluoridation is safe.

Fluoridation benefits everyone.

Fluoridation is cost-effective.

You can obtain further information about community water fluoridation by calling your dentist or local or state health department.

In October, please vote to restore fluoridation to our city water supply.

• Marilyn Linsell lives in Auke Bay.

Canada - Region may reconsider fluoride in drinking water

Region may reconsider fluoride in drinking water
By Matthew Van Dongen, St. Catharines Standard
Local News - Friday, July 27, 2007 Updated @ 5:20:44 PM
Belated public backlash may force the Region to reconsider a five-year-old decision to eliminate fluoride from regional drinking water. Most Niagara municipalities have historically gone without fluoride in their water — in St. Catharines, for example, residents voted against adding the chemical decades ago. Parts of Pelham, Welland and Thorold received fluoridated water on-and-off as late as 2001, however, until repeated mechanical failures convinced the Region to quietly abandon the practice.
So quietly, in fact, that some residents and dentists assumed the fluoride tap was still on — and now many are upset they weren’t told. “Some people were surprised,” said Leo Gohier, acting water director for the Region. A letter was sent out to dentists in 2006 belatedly explaining the reasons for behind the move. “But that’s not the same as informing the public,” he admitted. Regional staff attempted to formalize the fluoride ban in May, but resident concerns convinced councillors to seek more public input. They got it at two public meetings, in Welland and Thorold, earlier this week.

Friday, July 27, 2007

Canada - Hopeless

WELL, WELL, WELL
Connie Howard / health@vueweekly.com
POPs, PCPs, VOCs, DDT ... WTF?
Hap-hap-happy news again: safety restrictions for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as dioxins, PCPs and DDT have in the past been set depending on how they accumulate in fish, but new research shows we are just puttting our heads in the sand about a bunch of them. An estimated 3000 organic chemicals currently being used in Canada have been busy accumulating much further up the food chain, in birds and mammals, becoming more distilled and potent with each step up the ladder. And they won’t be going anywhere anytime soon—as their name suggests, they persist.
And apparently so do trans fats, though not for the same reason. While it has been recommended that food manufacturers leave them behind, it is right now still very optional, and despite an abundance of “trans fat free” labels on products, they happily continue to find homes in commercially baked goods, liquid coffee whiteners, microwave popcorn, margarines and, of course, fast food—a kid’s fries at Burger King has five times the recommended limit, a McDonald’s apple pie seven times.
Nor will pesticides be going anywhere anytime soon—our government has been unwilling to regulate their use, even though they are killing us. Besides the birth defects, nerve damage, cancer and endocrine disruption they are causing, pesticides cause over 6000 poisonings each year in Canada. Symptoms range from the mild (watery eyes or skin rashes) to the very serious (seizures and respiratory failure).

If this kind of safety record were true of, say, natural health products, would they still be allowed? It is more than a little ironic that the government reluctant to regulate an industry that clearly causes harm seems quite happy to spend a lot of energy regulating natural health products that actually counter some of the poison we’re eating and drinking and inhaling every day.


It’s hard to keep them all straight without getting dizzy. POPs, PCPs, VOCs—that last one stands for volatile organic compounds. VOCs are as obnoxious as the rest of them, and we’re exposed to a multitude of these every day, everywhere. Things like paint and gas and newsprint (sorry) and carpeting and upholstery and glue and perfume and exhaust and air fresheners and new plastics and electronics and household cleaners just keep a constant level of chemical “humidity” going for us. Here, too, symptoms range from the mild (eye and nose and throat irritation) to the somewhat more attention-getting (headaches, nausea and vomiting) to the very serious (cancer, and liver, kidney and nervous system damage).

Then there’s the fluoride in our apparently safer-than-bottled-water city water supply, and of course in drinks made with fluoridated water which include not only soft drinks but also healthful and assumed-safe juices and baby formulas. Flouride prevents tooth decay, true, but wouldn’t it be enough to keep it in our toothpaste? High levels, besides discolouring the teeth we’re trying to preserve, increases our risk of osteoporosis and broken bones, hyperactivity disorders, eczema, altered thyroid function and bone cancer.

And we need to decide yet again whether or not to drink milk. It turns out that estrogens in milk are 100 000 times more potent than environmental estrogens, and modern milk supplies—coming from cows that are milked almost year-round, are almost always pregnant and are delivering something like 30 times the level of estrogen non-pregnant cows do—are linked to hormone-dependent testicular, prostate, ovarian and breast cancers. Skim milk could be an option (hormones are fat-soluble and therefore less concentrate in skim milk) but the butterfat found in whole milk fat is essential to the absorption of the calcium and vitamins in milk ... so that leaves organic milk, maybe?
Not that we need to worry about any of this, of course. We don’t really know with any proven scientific certainty what harm any of these things cause, and it’s definitely not possible to live without non-stick frying pans, super-softened clothes, accelerated and processed-to-death milk, stain-resistant furniture and carpet-like lawns.
Besides, asthma and ADHD are treatable, and we’re going to find a cure for cancer with our pink ribbons, and chronically irritated eyes or sinuses are a minor price to pay for modern life, and multiple chemical sensitivity isn’t a real disease, remember?

USA - Corning debates

Corning debates adding fluoride to drinking water
7/26/2007 10:39 PM
By: Kat De MariaCORNING, N.Y. -- In May, Corning city council members voted to add fluoride to the city water supply.
Now they've learned there's a way residents may be able to overturn that action.
"If ten percent of the voters, of the registered voters, can get together and sign a petition for the referendum, they can negate city council's authority to adopt a local law optioning to have fluoridation in the city water supply," Corning Mayor Frank Coccho said.That's the opinion of the city attorney, who studied the fluoridation debate in Ithaca seven years ago. Following a signature drive, residents there voted on whether Ithaca leaders could pass laws that would add fluoride to city water.
"I suspect if they can get the 600 signatures, approximately 600, it can be done here in Corning," said Mayor Coccho. Kirk Huttleston leads the opposition to fluoridation. He says there are at least that many people who would sign such a petition. "Granted I may be talking to people that are more of my same mind, but I have only talked to two out of ten who thought fluoride in the water was a good idea," said Huttleston. Whether for or against fluoride, Huttleston says it's important residents make a decision for themselves, something the mayor says he can understand. "By putting it in the water, you bypass informed consent. The referendum is a fantastic way to handle all this," Huttleston said.
"We do the research and we're expected and required to do so. And I hope we make good decisions on behalf of our community. If the citizens wish to negate that authority, that's certainly their right and I'll accept that," Mayor Coccho said.
...and the fate of fluoridated water in the city of Corning.

Corning debates adding fluoride to drinking water video

Thursday, July 26, 2007

USA - Fluoride debate could go to voters

Fluoride debate could go to voters
Corning mayor says petition drive could put it on a future ballot.
July 26, 2007 CORNING -- Despite the Corning City Council's 7-1 vote in May to fluoridate the city's water supply, the issue could be back on the table -- and on the ballot -- soon.
Corning Mayor Frank Coccho said Wednesday the city's lawyer has determined that a petition signed by 10 percent of the city's voters could force a referendum to strip the council of its right to pass a local law on fluoridation.Coccho said such a petition would require about 600 signatures.The City Council endorsed fluoridation on May 7 after a private group of dentists and others raised $100,000 to pay about half the start-up costs of the project.Coccho said Pam Gee of the Elmira law firm of Davidson & O'Mara researched the subject and concluded that a referendum is permitted under state law."I have notified the council and will be announcing this Aug. 6 (at the next council meeting)," Coccho said. "If a private group wishes to engage in that process, it is certainly their right."Fluoride opponent Kirk Huttleston said he's excited by the avenue opened by the city attorney's ruling."This is what I've been waiting for," Huttleston said. "It is an opening. I'm trying to figure out what the next best step is. I think everybody's aggravated with the whole country, and this is something you can do locally."Fluoridation proponents said adding the chemical to water would reduce the incidence of tooth decay, especially among children. Opponents argued the chemical has serious side effects and should not be used in municipal water systems.Coccho said he does not know whether there's time to get the fluoride issue on the ballot this year. But he said he doesn't expect the council to begin implementation of fluoridation in 2008.Sharelene Thompson, Steuben County election commissioner, said she's unsure about the deadline for filing such petitions, but is seeking a determination from the county attorney.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Canada - No clear answer on issue of flouride

No clear answer on issue of flouride in the water GREG FURMINGER / Tribune Staff Local News - Tuesday, July 24, 2007 @ 09:00 Take drinking water then add fluoride. Throw in dozens of opinions whether or not the substance that prevents tooth decay once again should flow from faucets in Welland, Thorold and Pelham and what you're left with is anything but a crystal-clear solution for regional politicians who will cast decision on the matter. About 25 people turned out to a meeting at Days Inn last night to opine on the subject. It was argued by some that to spend tens of thousands, even millions, of dollars to restart fluoridation systems at Welland and Thorold water plants isn't worth it. More people are switching to purer bottled water, there's enough fluoride in diets, they said. It's found in such things as toothpaste, cereal, tea, beer and even cigarette smoke. That the variety of fluoride added to water systems comes from industrial smokestacks - hydrofluosilicic acid - is concern to some about its long-term health risks. Others supported its addition to drinking water as a cost-effective way of providing oral health care. Fluoride slows the breakdown of mineral crystals in teeth, and also helps with their reformation, providing protection against tooth decay and demineralization. Fluoridation in Welland started in 1963, supported by referendum. It was never supported so by Pelham residents who also received water produced in Welland. Welland's fluoridation system has been idle since February 1999. In the 64-month period before then, it was out of commission for 39 months - about 60 per cent of the time - because of leaking tanks, pumps and feed lines. Thorold's plant experienced similar problems and was turned off in 2002. However, only recently was it acknowledged by the region that fluoridation had stopped. "The public works department has to take full responsibility for that," regional water and wastewater services director Leo Gohier said last night. Regular water quality reports posted on the region's website as far back as July 2000 had reported the absence of fluoride in local water. To again supply Welland and Pelham with fluoridated water, but not Thorold, would cost up to $17 million to build a separate non-fluoridated watermain to serve Thorold communities supplied by the region's Welland water plant. Similarly, it would cost about $12 million in infrastructure to supply Welland and Thorold but not Pelham. "It's impractical to do selective fluoridation," said Gohier, who's recommending the upper-tier government formally put an end to water fluoridation. Simply reinstating Welland and Thorold systems would cost up to $500,000 for system needs plus $90,000 in annual operating costs "Those are startup costs, as far as I'm concerned, and you have to look at costs further down the road," said Dr. David Klooz, Niagara's associate health commissioner. "One dollar spent on fluoridation saves you $38," Niagara Peninsula Dental Association president Ravi Kumar said, rising from the audience to support its reinstatement as a preventive public health measure. "Water fluoridation is an important and cost-effective public health service that should be restored," Dr. Peter Fritz, president of the Welland District Dental Society, said in a statement to the media. "The failure of Niagara Region to notify dentists of the original system malfunction put patients at risk. "Now there is an effort to compound the problem by its complete removal and this will have an adverse impact on the health of our community," said Fritz. "You have our support to get the region fluoridated," the dentist said at last night's meeting. To fluoridate all Niagara drinking water produced at its six plants would cost up to $3 million to install and repair systems, plus annual operating costs of $600,000. A second two-hour public meeting on the subject takes place inside regional council chambers tonight starting at 7.

USA - McK fluoridation on hold pending study

McK fluoridation on hold pending study – July 24, 2007
Jack DurhamMad River Newspaper Guild
McKINLEYVILLE – Plans to fluoridate McKinleyville’s water supply are on hold pending the outcome of a study being conducted by the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District.
A divided board of the McKinleyville Community Services District voted 3-2 at its Wednesday, July 18, meeting to accept and file a report from its Fluoride Committee and to wait to take any further action until the HBMWD study is completed, which could take months.
That study will look at the feasibility of the HBMWD adding fluoride to the region’s water supply. The HBMWD is the wholesale water supplier for the communities of McKinleyville, Fieldbrook, Blue Lake, Arcata, Manila, Eureka and Cutten. Of those communities, only Arcata and Eureka fluoridate their water supply.
‘Not clear’
The decision to wait for the results of the study was opposed by MCSD Directors John Corbett and Bill Wennerholm, both of whom voiced support for adding fluoride and wanted the district to move forward with a plan of action.
“I strongly oppose the motion,” Corbett told his fellow boardmembers, explaining that it didn’t clearly state the MCSD’s position on fluoridation or give staff direction on how to proceed.
“I’m against this motion because it’s not clear,” commented Wennerholm, who said he wanted fluoride added to the water supply because there’s overwhelming scientific evidence that doing so is safe and beneficial to dental health.
‘Relax a bit’
MCSD Director Ron Coffman defended his motion to wait for the study and urged everyone to “relax a bit.”
“The point of this motion is not to throw it in the trash can,” Coffman said. “....It’s not getting shelved. This is a process of gathering information.”
Coffman’s motion eventually passed with the support of Directors Javan Reid and Jeff Dunk, but not before the board heard an earful from both proponents and opponents of fluoridation.McKinleyville resident John White testified about the history of fluoridation and how it’s been proven to be beneficial to communities.
Similar comments were made by Harry Johnson DDS, and Ann Lindsay, the county’s public health officer.
Their views were refuted by opponents of fluoride, who described it as a hazardous substance and argued that they should not be forced to consume it against their will.
Both sides?
Others questioned the makeup of the MCSD’s Fluoride Committee, which met July 5 and unanimously recommended that fluoride be added to the town’s water supply. The committee suggested that the HBMWD add fluoride to the region’s water supply. If that can’t be done, then the MCSD should add fluoride to its own water supply, the committee recommended.
When the MCSD board agreed to create a committee late last year, the idea was to have committee members representing both sides of the issue.
But it turned out that all the members of the Fluoride Committee – assembled by MCSD President Reid – were in favor of fluoridation and, after a single meeting, they voted unanimously in support of the recommendation.
Putting Ann Lindsay on the committee was like “fixing a horse race,” said fluoride opponent Daniel Pierce.

USA

..............Tooth decay affects one-fourth of U.S. children ages 2 to 5, according to the surgeon general. And those from low-income families and their older siblings are hardest hit by untreated decay that causes pain, school absences and other problems....................

Australia - Ex- Minister speaks out against

FIGHTBACK
SARAH SCOPELIANOS and SHANE FOWLESJuly 24, 2007
A FORMER federal health minister yesterday weighed in to the furore surrounding the State Government's decision to fluoridate Warrnambool's water supply. Dr Doug Everingham, who served as Gough Whitlam's health minister from 1972-1975, said only public pressure would overturn the decision. The retired general practitioner from Queensland was one of six people who wrote a letter expressing concern about the ``mass medical program of water fluoridation for Warrnambool, Wangaratta and other towns''. The others were Warrnambool doctor Natalie Ryan, former Warrnambool mayor Frank McCarthy, Hepburn Shire's Cr Heather Mutimer, Hope Research Institute's visiting professor Noel Campbell and Water Quality Australia spokesman David McRae. Dr Ryan said her Warrnambool peers had ostracised her because of her anti-fluoridation stance. ``I think I stand alone in the GP community, but I just think this isn't the magic bullet,'' Dr Ryan said.Having read about 100 research articles on the topic during the past week, Dr Ryan said she was convinced fluoridation was harmful.``Dental disease is highly linked to poor food, poor nutrition and high exposure to sugar,'' she said. ``There is no known disease from a lack of fluoride.''Dr Ryan said its effect on tooth decay was being overplayed and toxicity to young children, early onset of puberty in girls and fluoridosis were being ignored. The writers criticised the ``zero'' public consultation, the speed of the decision and accused health authorities of failing to properly examine the harms fluoridation could cause. Department of Human Services spokesman Bram Alexander said he had seen letters Dr Everingham had written and reaffirmed the department's stance that fluoride was safe and effective. ``There are only very small benefits,'' Dr Everingham said.``There's a slight reduction of tooth decay... (There are) no enormous risks but the bad effects can be devastating. There's been a study of male teens that shows there is a higher risk of bone cancers,'' Dr Everingham said. He said that while health minister from 1972 to 1975 he received a lot of inquiries about fluoride but department advice was it was ``perfectly safe''. ``I included things like there had been unconfirmed reports of harm and higher risks of cancers but they were things I couldn't prove,'' he said. ``I think only public pressure from the consumers will have the politics reversed.``People pushing for professional credibility are doing so so they don't get lumped with the so-called crackpots.''

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

USA - Dentists blame sugary foods, drinks for increasing childhood tooth decay

Dentists blame sugary foods, drinks for increasing childhood tooth decay
by By Nanci Bompey, NBOMPEY@CITIZEN-TIMES.COM
published July 24, 2007 12:15 am
ASHEVILLE - Like many kids his age, 5-year-old Titus Young has grown up consuming sugary drinks and foods. And now, like a growing number of children, Titus has three cavities and a crown on his baby teeth.
He is not unique. Local doctors say tooth decay is on the rise among young children. They say that sugary foods and drinks have played a role in the increase in tooth decay among children between 2 and 5 years old. "It is a societal thing," said Dr. William Chambers, an Asheville pediatric dentist. "There's more obesity, more tooth decay. ... It's all related to dietary habits." Tooth decay is the most common childhood disease, and it is on the rise among young children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 28 percent of children ages 2-5 years had tooth decay in their primary, or "baby," teeth between 1999 and 2004 while only 24 percent of the same age children were diagnosed with tooth decay between 1988 and 1994. Local dentists say they are seeing more young children with cavities than ever before. Dr. Joshua Paynich, a local dentist, said he diagnoses about 10-20 children a week with severe, early childhood tooth decay. Paynich said he sees children who have cavities, crowns and even have to get their teeth removed. "People think kids can't get problems that severe," he said. Tooth decay or cavities are bacterial infections. Bacteria, which live in the mouth, thrive on foods that are high in sugar and starch. The bacteria produce acid that destroys tooth enamel, which eventually leads to tooth decay.
Dentists say more kids today eat sugary and starchy foods, and many parents give their children bottles or sippy cups filled with juice or milk constantly throughout the day. "They are just bathing teeth in sugar all day long," he said. Dr. Dennis Campbell said tooth decay is related to American society's tendency to pacify children with food and drinks. "The decay rate doesn't have to increase," he said. "A child does not have to get cavities. We tend to do things and not think about the consequences." But the consequences can be severe. If tooth decay is left untreated, it can affect speech, eating and a child's bite. Cavities and tooth pain can result in missed school days and affect concentration, and can have even more serious long-term consequences. "If it is left untreated, it affects the growth and development patterns of adult teeth," Paynich said.
Treating tooth decay can also be costly and can require a visit to the operating room. Campbell said he has seen 2- and 3-year-old children who have cavities in 12 of their 20 baby teeth, which have to be extracted in the hospital. "That's not common, but it's certainly a reality," he said. "Little kids will get decay real fast." Dr. Adam Hodges, president of the Buncombe County Dental Society, said baby teeth hold the space for adult teeth. When baby teeth fall out or are removed because of decay, the space between teeth gets smaller. This means adult teeth become more crowded, which can lead to dental problems down the road. "A lot of people believe they are expendable because they are baby teeth," Hodges said.
Kim Young, Titus' mother, said while she has limited the amount of junk food she feeds her son, she is still concerned about the damage that has already been done to Titus' mouth. "I do worry about what his permanent teeth are going to look like," she said.

Asheville, NC, is fluoridated:NYSCOF

Monday, July 23, 2007

Fluoridated Tasmania

Drinks blamed for rise in decayArticle from: The Sunday TasmanianGILL VOWLESJuly 22, 2007 12:00amCHILDREN'S drinking habits are being blamed for a looming dental health crisis.Australian Dental Association Tasmanian president Errol Kilov said recent research had shown tooth decay in six-year-olds had risen by 56 per cent and by a massive 71 per cent among 14- and 15-year-olds in just six years. Dr Kilov said it was the first time in 30 years that children's dental health had deteriorated and drink choices were the main culprit. "Children today are favouring soft drinks or bottled water," Dr Kilov said."The soft drinks provide too much sugar and bottled water means children are not getting the essential fluoride which is added to tap water."The result is a reversal of the trend of improved dental health we experienced after fluoride was introduced to water systems in the early 1970s."Dr Kilov said parents and the wider community had a role to play in improving children's oral health. "Just like the child obesity problem, the main need is education," he said. "Parents should be educating their children in both good nutritional and dental health habits. "We also need governments to continue keeping fluoride levels in tap water at an optimal level." Dr Kilov said one of the key challenges was convincing parents of the long-term importance of children's dental health. "Most parents seem to understand that obesity can lead to problems like diabetes, but they don't seem to have the same understanding of the potential consequences of tooth decay," he said. Dr Kilov said the potential consequences included discomfort, infections and the need for more dental treatment. "In short, poor childhood dental health leads to pain and a financial burden," he said. Dr Kilov said prevention was better than cure. "He said children should have regular dental checks from about age three."It is easier to rectify small holes than large, so early visits to a dentist are recommended," he said

Professionals' Statement Calling For End To To Fluoridation

Professionals' Statement Calling For End To To Fluoridation
Here is an excellent strategy "aimed to puncture once and for all the false claim that the only people who are opposed to fluoridation are crazy people practicing junk science. We need to get as many professionals ( medical, dental, scientific and environmental as well as water department officials) to sign this as we possibly can. This list will grow and grow over the coming months. I am confident that as the list grows it will make it easier and easier for those opposed to it (quietly, off the record) to come out and state their opposition in public."Paul Connett Ph.D. Executive Director of the Fluoride Action Network has put this very good, up to date, summary on the Fluoridation issue that needs to be circulated far and wide. This could also be very useful for all in encapsulating this, intentionally polarized, issue to the uninitiated. Please do your best to get as many professionals to sign up.Thanks,Chris Gupta

Canada - Balancing the wheel of life

.................Akwesasne spans the St. Lawrence River where Quebec, Ontario and New York State meet. In 1957 the St. Lawrence Seaway was completed. On its shores, the Reynolds Metals Company emitted thousands of pounds of fluoride that settled on the lands, crops, animals, water and people in surrounding communities. Tons of PCBs were dumped into the river.
In the 1970s, people of Cornwall Island began to study the effects. But in 1985, health studies done with Health Canada and others concluded there was no link between the pollution in the river and the community's declining health.
"But diabetes was found in 75 per cent of adults," said Lickers. "The people had stopped eating fish, a high-protein diet." As the Mohawk department of environment studied the river, they watched the impact on the people. Because of the warnings about toxic fish, fishermen were laying down their nets and turning toward new income found in border smuggling.
By 1990 there were also five casinos, causing splits in the community as some supported the gaming and others fought against it. In the summer of 1990, an army was sent in to quell a violent outbreak............

I bet they still promote fluoridation

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Australia - Drinks blamed for rise in decay

CHILDREN'S drinking habits are being blamed for a looming dental health crisis.
Australian Dental Association Tasmanian president Errol Kilov said recent research had shown tooth decay in six-year-olds had risen by 56 per cent and by a massive 71 per cent among 14- and 15-year-olds in just six years. Dr Kilov said it was the first time in 30 years that children's dental health had deteriorated and drink choices were the main culprit. "Children today are favouring soft drinks or bottled water," Dr Kilov said.
"The soft drinks provide too much sugar and bottled water means children are not getting the essential fluoride which is added to tap water.
"The result is a reversal of the trend of improved dental health we experienced after fluoride was introduced to water systems in the early 1970s."
Dr Kilov said parents and the wider community had a role to play in improving children's oral health. "Just like the child obesity problem, the main need is education," he said. "Parents should be educating their children in both good nutritional and dental health habits. "We also need governments to continue keeping fluoride levels in tap water at an optimal level." Dr Kilov said one of the key challenges was convincing parents of the long-term importance of children's dental health. "Most parents seem to understand that obesity can lead to problems like diabetes, but they don't seem to have the same understanding of the potential consequences of tooth decay," he said. Dr Kilov said the potential consequences included discomfort, infections and the need for more dental treatment. "In short, poor childhood dental health leads to pain and a financial burden," he said. Dr Kilov said prevention was better than cure. "He said children should have regular dental checks from about age three.
"It is easier to rectify small holes than large, so early visits to a dentist are recommended," he said.

USA - Brevard votes to remove additive

Brevard votes to remove additive
By Jonathan Rich
Times-News Staff Writer
BREVARD -- The water in the city will be different in September as the City Council has decided to remove fluoride additives from the public water supply.
Water fluoridation has been common in municipalities across the country for decades as an inexpensive way to prevent tooth decay, but the process is not without its critics.
In May, Edward Daigle told members of the City Council he had read studies that suggested fluoride might create health problems such as bone decay, memory loss and thyroid problems and that information had recently led him to quit drinking from the public water supply. Acting on Daigle's concerns, City Manager Joe Albright looked into the issue and brought information back to the council at their meeting Monday.
"I researched this and found there was a plethora of information and studies about the pros and cons of water fluoridation," Albright said. "After reviewing the data, I think council felt there was enough uncertainty as it relates to the possible detrimental effects and that's why they unanimously made the decision to remove fluoride from the city's water."
Brevard has been using water fluoridation since 1980 and Hendersonville adopted the practice in 1997. No longer putting fluoride compounds into the Brevard water supply will result in a $5,000 annual savings, but Councilman Mack McKellar said he is convinced this was the right thing to do. "It's a medicine and unless there is a 100 percent conclusive directive from a government agency to put it in the water, I think everybody needs to have a choice if they want to consume it," McKellar said. "Otherwise, we're paying money to administer medicine to people without their permission and I'm very uncomfortable in that role. The science we were presented on the issue cut both ways and if it's a jump ball I say 'Don't do it' because we already have what I consider some of the cleanest drinking water in America."

Transylvania County Health Department Director Steve Smith said from a public health standpoint, he supported water fluoridation because it helped reduce tooth decay.
"I've researched it with the North Carolina Division of Public Health and they as well as I advocate for its use," Smith said. "I think there is compelling evidence that the benefits far outweigh the risks and I just don't believe it is a health issue for the vast majority of folks."
Albright said the city had between a 35-to-40 day fluoride treated water supply left in its reserves and will notify the public via their August water bills of the change, which should go into practice starting September 1, 2007.
Daigle, who has lived in Brevard for a decade, said he was pleased with the council's response to his concerns. "I would rather the change be immediate, but I understand they have to use up the water supply they have already treated," Daigle said Friday. "Until then I will continue to buy my drinking water, but I think they made the right decision."

Fluoride, autism and a potential gut connection?

Donna Williams
July 22, 2007
Is there a link between fluoride toxicity, gastro-intestinal damage and Salicylate intolerance commonly found in those with ADHD and Autism?

Salicylate Intolerance is a condition in which some people struggle more than others to metabolise foods high in Phenols and Salicylates. One of the results of this is an inflammatory state, suppressed immunity and an overload on detox processes leading to heavy metal and other toxin accumulation. In people who can’t metabolise it well enough to keep their levels down, Salicylate levels build up and reach maximum saturation around day three of intake which means that if you weren’t effected on day one, by the time your Salicylate intake of day one is built on by that taken on day two and then on day three then you reach your maximum toxic state. The long term impact of being in a toxic, inflamed, immune suppressed, detox-impaired state is pretty imaginable but don’t forget that our information processing, mood balance, impulse control and anxiety management all rest on our gut-immune function and relatively balanced brain chemistry. Can you feel the impending developmental and environmental avalanche yet?

Those who suffer from Salicylate intolerance can have a cocaine like effect from the build up of this substance, hence sleep problems, restlessness, agitation, extreme re-activeness, acute anxiety, rage and exacerbated mood extremes are common and ‘normal’. Its easy to imagine the sensory flooding that can happen when you can’t slow down enough to filter or process information properly and personalities react differently to these things… one person will run about like a mad chicken, another will be shutdown staring at the wall. Then, to add to this, those who are Salicylate intolerant very often become addicted to the foods these are in and that addiction progressively primes them to live quite ‘naturally’ in an addictive state.

Salicylates are the natural pesticides in plant products. This means the higher the Salicylate content of a plant, the greater its natural protection against pest invaders. Some of the highest food sources of Salicylates are things like yeast extracts such as our nutritious Vegemite and Marmite, our fabulous Honey and almond, our stone fruits like plums, peaches and apricots and our grapes and berries. Then these foods have around 18 times the ‘high’ level of Salicylate content. Then there are those with around 3-4 times the high level of Salicylate content like oranges, watermelon, granny smith apples and some veggies. So, what did biogenticists do with this information? Well, to reduce the use of pesticide sprays used on plants, they genetically modified plants to increase their Salicylate levels- true… go look it up. So the Salicylate levels of our foods has gone up since the 1970s… the same foods babies start having from around 18mth-2 years old.

But that wasn’t the only change since the 1970s. High Salicylate fruits and veggies which were high in Salicylates but not available all year round now became snap frozen, stored, imported and available all year round. So where before the 1970s you wouldn’t get a high Salicylate load all year round, now you usually do all compliments of the large Supermarkets which keep us happy with ‘choice’, the choice to eat a wider range of always available, Salicylate boosted plant matter whenever we like whether its in our artificial colorings, flavorings, preservatives, our jams, our cordial, the orange juice or Ribena we replaced water with or those grapes and honey coatings and Vegemite we crave.

There have been cases of children born to mothers who had a diet extremely high in Salicylates who were agitated and irritable from birth. Were the mothers, themselves, Salicylate intolerant or perhaps liver enzyme production isn’t so good when the liver is under burden through pregnancy? Perhaps it is feasible there are other babies of mothers who had a diet high in Salicylates who are ‘overloaded’ and ’shutdown’ in a similar way, being more passive than most. Where it wouldn’t effect all children, if a child were predisposed to Salicylate intolerance it would theoretically be those ones who were effected. And those children who were not born with this addicted state may well teeter along rather non-autistically till 18mths-2 years when the parents ‘thoughtfully’ give the child its daily bottle of cordial, juice, the peanut butter and jelly, the Vegemite or other yeast extract on the dummy/pacifier, the veggie and fruit puree they unknowingly stacked with those fruits and veg high in Salicylates along with a daily dose of fluoride. So why should fluoride have anything to do with Salicylate levels?

Fluoride toxicity (yes the stuff in toothpaste and water which is also sold commercially as rat poison) is known to be corrosive to the mucous membranes lining the cut, cause gastro-intestinal inflammation and INCREASE THE EFFECT OF SALICYLATES. Each year children are admitted to hospital emergency departments from fluoride toxicity from eating toothpaste and it is not recommended for infants under 2. But what of children with autism who eat the stuff? And what if they eat the stuff daily? What happens to the impact of their dietary Salicylate levels? What happens to gut inflammation? If they then display arching, tics, behavioural disturbances, self injury, do we just say, ‘oh that’s the autism’? And now we’re pondering an incidence of one in 60 with ASD should we ask how many of these kids are eating toothpaste? I did. I was shocked to find that at least 6 hands went up whenever I asked parents if they had a child who ate fluoride toothpaste. How many other parents were too guilty to put their hands up or had never considered such a question? Doses as low as 16 milligrams of fluoride can be lethal to a child. When the warnings were made about fluoride toothpaste and toddlers, did anyone think about people with autism regularly eating toothpaste? Quite simply, if you can’t learn how to use a chainsaw, don’t by one. If you have a child who will eat toxic gut corroding, metabolism disturbing levels of a known toxin sold commercially as rat poison, then don’t buy that product. Non-fluoride toothpaste is for sale at all health food stores, even low salicylate ones (ie baking soda, lemon rather than mint). Has anyone else looked into fluoride and autism? Yes.

AUTISM AND G PROTEINS

_____________________________________________________


by Andreas Schuld

founder of Parents of Fluoride Poisoned Children

Parents of autistic children have reported vast improvements in their child’s autism when fluoride was eliminated from the diet. Fluorides and fluoride-aluminum compounds have been established as the universal G protein activator in laboratory investigations, meaning it can activate all G protein families.

Now Salicylates aren’t evil, just like Gluten isn’t evil and cow’s milk isn’t evil and for most people I’m sure that low sensible levels of fluoride aren’t evil either. But if you give Gluten or cow’s milk to someone intolerant to these substances, you can effectively be ‘poisoning’ them. Salicylate intolerance is similar. And then allowing any child to eat fluoride toothpaste, particularly if they already have gastro-intestinal disorders or Salicylate intolerance, is probably as bad as feeding your dog chocolate. Yeah, sure, most dogs won’t keel straight over and die from it but its widely known that chocolate and dogs don’t mix.

Some people have coeliac severely, others mildly. Some people have mild Salicylate intolerance, others have it severely. Some can cope with keeping their Salicylate levels moderate, others need them kept very strictly low and they may need to avoid substances which accentuate the effects of Salicylates. And remember that most people are not Salicylate intolerant. In fact Salicylates are great anti-cancer properties… so that nice natural pesticide has some good points too.

But for me, personally, I live with a low Salicylate diet not because its fun or easy because its neither, but because I have to. I was born in 1963. Our backyard had plum trees and then when I visited my father his workplace had a nectarine tree. I ate them till I was drunk. On TV a bear ate honey straight from the pot, so I copied and did that for years. We had colored lemonade home delivered and bags of colored popcorn and strawberry and chocolate topping. As the addict who now would eat nothing which, by contrast, was not on my preferred intuitive ‘drug’ list, my family was glad if I ate or drank at all. In the 1970s when supermarkets had a fruit-revolution, we had bowls full of grapes, watermelon, strawberries, apricots, peaches, mandarins and I ate them like an addict. Every day I had Vegemite or Marmite but not as much as my whirlywind brother, “the Vegemite kid” who ate it direct by the spoonful.

When I came off Salicylates at the age of 25 after being diagnosed with Salicylate intolerance as part of my general health collapse, I went through withdrawal, pulled my hair, slapped myself, ripped my clothes, pulled off the fence posts and collapsed in despair. Whenever my Salicylate levels accidentally go high, I become a beast then equally so as I come back down and go through withdrawal, albeit smaller. This is where I live. It’s OK, I know no different. It was all about ‘choice’. For the record, I ditched the fluoride toothpaste in my 20s when I was diagnosed with an allergy to fluoride and only after fluoridosis was recognised in my teeth, did I also ditch the fluoride in water (most filters don’t filter it, so I rely on spring water which doesn’t have added fluoride). My teeth aren’t complaining.

… Donna Williams

autistic author, artist, composer, screenwriter

http://www.donnawilliams.net

Tooth Decay Higher In Some States Than Others

People needing preventative dental care are falling short in some states. Arkansas and Oklahoma are both states with high rates of dental decay are prevalent.

Source: Micah Carter
Jul 22, 2007
PRLog.Org) – The percentage of people in Arkansas with untreated tooth decay hovers around 40%, according to the CDC.gov website, where many national statistics on dental care and tooth decay are covered, including, but not limited to stats pertaining to number of dental visits, number of professional teeth cleanings, fluoride in the water, number of people with dental sealants, caries and other dental related health issues. Many people claim that the high cost of getting restorative dental work keeps them from getting it done. Dental insurance is not available to many Americans and this means that many people will simply never get the dental work they need.

Root canals, crowns and extractions top the list of major dental procedures that people postpone in order to pay for other necessities such as food, prescriptions and medical care. It’s also been noted that there is a link between oral health and oral cancer. Most early signs of oral cancer are void of pain and therefore, they can go unnoticed for quite some time. Without a thorough examination by a professional, including the oral, head and neck area, people are playing guessing games with their health. Oral cancer can harbor itself in the tongue, salivary glands, lymph nodes, cheek or throat. These are all areas that need to be examined by a dentist regularly when age reaches a certain threshold or when oral health appears to be in jeopardy. Annually, over 30,000 cases of oral cancer are diagnosed with over 8,000 cases ending in death. Usually, symptoms occur in regular users of tobacco products. Chewing or smoking tobacco is clearly the culprit in many cases as is alcohol and foods with high toxicity. Foods that are processed can have devastating effects on the body and it all begins at the mouth. Other factors that may put you at risk include viral infection, immunodeficiency, lack of nutrition and occupational exposure.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Yesterday's weather not all bad

Went to London by coach yesterday despite dire warnings of being drenched or struck by lightning. Here is a picture I took of Tower Bridge prior to going to the top of it. I must say it was well worth the visit. Did take ages to get home though as the roads were chaotic.

USA - Mississippi Official promotes fluoride in water

Official promotes fluoride in water
Start-up costs cited as obstacle for small associationsBy Allison Buckleyallison.buckley@clarionledger.com
BY THE NUMBERS92%Fluoridation in Hinds and Madison counties63%Fluoridation in Rankin County Citing that almost 40 percent of Mississippi children in the third-grade go untreated for tooth decay, a health department official says more prevention is needed - starting at the tap.
Fluoridated water is pumped into 52 percent of the public water systems throughout Mississippi, but more participation is needed, said John Justice, fluoridation administrator for the state Department of Health. "Our mission is to protect and promote oral health of all Mississippians," Justice said. "The best way to do that is with the water fluoridation program."
The Prairie Land Water Association in Lowndes County is the most recent facility to complete the fluoridation program. In Hinds and Madison counties, 92 percent of the population receive fluoridated water. Only 63 percent of Rankin County residents receive fluoridated water. That percentage will change, however, when the small Rankin County town of Puckett joins the list of communities with a fluoridated water system.
Fluoride bonds with the calcium in teeth and repairs and prevents decay, Justice said.
"It's the single most effective method to prevent decay," he said. The start-up cost of a fluoridated water system has been an obstacle for many water associations, Justice said, but now those costs are covered with a local grant and federal funds. Start-up expenses can range from $10,000 to $150,000, depending on the condition of the facility, and include equipment, engineers to oversee the design of the system, operator training and fluoride.
The Bower Foundation of Ridgeland, a nonprofit health-promotion organization, provides grants covering 60 percent of the cost. Federal funds cover the remaining expenses.
Anne Travis, CEO of the foundation, said it's the Health Department's responsibility to promote the program, identify communities interested in becoming fluoridated and assisting them in the process of developing engineering plans, determining what modifications are needed and providing oversight to the process.
The Health Department recruits water systems serving nearly 1,000 people, Justice said. The decision to fluoridate is made by the city council, board of aldermen or board of directors.
The grant program began July 1, 2003, and has provided about $409,000 to 37 water systems.
The implementation process can be completed in less than a year, Justice said.
"I don't think we'll ever have enough dentists to meet the needs of Mississippi," Travis said. "If we can do this prevention to ensure strong teeth, it's money well spent."
After implementation, costs for the treatment range from 50 cents to $3 per person annually, Justice said. "Water fluoridation prevents 20 (to) 40 percent of tooth decay even when you take into consideration fluoridated toothpaste and other sources," (You can't have too much!) said Nick Mosca, dental director for the health department. Water fluoridation minimizes the complexity and severity of tooth decay and is supported by the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Mosca said.
"I can't think of a reason not to do it," Mosca said. Mosca said there is no credible scientific evidence of danger in ingesting fluoride. Prairie Land Water Association began distributing fluoridated water to its customers in April. Before proceeding, the association asked for feedback from residents, general manager Daniel Rayfield said.
"We sent out notification letters to association members to advise them of our intent and inform them of a public meeting to hear their concerns, but nobody showed up," Rayfield said.
Rayfield said he also has not heard any comments since the new system started.
Sunrise Utilities, which serves an area near Petal, is installing a fluoridation system. The water system decided to pursue the project after receiving numerous phone calls from residents inquiring about whether the water already was fluoridated, office manager Jan Mungo said.
Mungo said the company hadn't advertised its decision to fluoridate, and she doesn't think the public knows. "We'll probably give them notice on their water bill once we start fluoridating," she said.

Australia - FLUORIDE will be added to water supplies in Warrnambool

FLUORIDE will be added to water supplies in Warrnambool, Allansford and Koroit within a year.
Health professionals and politicians applauded the decision, citing benefits to dental health.
Outraged opponents, however, claimed there had been no opportunity for open debate on the issue. Victoria's chief health officer, John Carnie, made the announcement yesterday, a day after The Standard revealed it was imminent.
Water fluoridation is safe and effective and helps protect everybody's teeth against decay regardless of age, gender, income or education levels,'' he said.
The decision to fluoridate Warrnambool, Allansford and Koroit's drinking water supply has been taken following the provision of information to these communities about fluoridation.
The dental health benefits of fluoridated water supplies are proven. All the medical scientific research validates its use.'' The State Government will give Wannon Water several hundred thousand dollars to build treatment plant facilities, the Department of Human Services said.
Wannon Water managing director Grant Green said the request created a legal obligation to fluoridate the supply. Wannon Water will inform the community of the actual date of commissioning of the fluoridation plant following design and construction of the plant,'' Mr Green said. Six prominent health professionals, including South West Healthcare chief John Krygger, had thrown their support behind the proposal. Mr Krygger said the hospital ran a public dental clinic and the team strongly supported fluoride. It is an amazing fact (is it?) that dental health in places with fluoride is far superior than places without it. I think future generations will think this was a good thing for Warrnambool,'' he said. The newly-formed Warrnambool Fluoride Action Group criticised the lack of public consultation. A spokesman for Health Minister Bronwyn Pike said funds for the equipment would be available after Wannon Water assessed what was required and submitted the treatment plant plans to DHS for work to begin.
Member for South West Coast Dr Denis Napthine welcomed the move saying it was a long time coming.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

USA - Can't be surely?

.................Dental decay among 2- to 5-year-olds has been increasing in recent years, according to the National Centers for Disease Control. By age 3, one-third of American children have had tooth decay.

USA - letters in reply

Wicomico water and sewer plan to remain
By Joseph Gidjunis Staff Writer
SALISBURY -- The Wicomico County comprehensive water and sewer plan is nearly 20 years old, but it will continue to age after the County Council asked staff Tuesday to return with more recommendations for private plants, a water and sewer authority and adding fluoride to more systems..................................

Several long added comments to article.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Ulster - President of the International Society of Doctors for the Environment

Professor Vyvyan Howard, who holds the Chair in Bio-Imaging at the University of Ulster, has been elected President of the International Society of Doctors for the Environment (ISDE). He will hold the post for the next two years. The ISDE represents 30,000 medical doctors around the world who are interested in the effects of pollution and the environment on health.Recognised by the World Health Organisation and the UK, ISDE develops and publishes position papers on themes such as the health impacts of nuclear power and air pollutants. Professor Howard said he was honoured to be chosen as the Society’s President, and would use his time in office to highlight the way our changing environment affects health: “Our Victorian forefathers recognised that one of the planks of therapy was to change the environment – and that isn’t much talked about these days: treatment by tablet is often preferred rather than a change of environment. “Today, lots of doctors are realising they’re on the front line: when you have 20% of children in your district with asthma, it’s a stark reminder that the environment we live in is responsible for a lot of our health and ill-health.” He is especially interested in issues surrounding environmental impacts on what he called the ‘cancer epidemic’ facing the developed world. “ When I was born, there was a 1 in 4 chance of getting cancer in the UK: today it’s less than 1 in 3, while in the USA for men it’s 1 in 2. These are enormous changes; we believe that environmental pollution has a lot to do with this, particularly through its effect on the foetus and the infant. “I’m also particularly interested in the fluoridation of water supplies. I’m against it: it’s a ridiculous idea, based on very bad science. “It’s going to be a very interesting job: it’s an honour to be appointed, and I’m looking forward to working with some really excellent and supportive colleagues.”For further information, please contact:Press Office, Department of Public AffairsTel: 028 9036 6178Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk

Canada - Who can you trust in health care

Who can you trust in health care By Dr. Tara MacartJul 17 2007The Canadian Cancer Society says 50 per cent of cancers are preventable. Obesity is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes. Many diseases are preventable — once you know how, you must choose to do what it takes. We do have choice. We choose to pick a healthy snack or junk food. We choose to get regular exercise or sit on the couch and watch TV. Sometimes, however, our choices are stripped from us and decisions are made for us. The irony is that we gladly let it happen. There is a large segment of the population who just wants to be told what to do for health. Seeking advice anywhere from their doctors, dentists, pharmacists, health food store clerks, trainers at the gym, the anchor on the six o’clock news to the latest article in Readers Digest, some of us are misled. Let us recall a few of the misdirected atrocities of the establishment and organized groups: 1. Medical doctors were used in public relation campaigns to sell cigarettes. These trusted authority figures promoted a morbid and lethal consumable for people. Where was the proof that smoking was safe? Apparently safety is not a requirement for medical advice. 2. Dentists promote the use of fluoride in drinking water. This was spearheaded by Dr. Harold Hodge, the preeminent scientist at the time who was involved with the Manhattan Project (nuclear weapons development). This is the same guy who injected several humans with radioactive plutonium. “Well if you say so, it must be safe.” 3. Pharmacists dispense the latest trend in magic bullets. Hormone replacement is in fashion, then it is out; Vioxx is in (making billions), then its out (after 30,000 Vioxx related deaths.) Who are we supposed to trust? There is so much money to be made on the public’s naiveté. 4.) Even in the so called health food or natural medicine department, there are shysters. Every couple of years, a new line of snake oil surfaces. Many formula multilevel marketing (MLM) companies put forth their collection with the promise of health and wealth. The typical tonic-laxative-nutrition combo with a chocolaty coating may work for the generally disease free masses, for a while, but is this the answer? Probably not. Who can we trust? It should rattle your false sense of security that health authorities do not always work in your best interests. Be it maliciousness, ignorance or just a plain need to preserve the status quo (no matter how wrong it may be) it is your responsibility to think for yourself. Why do we give up our choice so easily? We live in an information age. It is phenomenal what we can access. Make up your own mind on the difficult and uncomfortable issues. Question your own observations. I say, get informed and find the will power to apply your knowledge to your life now, before it is too late. Who cares about your health and the health of your loved ones more that you? Dr. Tara Macart owns and operates Opti-Balance naturopathic medical clinic in Qualicum Beach, alongside her husband Jonathan.

Australia - FLUORIDE VERDICT

A DECISION on adding fluoride to Warrnambool's water supplies is expected this week.The Department of Human Services revealed yesterday a decision was imminent. Spokesman Bram Alexander said a decision could be made in the next week or so. The Standard understands a decision could be announced as early as today. Several sources indicated an announcement was expected this week. If fluoride is approved it is unlikely to be added to supplies for several months.Warrnambool's water treatment plant would most likely need an upgrade. Mayor David Atkinson said the council had wanted the chemical to be added to supplies under last year's health plan.A decision this week would come just two months after the DHS renewed calls to add fluoride to the city's water. In May the department said it had been approached by city dentists and health professionals in support of fluoride. Last month the DHS distributed information booklets highlighting the benefits of fluoride to Warrnambool, Koroit and Allansford residents. Six health groups last week united to call for fluoride to be added to the city's supplies. Wannon Water marketing and communications manager Annette Cannon yesterday said the corporation had no role in any decision. ``It is a health issue and we are told whether to do it or not to do it,'' she said. She said the DHS had its own processes to follow and there was no time line. Adding fluoride to Warrnambool's water supplies has been a controversial issue since Melbourne's water was fluoridated more than 30 years ago. Just last week businessman Peter Hulin formed the Warrnambool Fluoride Action Group to oppose the push.

USA - By Dick Diercks, executive director, Minnesota Dental Association Minneapolis

Letter: Fluoride in water supply a good thing for our health By Dick Diercks, executive director, Minnesota Dental Association Minneapolis
St. Cloud-area member dentists of the Minnesota Dental Association want readers to know that fluoridation of community water supplies is considered one of the most significant public health advances of the 20th century and one of the safest, most cost-effective ways to increase overall health. Community water fluoridation benefits everyone, especially those without access to regular dental care. It is the most efficient way to prevent one of the most common childhood diseases — tooth decay.The MDA also wants parents to be mindful of properly caring for their young children to make sure their children receive the proper amount of fluoride. For fluoride toothpaste, parents and caregivers should ensure that young children use an appropriate size toothbrush with a small brushing surface and only a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste at each brushing. Unless advised to do so by a dentist or other health professional, parents should not use fluoride toothpaste for children younger than age 2. Children should only receive dietary supplemental fluoride tablets or drops as prescribed by their physician or dentist based on the dietary fluoride supplement schedule approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Supplements are not recommended for children younger than 6 months.The MDA supports community water fluoridation as the single most effective public health measure to prevent tooth decay. It is a powerful strategy to reduce disparities in tooth decay among different populations and is more cost effective than other forms of fluoride treatments or applications. More than 100 organizations recognize the public health benefit. including the U.S. Public Health Service, American Medical Association, American Cancer Society, American Academy of Pediatrics and World Health Organization. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has listed community water fluoridation as one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century.

Completely safe, be assured.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

New Fluoride Supplement Warning

New Fluoride Supplement Warning
By New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation. Inc.
Jul 16, 2007 - 10:14:00 PM
New York - July 16, 2007 -- Fluoride supplements put children six and under at significant risk of permanently discolored teeth, according to a review of studies recently posted on the American Dental Association's (ADA) web site in their new section, -evidence-based dentistry," for dentists and their patients. (1)
Fluoride supplements, in graduating amounts up to 1 mg daily, are often prescribed to children who don't drink fluoridated water, ostensibly to reduce tooth decay.
This review confirmed that in non-fluoridated communities the use of fluoride supplements during the first 6 years of life is associated with a significant increase in the risk of developing dental fluorosis, write researchers Ismail & Bandekar and first published in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, February 1999, (2) but posted to the ADA's website July 2007.
Fluoride ingestion, once thought to reduce cavities, can lead to dental fluorosis - white spotted, yellow, brown and/or pitted tooth enamel. Modern science indicates fluoride absorbs into tooth enamel topically, primarily.(3)

Studies link dental fluorosis to children's kidney damage (4) and bone fractures (5).

The ADA and Centers for Disease Control recently advised that fluoridated water should not be mixed into concentrated infant formula, in order to decrease dental fluorosis risk - now a growing U.S. problem. (6)

Never safety-tested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) (7), fluoride supplements do more harm than good.(8)

-While fluoride is proclaimed a significant cavity reducer, there is little, if any, science to support that," says lawyer Paul Beeber, President, New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation.
A National Institutes of Health 2001 news release supports Beeber's assertion: "... the (NIH) panel was disappointed in the overall quality of the clinical data that it reviewed. According to the panel, far too many studies were small, poorly described, or otherwise methodologically flawed." (9) Over 560 studies evaluated fluoride among those reviewed by the NIH Consensus Development Program panel for the Diagnosis and Management of Dental Caries.
Recent research shows that fluoridation delivers risks with little, if any, benefit.(10)
"Save money, save our health, save the planet. Stop fluoridation," says Beeber.

Contact: Paul Beeber nyscof@aol.com 516-433-8882

USA - Childhood tooth decay on the rise

Childhood tooth decay on the rise
11:39 AM PDT on Saturday, July 14, 2007
By JEAN ENERSEN / KING 5 News
Four-year-old Brittany is just learning she'll need a new filling. It will be her fifth. SEATTLE – What starts out as a simple toothache could be bad for your child's overall health. And it affects many more preschoolers than most people think. Four-year-old Brittany is just learning she'll need a new filling. It will be her fifth. Dr. Chris Delecki, director of Odessa Brown Children's Dental Clinic, has seen many children like her. He says parents may not think of tooth decay in baby teeth as a problem, but they could be missing signs that a child is in chronic pain. "Children are very quiet, and they seldom complain," Delecki said. "Our barometer usually for children is when they start waking up at night with a toothache." According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, tooth decay affects a child's motivation to learn, and even ability to eat. The number of children at risk is climbing. A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals 28 percent of children between the ages of 2 and 5 have tooth decay. It's not surprising, says Delecki. "We do know that sugar consumption continues to climb in this country per individual," Delecki said. Delecki says parents can prevent most tooth decay by cutting down on juices, serving water with snacks and cleaning children's teeth daily. For infants, a cloth or a toothbrush without fluoride works well. There's something else Delecki passes along to parents, a surprising scientific finding: "Infants and toddlers, about 50-plus percent get their bacteria that cause decay from their mom," Delecki said. That's because moms can pass germs that cause tooth decay by sharing utensils with a child, or even giving their child a kiss. It's a good reason for moms to take care of their own dental needs for the sake of their children's. Experts say until a child is 7 or 8, parents should do the brushing for them. The government report showed tooth decay in older children is decreasing as more are getting dental sealants. Experts say cutting down on candy and soda pop and learning to floss can help even more kids.

Includes video

Seattle Washing has been fluoridated since 1968: NYSCOF

Monday, July 16, 2007

Letter - Fluoride is a poison

Fluoride is a poison
Times-Standard
Article Launched: 07/15/2007 04:13:27 AM PDT
Letters to the editor
In Dr. Ann Lindsay's (My Word column, “Let all benefit from fluoridation,” July 8), she seems to have forgotten the information from her chemistry classes or chosen to ignore the fact that fluoride is a poison. To think and say that adding more poison to your citizens' water is a good thing overlooks the fact that tooth decay isn't caused by a lack of poison, i.e. fluoride.
Poison plus more poison does not improve the health of any organism -- including humans. Because fluoride is a poison, the human body uses its calcium stores (if there are any) to bind and remove fluoride from the body. Calcium deficiency is a bad thing.
All health professionals should work together to improve the dental health of our children by adding ionizable calcium to their bodies.
I don't have the time and the Times-Standard doesn't have space for me to counter the many errors in Dr. Lindsay's (opinion column). The truth of fluoride dangers is available. We owe it to our children and ourselves to know those truths and obey them.
L. S. Clark
Fortuna

USA - What's on tap- for and against

........
4. Health: Municipal water contains residual amounts of chlorine, which is used to keep the water clean, and many cities add fluoride to promote dental health. A report last year from the National Academy of Sciences cited concerns about bone fractures and a discoloration and weakening of tooth enamel because of high fluoride levels in municipal water. Nitrates can be found in water in rural areas, says Bill Morris, professor of food science and technology at University of Tennessee. Sometimes, he says, when old copper pipes are used, lead can seep into the water. There are also several countries where the water is unsafe to drink..................

Contaminated sediment along the Columbia in Vancouver

Polychlorinated biphenyls, a carcinogen, contaminate a stretch of Columbia River shoreline near the old Alcoa smelter in Vancouver. The sluggish pace of cleanup casts a shadow over a new initiative to reduce toxins in the Great River of the West. (Photos by DAVE OLSON, The Columbian)

Sunday, July 15, 2007
BY ERIK ROBINSON Columbian staff writer
Ten years after discovering seriously contaminated sediment along the Columbia in Vancouver, the polluter and the state have yet to begin cleanup
Acarcinogenic pollutant dumped by an aluminum smelter has tainted a stretch of Columbia River shoreline in Vancouver for at least a decade.
The polluter - Alcoa - knows it. So does the state Department of Ecology. Nevertheless, 10 years after the pollution was identified, not one shovelful of polluted sediment has been removed. And cleanup is still years away. Meanwhile, there's a good chance that people have been eating tiny clams growing in a toxic stew of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. Researchers happened across the PCB-tainted clams near the old Alcoa smelter, which closed seven years ago, as part of a larger study involving a common Asian bivalve. What they found was startling enough to prompt a public health advisory..............................

USA - Salt Lake is one of the first cities in the nation to try to get people to drop bottled water

Salt Lake City Touts Tap Water
Salt Lake is one of the first cities in the nation to try to get people to drop bottled water at the same time bottled water has become a booming business.

Comment added
If everyone knew the truth about the flouride that they're polluting our water with, then they would be drinking bottled water too.

The flouride that they're dumping into our drinking water isn't the purified form of flouride, it's actually a fouride bi-product created from manufacturing. They don't have ways to properly dispose of it, so they tell the sheep that it's good for them and dump it their drinking water.

I drink bottled water because I care not to pollute my body with toxic waste.

USA - A suburban community is considering dropping fluoride

Village may end fluoride
Saukville cites cost; some other sites also avoid water additive
By LAWRENCE SUSSMAN
Posted: July 15, 2007
Village of Saukville - A suburban community is considering dropping fluoride from its drinking water, sparking discussion of another aspect of water - an increasingly contentious topic in southern Wisconsin.
In this case, the question is focused on Saukville, a village in northern Ozaukee County that has grown nearly 6% since the 2000 U.S. census.
The suggestion is the first in recent memory regarding water content rather than supply for fast-growing suburban communities, many of which - especially in booming Waukesha County - are already concerned about where to get more water for neighborhoods teeming with new residents.
Saukville village officials say they are raising the fluoride question because of cost concerns. The village will spend about $5,300 this year on fluoride.
Village officials are also questioning whether residents want or even care about having fluoride in municipal water, given the popularity of bottled water, which normally does not have added fluoride.....................................

Sunday, July 15, 2007

All about tea

The iron brew
By Sarah Ewing
Tea is increasingly being hailed as a powerful opponent of disease, but to really bolster your immune system, go green, or better still, white
ON HOT days many of us reach for an ice-cold glass of water, but we may be better opting for a cup of tea. According to the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition and a growing number of British dieticians, drinking three or more cups of tea a day can be just as good as drinking water, not only because it counts towards your recommended daily intake of two litres of water, but because it has many added benefits.
Black tea contains flavonoid polyphenols, which are plant compounds that have anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties which prevent cell damage. A recent overview of tea studies found that drinking three or four cups of tea a day can cut your chances of having a heart attack, bolster protection against tooth plaque and decay - as tea contains natural fluoride - and strengthen your bones, thus reducing your risk of osteoporosis.
However, while drinking black tea can substantially improve the ability of your arteries to relax and expand, which keeps your blood pressure healthy, according the European Heart Journal, taking milk in your cuppa - as 98% of Brits do - ruins all the good work. German researchers found that caseins in milk reduced the concentration of catechins, which help dilate blood vessels by producing nitric oxide.
Black tea also scores less well as it blocks the absorption of dietary iron because it contains tannins (an astringent phenolic compound) and phytates (the stored form of phosphorus). These bind with iron molecules making it unavailable for other bodily functions, such as transporting oxygen around your body and maintaining your immune system.
Green tea, which is more commonly drunk in Asian countries, such as China and Japan, has not undergone any fermenting so it's believed to have greater anti-oxidant properties and more catechins than black tea. However, it is an acquired taste as it's very earthy.
A Japanese study published in the Journal Of The American Medical Association found that regular green tea drinkers reduced their risk of fatal cardiovascular disease by almost a third. However green tea enthusiasts are quick to point out that the health benefits accrue over the long-term. In order to improve your anti-oxidant levels and to help guard against free radical damage, you should ideally be drinking five cups of green tea a day for a year . Free radicals interfere with your cell structure so they can't replicate in a healthy manner.
The west has recently become more aware of the health benefits of white tea. This is not black tea with milk added, but is made from new growth buds and young leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis. The leaves are steamed and then dried which means it retains the high concentrations of flavonoid catechins which are present in fresh tea leaves.
As white teas contain buds as well as leaves (other teas are mainly leaves), the dried tea doesn't look green but has a pale appearance. A study from Pace University in the US found that white tea had more anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties than green tea.
White tea may have the power to battle cancer-causing cells and many different types of cancer, such as colon, prostate and stomach cancers. Flavonoids (a class of antioxidants) inhibit the growth of cancer cells and prevent the development of new ones.
Studies show that white tea can thin the blood and improve artery function. It helps lower high blood pressure and maintain a healthy heart. By promoting strong, healthy blood vessels, white tea guards against the ravages of a stroke. Antioxidant catechins have been found to reduce cholesterol, and white tea is teeming with them.
Cholesterol is a special type of fat, necessary for health. There is good cholesterol and bad cholesterol, and white tea increases the good while decreasing the bad. This helps prevent hardening of the arteries and blockage of blood flow. By thinning the blood, lowering blood pressure and reducing cholesterol, white tea protects the heart and the entire circulatory system.
Researchers have also discovered that people who drink two or more cups of white tea a day are almost 50% less likely to die after suffering a heart attack.
And white tea has also become the doyenne of anti-ageing beauty products recently because it hunts down damaging free radicals, protects your skin and helps reverse the signs of ageing caused by stress, the sun and a poor diet. Both Origins and Estée Lauder have incorporated it into their moisturisers and eye products.

Never tried white tea