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UK Against Fluoridation

Friday, October 31, 2008

Fluoride Added To Children's Milk In Schools in UK



Nice to see a young person take an interest.

USA - Advice

By Kristy Ann Pike
Living Well

Cavities are formed when bacteria in the mouth creates acid. While it's true that bacteria feeds on good old-fashioned sugar, it also thrives on any kind of fermentable carbohydrate, including those found in crackers, fruits, juices, milk and bread. "Anything sticky is also a concern even if it's something we might consider healthy, like raisins or other dried fruit," Ence said. "Sports drinks are almost as bad as sodas for the teeth." Ence said it's not necessarily the amount of candy or other sugars we eat that hurts our teeth, it's the frequency with which we eat it. "Under normal conditions, the pH in the mouth is basic," he said. "When we eat, that pH will often turn acidic. So when you have a kid who eats a little bit of candy all day long, the mouth stays continually acidic, creating the perfect conditions for developing cavities."
Combating the problem
Brushing teeth.
"As soon as they have teeth, parents should brush their children's teeth until they can learn to do it themselves," Ence said. "We should also try and brush them at least twice a day. Even before their teeth come in, you can swab their gums." He suggests finding toothpaste without fluoride for young children, since they have the tendency to swallow the paste rather than spit it out. A young dad himself, "I know it can be hard to enforce tooth brushing with small kids," he said. "But it's a battle that's worth it."
Floss daily.
We all should floss at least once a day, Ence said.
"Very small kids have enough spaces between their teeth that if you brush carefully, you may be able to get everything."
Nevertheless, the habit of flossing is a good one to start early.
Rinse after eating.
When you can't brush your teeth after eating, rinse your mouth well with water.
As it turns out, dental health is another good reason to keep that water bottle nearby all day. You may want to encourage the same for your school-aged child, particularly after meals. In fact, even small children can be offered a couple of sips of water after eating.
Other tips.
Also, "Never put a baby to bed with a bottle," Ence said. "The milk pools in the mouth and stays there while they sleep, causing a condition called 'baby bottle caries.'" According to Dr. Ence, there are some sweeteners that don't encourage harmful mouth acids. Xylitol, which can be found in some chewing gums and breath mints, is one such choice.
Of course, when it comes right down to it, there is no substitute for a gentle but thorough brushing of those pearly whites.
Living Well represents a collaboration between healthcare professionals, The Foundation of Dixie Regional Medical Center - a not-for-profit hospital, and The Spectrum. Contact 251-2108 for more information.

Allergic effects from fluoridated water

effects from fluoridated water
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
by Sharon McMichael, Gothenburg

October 31, 2008

I have personally experienced ill effects from fluoridated water. For years I had wondered why each time I visited Lincoln, Kearney, Ogallala and other places with fluoride added to the water system I became very ill with severe migraine headaches, but I did not connect it to the fluoride.

I knew the fluoride was to be added to our water in 1996, but did not know the exact date. I became violently ill with migraines and didn’t know why. After several days, a friend suggested maybe it was the fluoride. My husband purchased bottled water for me and within hours the migraines subsided and disappeared

From then on until the fluoride was removed we were hauling water from another town. I now know I cannot even consume food made with fluoridated water.

A 1993 report states that “Allergic-type reactions have been reported by top physicians, including Nobel Prize winner Dr. William Murphy.

I was born and raised in Gothenburg and after a few years away have been a resident since 1971. We have recently moved to a new residence where we hoped to spend our remaining years, but we may now have to pack up and move to a small town that isn’t contaminating its water. This would mean leaving our family, including grandchildren, our physician and friends. I will not be able to dine in local restaurants or even drink a cup of coffee in a friend’s home. It will also create a financial hardship on us, as we are retired and on social security.

The first time the fluoride issue was on the ballot years ago, my mother was still living and had a number of medical problems. I talked to her physician, Dr. M.J. Ayres, and asked his opinion. He stated that “it would not be good for diabetics, persons with high blood pressure or heart conditions, and the elderly.” I believe he was way ahead of his time.

A report I saw on television approximately a year ago stated that added fluoridation has now been shown to cause cancer. Isn’t there enough of that already?

If our senators are so concerned about the children of our state, perhaps their time would be better spent making new laws about child abusers and sexual offenders. Each time a new picture of a sexual offender is printed in the paper, it states, “likely to re-offend,” so why are they out free to walk the streets? It seems they have more rights than the children or an upstanding citizen.

I would also like to know why a group of senators has the right to tell me what I must consume. Even a physician cannot do that. Each person has the right to refuse any treatment recommended by a physician, but not what is recommended by a senator.

USA - All smiles were ‘sealed’

By Stephen Woodward/Staff Writer
Published:
Wednesday, October 29, 2008 11:59 AM EDT
................Skelton, who’s volunteered with the program for 12 years, said that the procedures only include preventive measures, like cleaning, fluoride, and sealants if needed. It does not include drilling or filling. Skelton estimated that probably 50 percent of the kids she sees have decay on their teeth. While some of those teeth are baby teeth, Skelton said that the microorganisms are still in their mouths.................

In Kentucky, where fluoridation is state-mandated:NYSCOF

Thursday, October 30, 2008

UK - Southampton

Panel split on fluoride but votes in favour
9:05am Thursday 30th October 2008
SOUTHAMPTON’S councillors are being urged to back controversial plans to fluoridate the tap water delivered to two thirds of the city’s residents.
A special panel of councillors set up to examine the scheme, proposed by health chiefs in an effort to improve dental health, last night narrowly voted to recommend it is supported.
The views of the seven-strong committee will go before the full council next month, when the authority’s formal response to the public consultation will be agreed.
After two previous evidence-gathering sessions, members of the Water Fluoridation Inquiry members voiced their opinions before voting on the proposals.
“The view is very strongly in my mind that as an elected body responsible for promoting health and wellbeing we should be supporting fluoridation,” said Cllr Peter Marsh-Jenks. Panel chair, Cllr Edwina Cooke voted against the scheme.
“It is a tremendous amount of money that I feel could be much better spent on the children themselves,” she said.
The panel voted to back the scheme by four to three.

Alex Jones Interviews Paul Connet on Fluoridation



How long will it be before the NHS listens to this and wakes up.

UK - Health bosses to look at fluoridation costs

Health bosses to look at fluoridation costs
12:50pm Monday 27th October 2008
By Jane Lavender »
THE cost of adding fluoride to Bolton’s water is to be examined by health bosses.
Primary Care Trust chiefs in Bolton have agreed to allow regional chiefs to examine the issue more closely.
Bolton was one of three towns in Greater Manchester which had not asked NHS North-west to produce a fluoridation plan, but the Primary Care Trust board has now officially submitted its request.
Alison Merry, consultant in dental public health for Bolton PCT, said: “Levels of dental decay are much worse in Bolton compared to the rest of England. We want to do all we can to improve this. Before any new fluoridation scheme can be introduced a set process needs to be followed and a public consultation would be held. But we are not at that stage yet as more work first needs to be done to look at the costs and practicalities of adding fluoride to the local water supply.”
If all of Greater Manchester’s 10 PCT’s give the go-ahead then a public consultation will be launched late next year.
In the UK, fluoridated water is supplied to around 5.5 million people.
The West Midlands and parts of the North-east and Cumbria have already had fluoride added to their water supply.
Anti-fluoride campaigners are calling for a referendum on whether it is added to Bolton’s water supply amid fears it can cause cancer, osteoporosis, organ and genetic damage.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Walter Graham spokesperson for Northern Ireland Councils

UK - Rossendale council leader’s fluoride promise

Rossendale council leader’s fluoride promise
3:09pm Monday 27th October 2008
By Helen Korn »
ROSSENDALE council leader Tony Swain says he will ensure residents are consulted over tap-water fluoridation.
Speaking against the scheme at Rossendale’s cabinet meeting, Linda Forrest, from the Fight Against Fluoridation, Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley and National Pure Water Association, said the process was “unnecessary and surrounded by uncertainties.”
Coun Gladys Sandiford said she opposed “mass medication” and cash should be spent on educating parents.
Coun Anne Cheetham said: “I’m concerned about the teeth of the next generation.”
Coun Swain added: “Now the Strategic Health Authority should have to consult with the public and my job is to ensure it does.”

USA - Letter: Worries about water

Letter: Worries about water
In the Washington Post I read that there are traces of six common medicines such as pharmaceuticals - an anti-seizure medication, two anti-inflammatory drugs, two kinds of antibiotics and a common disinfectant, found in the Washington, D.C., region's drinking water. Also fluoride, which is the main ingredient in rat poison, is found in most tap water drinking sources.
If we want our community here in Astoria to thrive, we need to put pressure on our mayor and any others involved to make sure Astoria's water is absolutely defluorinated and dechemicalized.
It cannot be an issue that some citizens of Astoria cannot afford clean drinking water. How can it be productive if a majority of our population cannot make conversation because the chemical imbalance going on inside of them?
We need to do something about this issue for the sake of our next generations, people who do not believe in powers of wealth and the monopoly of good health.
Nick Stephens
Seaside

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/life/2008-10/29/content_7153072.htm

..........Tea plants gather fluoride in their leaves and so may contribute significant amounts to the daily intake of tea drinkers. In the US, the recommended "Adequate Intake" (AI) of fluoride is 3-4 mg per day for adults and 0.7-2.0 mg for children. A cup of tea contains around 0.3mg-0.5mg, and this figure doubles if the water used is already fluoridated..........

I knew someone who drank about 8 pints of tea a day - he is no longer with us!

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

New Partnership Aims To Prevent `Shocking Level' Of Child Dental Disease In New Zealand

28 October 2008 - Half of all New Zealand children starting primary school have preventable dental disease, according to leading specialist paediatric dentist, Dr Nina Vasan.

Announcing a strategic partnership between Lumino The Dentists, New Zealand's largest dental healthcare organisation and Kidz-Teeth, a specialist children's dental service, Dr Vasan said: `At primary school entry approximately 50% of children have dental disease which is preventable. Our mission is to prevent this shocking level of disease through treatment and education whilst instilling confidence in the dental environment in young New Zealanders. Our partnership with Lumino The Dentists presents an exciting opportunity for our services to be more accessible to children nationwide so that they can experience good oral health care at an early stage.'

Lumino The Dentists General Manager, Andy Tapper commented: `Children and adolescent dentistry is a continuing focus for Lumino. We believe our partnership with Kidz Teeth, which is Auckland's leading paediatric specialist dental practice, is a natural extension of the services we offer to children. A number of our practices hold contracts for the provision of free services to adolescents or alternatively will treat children of existing patients privately. We also have Lumino The Dentists Mobile, an extensive mobile dental service which visits high schools throughout Auckland, offering free screening and dental treatment for adolescents. Work that cannot be done on the buses is done at one of our nearby dental practices.'

Mainly fluoridated NZ

New York Dentists Pay Off State Legislators to Get Laws Passed

Organized dentistry is too powerful in the U.S. Their money, clout and influence gets laws passed that benefits dentistry but not the public. As a result tooth decay is an epidemic in the US where people are dying from untreated tooth decay and no legislator has the guts to mandate that all dentists accept Medicaid patients or allow other groups to start doing dental work.

Fluoridated America?

Monday, October 27, 2008

NZ - Dentists warn on children's tooth rot

Dentists warn on children's tooth rot
Call for fluoridated water
By TOM HUNT - Nelson | Monday, 27 October 2008
Email a Friend | Printable View | Have Your Say
MARTIN DE RUYTER/Nelson Mail
AdvertisementDentists are calling for a fresh look at the fluoridation of Nelson's water supply, with claims children's teeth are slipping back to decay levels of the 1940s.
While fluoridation was the main concern, a worsening diet, poor oral hygiene and fewer school dental nurses were driving children's and teenagers' teeth back to the poor condition they were in before school dental clinics were set up, said Nelson dentists Dan McGettigan and Janette Wilcox, who is also the Nelson branch president of the New Zealand Dental Association.
Dr McGettigan said that while tooth decay in children and teenagers was not "rampant" like it was in the 1940s, it was heading that way across the country, particularly in areas with unfluoridated water, including the Nelson region.
It was a real possibility that a lot children of today would have to wear dentures by the time they were adults, Dr McGettigan said.
While fluoridation was the major concern for dentists in the Nelson region, Drs Wilcox and McGettigan said a move towards increasingly processed, high-sugar diets was also devastating to children's and teenagers' teeth.
People were drinking more fizzy drinks and "so-called" energy drinks were particularly harmful because the caffeine dried the mouth of saliva, which had anti-plaque properties.
Oral hygiene had not improved to attack the worsening diet.
A lot of dentists in the Nelson region were unwilling to take up the Government's offer of free dental care for under-18s because they found the system too cumbersome and the pay inadequate. It was also treatment, rather than preventive-based, they said.
Nelson dentist Andrew Meffan backed the call for fluoridation, saying people would not accept it as normal if "one by one your fingers rotted away", as teeth did.
Health arguments against fluoridation did not stack up as the proposed level of fluoride in Nelson was one part per million, compared with up to 30 parts per million that occurred naturally in some countries and did have health drawbacks.
Fluoride occurred naturally in Nelson water but at just one-tenth of the levels that dentists were lobbying for.
If Nelson did fluoridate its water the council should supply taps where people could fill up bottles with non-fluoridated water, he said.
Nelson Marlborough District Health Board community paediatrician Nick Baker said dental caries -- the disease that leads to decay -- was the most common disease for children, with nearly half having it by the age of five.
It was also the most common single cause of admission to Nelson Hospital.
Because children aged between three and eight could often not tolerate dental work it was the most common single reason why children underwent general anaesthetics in Nelson, he said.
Health board oral health clinical director Geoff Lingard said tooth decay in five-year-old children had increased slightly in the past decade, following a significant decrease in the previous 30 years.
Nelson Mayor Kerry Marshall said the issue had not been raised since the new council was elected a year ago, while Tasman Mayor Richard Kempthorne said the district council was not considering fluoridation and had not done so in at least seven years.
Fluoridation critic, Dorothy-Rose Pallesen of Nelson, said that fluoride that was added to water supplies tended to be the cheaper sodium fluoride, which was significantly worse than naturally occurring calcium fluoride.
She claimed that excessive fluoride had been shown to cripple elderly people and, aged 76, she had only ever had one tooth removed despite avoiding fluoride when possible.

UK SOuthampton - Busting open a dental myth?

Busting open a dental myth?
12:36pm Sunday 26th October 2008
By Jon Reeve »
ENGLAND’S top dentist believes there is no link between access to NHS dentists and levels of tooth decay.
Which is a shame for Southampton, because it’s currently easier to register with one in the city than it has been for years.
The city’s health chiefs say there is currently exceptional access to NHS dentists.
But Dr Barry Cockcroft, England’s chief dental officer, believes that is not enough to improve the poor record on tooth decay in five-year-olds.
He insists fluoridating water supplies is the only way to reduce the number of youngsters with decayed, missing or filled teeth.
Dr Cockcroft was responding to criticism that money earmarked for the scheme to add fluoride to the tap water of nearly 200,000 Hampshire residents would be better spent increasing the number of NHS dentists.
“There’s a perception about lack of access,”
he said. “But there’s no link between access to services and levels of decay. There is no connection between availability of services and the extraction of teeth.”
Dr Cockcroft said solutions to decreasing tooth decay are available, but are not taken up by some sections of society, mostly those in more deprived areas.
He argues fluoridated water will reach youngsters not helped by other methods.
“It’s difficult to get to the most vulnerable areas of society and to the right children.
“But everybody drinks tea, everybody eats food cooked in water. “No one has the right to deny the benefits of fluoridation to those that might need it.”
But anti-fluoridation campaigners say there is no evidence treated water would reach those it is most designed to help.
Professor Paul Connett, head of the international Fluoride Action Network, said he doubts children in deprived areas do drink much water, or get to eat foods cooked in water.
“In the process we are giving it to people who can help themselves and make up their own minds,” he said.
Anyone wanting details of practices accepting NHS patients can call the Hampshire Dental Helpline on 0845 050 8345.

"ENGLAND’S top dentist believes there is no link between access to NHS dentists and levels of tooth decay." When he said that at the meeting last week there was gasp of disbelief. He said it in defence of the better state of teeth in fluoridated Birmingham where they have more dentists.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Fluoride Damages your Kidney video

You can't have too much!

Birmingham has two drinking problems not one

If they drink Guinness brewed in Ireland they will get even more fluoride and if they drink Australian beer brewed in a fluoridated area.........

Why teeth decay



Not through lack of fluoride.

USA - Holmen to vote on fluoridation

Holmen to vote on fluoridation
By JO ANNE KILLEEN | Onalaska-Holmen Courier Life.
Holmen residents will vote Nov. 4 on a binding referendum that asks whether they are in favor of adding fluoride to their water supply.
The initial cost to the village would be $140,800, with an estimated operating cost of $8,500 each year.
Fluoride proponents are numerous and have ample resources to bolster their positions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Dental Association, the Alzheimer’s Association, the World Health Organization, the American Cancer Society, the American Medical Association, the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation and about 100 others recognize the public health benefits of community water fluoridation for preventing dental decay.

Fluoride opponents are not as powerful, but they are convinced that fluoridating water supplies is not only detrimental to dental health but could be a significant contributing factor in many diseases.

Opponents are concerned fluoridated water contributes to hip fractures among the elderly, lower IQs in developing infant brains, sperm damage in animals and other bodily harm.

Loretta Perry of Holmen is concerned not enough attention is being paid to the findings of Christopher Bryson, which are outlined in his book “The Fluoride Deception.”

Nor, she said, is enough attention paid to pharmacologist Dr. Arvid Carlsson, 2000 Nobel laureate for medicine, who said the addition of fluoride to water supplies violates modern pharmacological principles. He argues fluoridating community water supplies does not recognize the enormous individual variations in responses to drugs.

For others, like Sheryl Jacobson, a nurse who lives in Holmen, it comes down to costs. Instead of spending $60 a year on fluoride tablets, she would rather see the community water fluoridated so all can have fluoride’s protection.

Martha McCabe, a West Salem resident who works for CouleeCap, is spearheading an effort to spur community water fluoridation in several western Wisconsin communities. The organization hopes to receive a grant that will help them advocate for fluoridation to help low-income children stave off dental disease and would help communities purchase necessary equipment.
McCabe said children on Medicaid and their parents are severely limited in their access to dentists and would benefit from fluoridated water.
CouleeCap is on the steering committee of Citizens for Better Dental Health in Holmen. McCabe and the group believe the material being put out by Berkley and others on the Internet amount to pseudoscience.
“With the Internet today, that allows anyone to post anything whether it’s scientifically based or not; pseudoscience can be posted,” McCabe said. “Our group is trying to put out credible articles and scientific studies (challenging the pseudoscience).”

Seneca Water Plant receives awards

“The other award was presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and that was a water fluorinization quality award,” Faires said. “That’s just for consistency on the fluoride content and keeping it at optimal levels for a consistent basis over 12 months.”

Strange affair to award a water company for keeping fluoride content consistant, what about the companies that don't?

Saturday, October 25, 2008

UK - Parliament 24th October

Dr. Julian Lewis (New Forest, East) (Con): May we have a statement soon from a Health Minister on the abuse of public money by the South Central strategic health authority and Southampton City national health service primary care trust in relation to a consultation about fluoridation, which is due to affect Southampton and parts of my constituency? The strategic health authority has issued a very one-sided consultation document, and the PCT must have spent thousands of pounds of public money on producing reply postcards where first-class postage is paid. I am holding one of the postcards, which state:
“I support fluoridation as a safe and effective method of reducing high levels of dental decay for children and adults.”

It is clear that those bodies have made up their minds and that this consultation is a sham, and a Health Minister needs to step in quickly.

Chris Bryant: I do not know whether I want to get my teeth into that issue. [Interruption.] There needs to be one bad joke every week, does there not? The important issue is that although I cannot promise the hon. Gentleman a statement, the subject would be very suitable for either a topical debate or an Adjournment debate. Obviously, I shall ensure that his comments are taken into consideration by the Secretary of State for Health.

UK - Fluoridation fears in East Lancs

Fluoridation fears in East Lancs
There are calls for Lancashire to come together to campaign against the fluoridation of the County's drinking water supplies.

It's coming from Hyndburn Borough Council leader Peter Britcliffe and the leader of Rossendale Council Tony Swain.

They've met with representatives from the UK Campaign Against Fluoridation and from other councils to talk about this issue.

Councillor Britcliffe said, “We are convinced of the medical risks from water fluoridation, and now need to ensure that the Strategic Health Authority does not proceed without the backing of other Councils.”

UK - Put fluoride in the pop

Put fluoride in the pop
Oct 24 2008 by Sarah Bull, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

REGARDING the letter from Mr Joseph B McManus (Examiner, October 20) re adding fluoride to our drinking water and the benefit he attributes to this 50 years ago.

I don’t think the same argument could be used today.

Let’s face reality; the children today do not drink water, so what benefit would adding a very dangerous chemical to our water give them?

The vast majority of the population are against mass medication, so why should they have to suffer this, because a minority of parents are incapable of looking after their children’s teeth and let them eat junk food and drink copious quantities of sugar- laden drinks.

So the answer must be put the fluoride in the drinks, that the kids drink and give the rest of the population the choice between buying these or not.

I can’t help feeling that it is easier to fool the majority of the population rather than the drinks manufacturers into accepting this obvious solution.

Another problem that arises is that water is distributed over wide areas and as such is no longer a local decision.

Lionel H Holmes

USA - Group wants dental health to be part of candidates' talk:

Group wants dental health to be part of candidates' talk:
"Dentists have fared pretty well in recent years, with the average dentist earning $198,350 in 2005, the most recent figure available. Dental fees too have been rising, along with other medical costs."

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported ...tooth decay in very young children had risen over the past decade. And nearly a third of Mexican American children ages 6 to 11 had cavities in their permanent teeth, compared with 19 percent of Anglo children."

"The death of a young boy in Maryland last year from untreated dental problems was shocking, Feldman [American Dental Association President] said."

“There's no question the concern right now is access to care for the poorest of the poor,” Feldman said. “People who just can't get access to a dentist — that doesn't deserve to take place in this country and there are ways to address that. It's going to take partnerships with the government, with dentistry, with industry. But sooner or later, it's going to take some money being put on the table. And right now is going to be a tough time.”

In 70% fluoridated USA:NYSCOF

Friday, October 24, 2008

UK - Fluoride clash with my medication

Fluoride clash with my medication
Oct 23 2008 by Our Correspondent, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

THERE is a constant battle about putting fluoride in the water but to me, fluoride is a poison because of my medication for gout. It will clash with fluoride. Part of my regime is to drink six litres of fresh water – it cannot be flavoured with anything – it must be plain water.

The argument is to put fluoride in the water because of children's teeth problems. Parents could buy fluoride toothpaste and that should be quite adequate instead of putting fluoride in water which, for me and others, would play havoc with medication for gout.

Gout is caused by the kidney producing too much uric acid, and water dilutes the acid and prevents it from settling in the joints in crystal form. It is very painful and you are unable to walk or even sleep.
R H SUGDEN

Yet in Southampton at each meeting we are assured that fluoridation benefits everybody!!

UK - Southampton's fluroide plan gets backing from health bosses

Southampton's fluroide plan gets backing from health bosses
4:03pm Thursday 23rd October 2008
By Jon Reeve »
HAMPSHIRE health chiefs have backed plans to fluoridate the water supplies of some of its residents in a bid to improve dental health in Southampton.
The county's primary care trust board has agreed to support the controversial initiative, which would see 36,000 people in Eastleigh, Totton and Netley receive fluoridated water.
Southampton City PCT has proposed the scheme for two-thirds of city residents in a bid to improve a poor record on tooth decay in five-year-olds.
Campaigners opposed to the scheme argue it is not proven to work, and carries the risk of side effects including mottled teeth, cancers and brittle bones.
Hampshire PCT board members accepted the public health benefits of the scheme, but want the body overseeing the ongoing public consultation to ensure the views of non-city residents are taken into account.
They will now be sending a formal response to South Central Strategic Health Authority, which will be making a final decision on fluoridation in February.

They ignored everything we said to them, one board member said all our fears were as baseless as the vaccine autism link compiled by the gullible press. He was a dentist.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Southampton BBC local report

Experts quizzed over fluoride

Fluoridation Opposition Gaining Scientific Support

Fluoridation Opposition Gaining Scientific Support

NewswireToday - /newswire/ - Old Bethpage, NY, United States, 10/22/2008 - Several cities, including 61 Nebraska cities, are voting on fluoridation this year. They should reject it because science tells us adding fluoride chemicals into tap water to reduce tooth decay is ineffective, harmful and a waste of money.


Over 1300 additional professionals signed onto the Fluoride Action Network's (FAN) statement calling for an end to fluoridation as more evidence emerges to condemn fluoridation.

Now over 1,860 professionals urge Congress to stop water fluoridation and hold Congressional hearings, citing scientific evidence that fluoridation, long promoted to fight tooth decay, is ineffective and has serious health risks.

Since the first FAN August 2007 statement, the following has occurred:

• The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, Canada’s leading voice on environmental health issues, released a statement opposing fluoridation.

• The National Kidney Foundation dropped its fluoridation support replacing it with this caution: “Individuals with CKD [Chronic Kidney Disease] should be notified of the potential risk of fluoride exposure.”

• Researchers reporting in the Oct 6 2007 British Medical Journal indicate that fluoridation never was proven safe or effective and may be unethical.

• A qualitative review of studies found a consistent and strong association between the exposure to fluoride and low IQ, conclude Tang el al., in "Fluoride and Children’s Intelligence: A Meta-analysis” in Biological Trace Element Research (e-published 8/10/08)

• Scientific American editors wrote in January 2008, "Some recent studies suggest that over-consumption of fluoride can raise the risks of disorders affecting teeth, bones, the brain and the thyroid gland"

• Dr. A. K. Susheela, a leading fluoride expert, explains in a video why US physicians overlook fluoride as a possible cause of diseases commonly caused by fluoride. The video is available on YouTube.

• An expert panel Health Canada commissioned to study the risks of fluoride exposure says the government should cut the recommended amount in drinking water, encourage the use of low-fluoride toothpaste by children and have makers of infant formula reduce levels in their products. The panel recommended reduced fluoride exposure because it was worried children might be getting too much of the chemical.

Signers to the FAN statement include:
• Dr. Arvid Carlsson,winner of the 2000 Nobel Prize for Medicine;
• Vyvyan Howard, MD, PhD, President, International Society of Doctors for the Environment;
• Ken Cook and Richard Wiles, Environmental Working Group;
• Lois Gibbs, Center for Health, Environment, and Justice;
• Joseph Mercola, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, who runs the #1 most visited natural health website;
• Theo Colborn, PhD, co-author, “Our Stolen Future”;
• Sam Epstein, MD, Chairman, Cancer Prevention Coalition;
• The current and six past Presidents of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology;
• Board of Directors (2007), American Academy of Environmental Medicine.

• FIVE Goldman Prize winners - given for excellence in protecting the environment
• Three members of the prestigious 2006 National Research Council (NRC) panel that reported on fluoride’s toxicology
• Three officers in the Union representing professionals at EPA headquarters
• Hundreds of medical, dental, academic, scientific and environmental professionals, worldwide.

Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Arvid Carlsson says, “Fluoridation is against all principles of modern pharmacology. It's really obsolete.”

An Online Action Petition to Congress in support of the Professionals' Statement is available on FAN's web site, and over 15,000 individuals have signed so far.

“The NRC fluoride report dramatically changed scientific understanding of fluoride's health risks," says Paul Connett, PhD, FAN’s Executive Director. "Government officials who continue to promote fluoridation must testify under oath as to why they are ignoring the powerful evidence of harm in the NRC report,” he added.

The Professionals’ Statement also references:
• The new American Dental Association policy recommending infant formula NOT be prepared with fluoridated water.
• The CDC’s concession that the predominant benefit of fluoride is topical not systemic.
• CDC data showing that dental fluorosis, caused by fluoride over-exposure, now impacts one third of American children.
• Major research indicating little difference in decay rates between fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities.
• A Harvard study indicating a possible link between fluoridation and bone cancer.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a DC watchdog, revealed that a Harvard professor concealed the fluoridation/bone cancer connection for three years. EWG President Ken Cook states, “It is time for the US to recognize that fluoridation has serious risks that far outweigh any minor benefits, and unlike many other environmental issues, it's as easy to end as turning off a valve at the water plant.”

Australia - To fluoridate or not to fluoridate

To fluoridate or not to fluoridate
By Anne Matthews-Frederick - posted Thursday, 23 October 2008
Decades after the rest of Australian capital cities, Brisbane is to add fluoride to the city’s fluoride-free public water supply. Prior to 2007, only local government which controlled each local area water supply could make this decision after direct consultation with its community. A fluoridated water community could co-exist beside a non fluoridated community.

During compulsory amalgamation of the regional councils during 2007, the state government transferred control of water to the state. One of the reasons for this is seen in the immediate decision to fluoridate the state’s water supply. It will also make it easy to transfer or sell the people’s water supply in the future.

Mandatory fluoridation has been supported by political parties in an ad hoc fashion until the majority of state politicians united in 2008 to pass the bill to allow fluoride to be added to water that was once described as one of the “safest” and cheapest tap waters in the world.............

A long but very good article

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

UK - Southampton - No winners yet in fluoride debate

No winners yet in fluoride debate
1:01pm Tuesday 21st October 2008
By Jon Reeve »
HEAVYWEIGHTS from both sides of the fluoride argument squared up against each other last night, but neither managed to deliver a knockout blow.
Around 150 people turned up for the first of three Question Time-style debates between the opposing sides of the argument surrounding plans to fluoridate two thirds of Southampton’s water supply.
Experts including England’s chief dental officer and the head of an international anti-fluoride coalition took their opportunities to air and explain their views and score points against each other.
But those who came hoping to make up their minds are likely to have left with even more questions about the controversial scheme than when they arrived at St Mary’s Stadium.
As could be expected from a subject on which the most widely-accepted study said there is a lack of high quality evidence on most claims both for and against, there was much contradiction among the panel.
What was evident from both sides, and from many of those in the audience, was the passion the issue stirs.
The debate’s independent c h a i r m a n , Hampshire - based broadcaster Peter White admitted he had been told he could cut the twohour session short if there was a lack of questions from the floor.
But he could probably have held all three scheduled sessions back-to-back and the a r g u m e n t s would still have raged long into the night.
England’s top dentist, Barry Cockcroft, and Southampton City Primary Care Trust dental consultant, Dr Jeyanthi John told the audience fluoride is a proven method of reducing tooth decay.
“The benefits are clearly demonstrated, it has a benefit for absolutely everybody and that is undeniable,” said Dr Cockcroft.
“Nobody has ever come up with the evidence to back up the scare stories.”
But Professor Paul Connett, founder of the Fluoride Action Network, and former Southampton PCT board member Dr Stephen Peckham said studies have never been carried out into side effects.
“Since fluoridation came in the main focus of the money has gone into studies on the effects on teeth, teeth and teeth,” said Prof Connett.
“Teeth aren’t the only tissue in the body.”
Prof Connett ended the night by challenging his opponents to provide by the second debate scientific rebuttals of 23 studies from China, India, Iran and Mexico, he said show links with lower IQ, cancers and thyroid problems.
The second and third events will held on November 18 and December 3.

USA - Individual voices fluoride concerns

After many months of research and reading The Fluoride Deception by Christopher Bryson I am convinced that our doctors, dentists, and all of us have been mislead for the last 60 years on the issue of water fluoridation and we are still being mislead to this day.
According to previously classified documents, the deception started when we were building the atomic bomb. Huge amounts of fluoride were needed to build the bomb. Then in the 1950s and 1960s aluminum companies needed large amounts of fluoride to build our airplanes.
The practice of fluoridating municipal water supplies was started in the 1940s to protect large companies involved in the war effort from litigation by factory workers who were poisoned by fluoride. The federal government, big business, and the American Dental Association collaborated to polish fluoride’s image. If fluoride is in the municipal water supply, how can an employee prove the factory was responsible for any harm?
The product being used to fluoridate municipal water supplies is a toxic poisonous industrial waste, not a natural occurring mineral in nature. The chemical (fluorisilicic acid) comes out of the scrubbers from fertilizer plants. It is okay to dump this poison in municipal water supplies, yet the only other place this poison can be discarded is a hazardous waste dump.

Fluoride in the water may make teeth harder, but it causes bones to become brittle, causes bone cancer, damages the thyroid, which may explain why we have so much obesity. It has also been linked to Alzheimer’s. Is preventing a cavity worth all these risks?

97% of western European countries have rejected water fluoridation and they have just as few cavities as municipalities who do fluoridate their water.

Fluoridating a municipal water supply is wasteful. Less than 1% is drank while the other 99% gets flushed through toilets, showers, baths, washing machines, dishwashers, car washes, manufacturing, and watering lawns.

Appearing on a recent Canadian television show, a former scientist with the Environmental Protection Agency called fluoridation “the biggest fraud of the century.”

As of 2006 the American Dental Association (ADA) does not recommend making baby formula with fluoridated water mainly because of the risk of dental fluorosis. Others have suggested it could cause brain damage. The Center for Disease Control in 2006 acknowledged that fluoride’s main benefit for teeth is topical, not systemic. You get all the fluoride you need from fluoridated toothpaste.

This is one time to not just put blind faith in your doctor and dentist. Just because the ADA tells us some cities have been fluoridating for years does not make it right.

Keep our water as pure as possible. Dumping toxic industrial waste into our water is criminal! It will slowly poison all of us over time.
Bob Samuelson
Nebraskans for Safe Water
Hastings NE
Read the Fluoride Deception by Christopher Bryson.
Google: Fluoride Action Network. www.fluoridealert.org
Google: Dr. Hardy Limeback video “Leading Dental Researcher Speaks Out”
4. Google: Dr David C Kennedy, DDS, Speaks Out Against Fluoride

Iodine May Be the Critical Mineral for Weight Loss, Energy and Beauty

(NaturalNews) Iodine may just be the most overlooked mineral, yet its importance to overall health and well being cannot be overstated. Iodine is critical for the formation of thyroid hormone in the thyroid gland. People who have difficulty losing weight even though they eat small portions of health promoting foods may be short on iodine. Iodine deficiency can lead to dull and brittle hair, balding, lack of skin tone, low energy levels, difficulty dealing with environmental temperature change, poor concentration, constipation, depression, and extreme fatigue.

Why many people are iodine deficient

Health conscious people expect conventional produce to be grown in soils deficient in essential minerals. They may be surprised to find out that organic produce is also often lacking sufficient amounts of iodine. Adequate intake of iodine was once a recognized problem that was solved by adding small amounts of it in the processing of table salt. Once this was done, the obvious symptoms of severe iodine deficiency disappeared from view, and little further thought was given to matter, though sub-clinical symptoms remained. Today's health conscious consumers have lowered their salt intake and now fail to get even that small amount of iodine in their diets. Many people have replaced processed iodized salt with sea salt, an obvious healthy alternative, except that sea salt does not naturally contain a significant amount of iodine.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Young teeth to get a fluoride varnish

Young teeth to get a fluoride varnish
8:29am Tuesday 21st October 2008By Claire Lomax »
Pre-school children living in areas of high deprivation with poor levels of oral health are to take part in a new fluoride varnish scheme in a bid to cut tooth decay.
The pilot project, by Bradford and Airedale Teaching Primary Care Trust (tPCT), will see two to four-year-olds in the Barkerend area of Bradford and Keighley have a fluoride varnish applied to their teeth every six months for two years.
Tracey Holdsworth, oral health improvement officer, said: “The oral health of young children in Bradford and Airedale is poor compared to neighbouring areas and nationally, with more than half of children having experienced dental disease.
“It’s really important to help children get into good habits from an early age, and fluoride varnish is a useful addition to the many different ways they can look after their teeth.
“Just one quick application – together with regular tooth brushing, healthy eating and drinking habits, and dental check-ups – can help protect children’s teeth for up to six months.
“It is extra protection against tooth decay which we hope will make a real difference to the oral health of children under five.”
Over the past few months, the tPCT’s oral health promotion team has run awareness sessions about the fluoride varnish programme at Barkerend Children’s Centre and the Rainbow Centre, Keighley, for parents and carers, who must give their consent for their children to be involved.
Fluoride varnish schemes already run in other parts of the country and Scotland and have proven to be safe and effective in reducing dental decay, a spokesman for the tPCT added.
It will see staff from the trust’s salaried dental service visit the children’s centres to apply the varnish, which is a layer of sticky gel, which then sets and the fluoride is absorbed into the enamel.
The tPCT plans to eventually roll out the scheme to children’s centres and nurseries across the district so that all pre-school children can benefit from fluoride varnish.
e-mail: claire.lomax@telegraphandargus.co.uk

Southampton BBC report - amazing statement

The first in a series of so-called public "Question Times" over plans to fluoridate the water in Southampton takes place. Video of Dr Mapstone from the Strategic Health Authority and a more balanced report from reporter David Fenton. Dr mapstone even suggests they even consider whether to stop fluoridation or not.

Monday, October 20, 2008

USA - Fluoride Opposition Growing

Fluoride Opposition Growing
Posted by: nyscof
New York -- October 19, 2008 -- Over 1300 additional professionals signed onto the Fluoride Action Network's (FAN) statement calling for an end to fluoridation as more evidence emerges to condemn fluoridation.
Now over 1,860 professionals urge Congress to stop water fluoridation and hold Congressional hearings, citing scientific evidence that fluoridation, long promoted to fight tooth decay, is ineffective and has serious health risks. See statement: http://www.fluorideaction.org/statement.august.2007.html
Since the first FAN August 2007 statement, the following has occurred:
-- The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, Canada’s leading voice on environmental health issues, released a statement opposing fluoridation.
-- The National Kidney Foundation dropped its fluoridation support replacing it with this caution: “Individuals with CKD [Chronic Kidney Disease] should be notified of the potential risk of fluoride exposure.” (1)
-- Researchers reporting in the Oct 6 2007 British Medical Journal indicate that fluoridation never was proven safe or effective and may be unethical. (2)
-- A qualitative review of studies found a consistent and strong association between the exposure to fluoride and low IQ, conclude Tang el al., in "Fluoride and Children’s Intelligence: A Meta-analysis” in Biological Trace Element Research (e-published 8/10/08)
-- Scientific American editors wrote in January 2008, "Some recent studies suggest that over-consumption of fluoride can raise the risks of disorders affecting teeth, bones, the brain and the thyroid gland"
-- Dr. A. K. Susheela, a leading fluoride expert, explains in a video why US physicians overlook fluoride as a possible cause of diseases commonly caused by fluoride. http://tinyurl.com/Susheela
-- An expert panel Health Canada commissioned to study the risks of fluoride exposure says the government should cut the recommended amount in drinking water, encourage the use of low-fluoride toothpaste by children and have makers of infant formula reduce levels in their products. The panel recommended reduced fluoride exposure because it was worried children might be getting too much of the chemical.

Australia - Fluoride water plan for city strengthens

Fluoride water plan for city strengthens
October 20, 2008
By Rob Lockyear
THE controversial plan to introduce fluoride into our water system is only the skin of a tooth away after a major delivery to the Mt Crosby water treatment plant.
Deputy Premier Paul Lucas was on site to witness the delivery of the two giant fluoridation units that had been trucked up from Sydney.
"These are among the largest fluoride units to be installed at a water treatment plant in Australia," Mr Lucas said.
"This delivery today means we are on target to deliver fluoridated water to south-east Queensland from December this year."
Mr Lucas said the $35 million commitment to providing fluoridated water to all Queenslanders would allow our kids to have the same dental health benefits other Australians have had for more than 40 years.
"Fluoridation is a safe, effective and proven preventative against tooth decay and I am committed to ensuring that future Queenslanders will reap the benefits," he said.
"Water fluoridation has overwhelming support by all the major medical and dental bodies here and overseas."
But despite the State Government's confidence in the health benefits of the program, some members of the Ipswich community remain sceptical.
The QT has received numerous letters from residents in the past years who said they do not want the mineral added to our water.

USA - Group wants dental health to be part of candidates' talk:

Group wants dental health to be part of candidates' talk:
Don Finley - Express-News
While the American Dental Association celebrated the start of its 150th year at its annual meeting in San Antonio this past week, stirrings of trouble were on the horizon.

"Dentists have fared pretty well in recent years, with the average dentist earning $198,350 in 2005, the most recent figure available. Dental fees too have been rising, along with other medical costs."

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported ...tooth decay in very young children had risen over the past decade. And nearly a third of Mexican American children ages 6 to 11 had cavities in their permanent teeth, compared with 19 percent of Anglo children."

In 70% fluoridated USA:NYSCOF

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Ireland - Think tank: Toothless policy on fluoride

Think tank: Toothless policy on fluoride
MEP says additive in our water is a menace
Kathy Sinnott
Every day, Irish sanitary authorities add hexafluorosilicic acid to public water supplies under the terms of the 1960 Fluoridation Act. Unlike the naturally occurring, poorly absorbed and therefore safer calcium fluoride found in toothpaste and mouthwash, hexafluorosilicic acid is an industrial waste by-product which is an active and highly absorbed molecule when swallowed. Over a lifetime of drinking small quantities of this fluoride, substantial amounts accumulate in the body, especially in hard tissue such as teeth and bone.

Children drink far more liquid in proportion to body weight than adults and are particularly vulnerable to toxic effects. Even the American Dental Association admits that fluoride can be harmful to babies, and officially recommends that infant formula should not be made from fluoridated tap water.

In the last 20 years, dental fluorosis has increased dramatically and now affects one third of Irish teenagers. Fluorosis is white streaking or brown staining of teeth. The more serious forms involve chipping and pitting of tooth enamel and affects two children in every second-level classroom today. But in Northern Ireland, where fluoridation was popularly rejected, serious fluorosis is non-existent.

Irish proponents of water fluoridation admit that there has been a significant increase in dental fluorosis but discount it as merely cosmetic and not an adverse health effect. A young person whose teeth are permanently marred might not agree.

Nor will doctors agree, because fluorosis is an important indicator that a toxic level of fluoride has accumulated in the body. If fluoride is damaging the teeth it is probably damaging bones and other tissue as well.

The campaign to stop fluoridation of drinking water is as old as I am. I remember as a young teenager hearing dire warnings about the health effects of ingesting fluoride, as doctors opposed to fluoridation debated with dentists who espoused it. Though the initial heat has dissipated from the campaign, it has never gone away and it is notable that doctors in Ireland today are not prepared to defend fluoridation.

But the debate is again heating up as long-term research is now showing the toll fluoride has taken on public health. For example, an American study of hip fractures in elderly citizens reveals that they are twice as common in a city which has had a fluoridated water supply for several decades than in a similar city that has never been fluoridated.

Many now are asking how an industrial-waste substance such as hexafluorosilicic acid can be added to drinking water, especially since it is listed as hazardous waste under the EU’s 1991 Waste Directive. Although Irish and British campaigners have appealed over the years to the European Commission to stop fluoridation, the commission has declined to become involved, possibly because fluoridation was rejected by continental Europe many years ago and is confined to Ireland and a few water companies in England.

The Irish policy of contaminating its water supplies is not just bad public health policy but in contravention of EU environmental and public health directives. For example, putting a hazardous waste into drinking water is contrary to the Drinking Water Directive and indeed to the Water Framework Directive. Disposing of a hazardous waste into water without a licence is contrary to the Waste Directive. Medicating with a substance that is unauthorised and unlicensed as a medicine contravenes the Medicines Directive.

I have now brought the issue to the various sections of the European Commission responsible for water, food and public health. I brought a number of medical experts to a series of meetings with the Directorate General for Health and Consumer Affairs (DG Sanco) to discuss how fluoridation directly transgresses EU health legislation.

As a result, the commission has initiated a thorough reassessment, which should be completed soon. One of the experts — Vyvyan Howard, a foetal and infant pathologist from the University of Ulster — was particularly instrumental in alerting the commission to fluoride’s health risks both before and after birth, especially in lowering IQ.

We have lived with water fluoridation for far too long. It costs millions of euros to fluoridate our water supplies every year. Cutting out water fluoridation would save money. It’s a spending cut that I am confident the majority of Irish people would welcome.

Kathy Sinnott is an independent MEP

Saturday, October 18, 2008

UK - Nottingham children's dental health '35 years behind UK'

THE health of childrens' teeth in Nottingham has been condemned as 35 years behind the rest of the country.
Five-year-olds have an average of three teeth which are damaged, missing or filled – the second-worst in the country.
Children in the city's poorest schools also have an average of six bad teeth each – four times the national average.
A report from Nottingham City Primary Care Trust says: "Against a background of national improvement, Nottingham's five-year-old's dental health is at the average level for England 35 years ago."
Health officials have pledged to spend £100,000 a year improving children's dental health.
PCT plans a mobile dental unit for hard-to-reach groups and fluoride varnishes will be given to 1,000 children.
Louise Holland from Sherwood, whose four-year-old son Sam is due to have his first filling, said: "Sam wouldn't open his mouth for the first four years at the dentist, and the last time we went the dentist spotted some decay."

£100,000? Southampton PCT/SHA is spending half a million trying to force fluoridation on us.

USA - SEAL Indiana Reports More Than Half of Indianapolis Area School Kids Treated by Program Have Moderate or Severe Dental Decay

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- More than half of the children in Indianapolis area schools seen between January and September 2008 by an Indiana University School of Dentistry mobile project had moderate or severe dental decay.

Fluoridated:NYSCOF

Friday, October 17, 2008

UK - Professor Connett criticises the Southampton consultation document

UK - Do you want flouride in your water?

Do you want flouride in your water?
Oct 16 2008 by Andrew Hirst, Huddersfield Daily Examiner
A KIRKLEES Council scrutiny panel is to gather evidence about the pros and cons of adding fluoride to water.
The move comes after Health Secretary Alan Johnson asked primary care trusts in areas with poor oral health to start consultations on putting fluoride in water supplies to help prevent tooth decay and reduce health inequalities.
These areas include Kirklees.
Panel chairman Clr Molly Walton said it would make recommendations to the council, which will pass them to the local primary care trust.
. Evidence will be gathered from oral health professionals. The panel will also welcome the views of the public.

Bacteria, Pain Killers Found in U.S. Bottled Water

Group finds 10 brands of bottled water have contaminants similar to tap water
By Matthew Little
...............Leiba said EWG was not targeting any specific company and only the names of the Walmart and Giant Supermarket bottled water brands are being released because those are the only two that large samples were taken from.
She described their research as a “snapshot” of the bottled-water market as it is today.
EWG conducted the study over two years and tested bottled water purchased in nine states and the District of Columbia. Their report says more than a third of the chemicals found are not regulated in bottled water. Four brands were contaminated with bacteria, it said.
Among the contaminants found in the ten brands tested were coliform bacteria, fertilizer, solvents, pain medication, and even strontium, a radioactive element.
In response, the organization is calling on the FDA to enforce stricter regulations...........

USA - SEAL Indiana Reports More Than Half of Indianapolis Area School Kids Treated by Program Have Moderate or Severe Dental Decay

SEAL Indiana Reports More Than Half of Indianapolis Area School Kids Treated by Program Have Moderate or Severe Dental Decay
Wednesday October 15, 4:37 pm ET
INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- More than half of the children in Indianapolis area schools seen between January and September 2008 by an Indiana University School of Dentistry mobile project had moderate or severe dental decay.
SEAL Indiana, a mobile dental sealant program operated by the university and funded in part by a grant from the Delta Dental Foundation, offers preventive services such as examinations, dental sealants and fluoride varnish treatments.
The program travels to schools within a 120-mile radius of Indianapolis to treat children from low-income families who are not receiving or do not have access to routine dental care. From January through September 2008, the program treated more than 1,100 students.
"The program is going well and support from the state and organizations like the Delta Dental Foundation are extremely helpful," said Karen Yoder, MSD, Ph.D., professor and director of the Division of Community Dentistry at Indiana University. "Even with our sliding payment scale, there are still many children we couldn't help if it weren't for additional funding support."

Parents of all the children seen through SEAL Indiana receive a written report about their child's oral health. In addition, a faculty dentist from Indiana University calls parents of children with severe dental decay to talk about the importance of follow-up care and information on how to apply for the state's Hoosier Healthwise program.

INDIANAPOLIS is fluoridated:NYSCOF

Thursday, October 16, 2008

City earns award for fluoride levels in water

City earns award for fluoride levels in water
October 16, 2008 - The City of Clarion has been honored by the Water Fluoridation Reporting System for 2007. The Iowa Department of Public Health forwarded the award to the city in recognition for excellent work by the water department staff.

"The award is for consistently maintaining fluoride levels in the water system within the range considered optimum for the prevention of tooth decay," said Tim Fletcher, Water Superintendent for the City of Clarion. This was based on data submitted to the Iowa Department of Public Health and forwarded to the U.S. Public Health Service Center for Disease Control.

Find this weird what about the cities that get it wrong do the populace get poisoned?

NZ - 100 People Turn Up For Meeting Discussing Fluoride In Mosgiel

100 People Turn Up For Meeting Discussing Fluoride In Mosgiel
October 16, 2008 - 6:19pm
Organisers say last night's public meeting discussing fluoride in Mosgiel was a success. More than 100 people turned up to hear what those for and against the use of fluoride in city water had to say.
There were heated exchanges between both sides with one of the proponents of water fluoridation refusing to be filmed.
After the camera was turned off, Dr John Holmes presented to pro-fluoridation case.
Both sides were given time for a presentation and a speech before they answered questions from the floor.
Meeting organizers Denis Ennright and Helen Balch were happy with last night's turn out, and say they'll look for a bigger venue next time
The Fluoride Action Network plans to host a second meeting in Mosgiel on October 28th.

Good turnout why can't we do the same?

USA - baglady55 wrote:

baglady55 wrote:
Why is it that there is nowhere in Greensboro that you can get dental help? I do not have dental insurance and make less than $12,00.00 a year. I have a hole in one tooth where the filling fell out. I went to Health Serve and was denied because I do not use their doctors. I have a doctor I trust (which is very difficult for me) and did not want to change. I think it is a crying shame that there are no Clinics for poor people or Dentists who care enough to work with you to help you. This is a rich person's City. It always has been and I have lived here all my life. I have a knot behind my ear on that side and it may be related to this. My medical doctor told me that if I did not get it fixed, it would cause me physical problems. I guess I am supposed to die because I am poor. What does that say about our Health Care system?

North Carolina is 85% fluoridated:NYSCOF

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

UK - Dental action targets children

Dental action targets children
Published Date: 14 October 2008
By Jeni Harvey
A NEW strategy with the focus of preventing dental problems among children is be introduced in Sheffield.
Dentists in the city, who are currently paid according to how much treatment they carry out, will be asked to sign a new contract that will encourage them to carry out more preventive work.
The changes are part of NHS Sheffield's Dental Health ComADVERTISEMENTmissioning Strategy, which outlines how services should be run up to 2011.
Key changes will come into force in March next year, when the current three-year dental contract comes to end.
The director of dental public health for Sheffield, John Green, said the current dental contract was very "activity focused."
He said: "It focuses on treatment, which can be a bit of a problem, so at the end of the three years there is an opportunity to revisit it all and focus on other things, such as prevention, to try and stop teeth going bad in the first place.
"There would still be recognition for carrying out treatment such as extractions and fillings, but dentists would also get rewarded for preventive work.
"This would not only be good for dentists, but good for patients."
Statistics reveal that, while the condition of children's teeth in Sheffield is slightly worse than the national average, children in deprived areas suffer almost five times the number of decayed, missing and filled teeth than those in more affluent neighbourhoods.
The figures, which relate to the year 2005-6, show that five-year-old children in Sheffield as a whole have an average of 1.72 decayed, missing or filled teeth, slightly above the national average of 1.47. However, this increases to 4.21 in the city's more deprived neighbourhoods.
Preventive work will therefore focus on those areas where children are more likely to develop dental problems, such as Burngreave, Darnall, Manor Castle, Gleadless Valley, Shiregreen, Brightside and Firth Park.
This will include increasing access to dental care, improving children's diet and targeting oral health promotion at young children.
At present, fluoride is added to children's milk in 42 primary schools in the city. This will continue, and the local NHS is also planning to begin talks on the possibility of adding fluoride to water.
New Oral Health Action Teams will be set up in certain neighbourhoods, to give out free toothpaste packs, introduce teeth brushing in before and after-school clubs and also offer support to health, social and education professionals working in these areas.
These teams will initially be piloted and evaluated in Lowedges, Batemoor, Jordanthorpe, Tinsley, Darnall and Acres Hill.
Mr Green added: "This financial year we're hoping to improve access to dental services.
"Sheffield is pretty good anyway – we're in the top 10 in the country for the number of people who get to see a dentist – but we need to be better.
"We're hoping people who need to see a dentist will get a better service.
"The patients who need preventative help, who have a high risk of disease, are also going to get more help.
"We hope to lift the standard of care to a very high standard right across the board."

In the milk and water - you just can't get enough according to them even if you have fluorosis.

UK - Bolton - Fluoridation looks more and more unlikely

Fluoridation looks more and more unlikely
9:59am Tuesday 14th October 2008
By Alan Calvert »
THE possible introduction of fluoride to the local water supply has been a controversial issue in Bolton for several decades.
Lost in the mists of time there was a referendum that came down against and — if the letters column of this newspaper is any guide — there are still a great many people who oppose mass medication of this nature.
It has now emerged that NHS primary care trusts in Manchester, Bury, Trafford, Oldham, Tameside, Stockport, Ashton, Leigh and Wigan have asked NHS North-west to produce a fluoridation plan.
Those in charge of the Bolton trust — who cannot be unaware of the strength of local feeling — will present their recommendations to the board on October 22.
It seems to me that those of us in the “no” camp hold a vital card because nobody knows in the current financial melt-down whether there will ever be enough public money to provide the millions of pounds necessary to set up fluoridation through United Utilities, a privatised firm that has never shown much enthusiasm for the idea.
With possible protests and legal challenges, I doubt fluoridation, in spite of current moves, will happen any time soon.

Australia - Dentists attack Coca-Cola over ads

Dentists attack Coca-Cola over ads
By melinda @ 9:35 AM :: 126 Views :: 0 Comments
Coca-Cola has been attacked over advertisements which suggest that drinking Coke is not harmful to teeth.
The full page ad, starring actress Kerry Armstrong, claims to bust "myths" that fizzy drinks are unhealthy.
The Australian Dental Association has called on Coca-Cola to withdraw the ad, which claims that saliva quickly washes away the drink, minimising decay.
ADA president Dr John Matthews (pictured) disagreed, saying this would not apply to many people who sip and constantly bathe their mouths in soft drinks during the day.
"And to say tooth decay isn't a major problem is suggesting the problem is receding. It is in countries with access to fluoride but it's still a big health problem," he said.
The association is considering lodging a complaint to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for false and misleading claims.
A Coca-Cola spokeswoman said it stuck by its ads. "We wanted to bust the myth that you can't consume Coca-Cola and have healthy teeth. This is simply not true."

USA - Fluoride expert speaks at BU

Fluoride expert speaks at BU
Updated: 10/14/2008 09:28 PM
By: Web Staff
VESTAL, N.Y. -- A man leading the charge to remove fluoride from the water supply was in the Southern Tier Tuesday, speaking at Binghamton University.
Dr. Paul Connet is the executive director of the Fluoride Action Network. He says that fluoride has its benefits, like when it’s used to strengthen teeth, but he thinks that communities are making a mistake by adding it to their drinking supply.
"They don't know the science. They don't know that fluoride accumulates in the bones and makes the bones more brittle, that the first symptoms are like arthritis. They don't know that fluoride lowers thyroid function and we have millions with hypothyroidism in this country. They don't know that fluoride actually lowers IQ level in children,” Connet said.
Dr. Connet is involved in a movement in Corning to strip the city council of its ability to add fluoride to the water supply.

Paul Connett video

NZ - fluoride The Topic In Mosgiel

fluoride The Topic In Mosgiel
October 15, 2008 - 6:38pm
A public meeting is being held in Mosgiel tonight discussing the topic of fluoride in the city's water supply.

The meeting will be in the Downs Room at the Dunedin City Council's Service Centre in Hartstom Ave.

Both sides of the debate are being represented; Dorothy Boyd and Otago Medical Officer of Health Dr John Holmes will speak on why fluoridation is a good idea...

... while Olive McRae and Bruce Spittal will argue why it is akin to 'mass medication'.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7:30pm.

Study finds insufficient iodine in Australian diet

Study finds insufficient iodine in Australian diet
October 15, 2008
Isobel Drake
Source: FSANZ
The latest Australian Total Diet Study, conducted by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), confirms that many Australians are not getting enough iodine in their food.”Insufficient iodine intake, particularly in groups such as pregnant women, babies, and young children, is of great concern,” Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing, Senator Jan McLucas, said today. “Mild to moderate iodine deficiency can result in children having learning difficulties and can affect the development of motor skills and hearing. In extreme cases it can result in severe intellectual disability.”

‘The findings of the study confirm the necessity of the mandatory addition of iodine to bread, which is to be introduced by FSANZ by September next year. About 43 per cent of Australians have an inadequate intake of iodine, and FSANZ estimates that this will drop to no more than five per cent after iodine fortification of bread.”

Women aged 19 to 49, which covers most of their childbearing years, need between 100 and 200 micrograms of iodine a day and the study showed 70 per cent were not getting enough. Ten per cent of children aged two to three years were not getting enough. Ninety-six types of food were tested in a ‘table-ready’ state for the trace elements selenium, chromium, molybdenum and nickel as well as iodine. While the survey showed that most Australians have adequate dietary intakes of three of the other four nutrients, selenium intake needs further investigation.

FSANZ Chief Scientist, Dr Paul Brent, said that the agency had taken a new approach in producing a world-leading total diet study focussed exclusively on nutrients. “It is the first major study to assess nutrition against Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand, recently released by the National Health and Medical Research Council,” he said.

Dr Brent reported that FSANZ had broadened the scope of the study to include a wider range of substances, including additives and nutrients, as the more traditional testing of pesticide residues and contaminants continually showed that levels of these chemicals in the Australian food supply were safe. FSANZ will continue to monitor pesticide residues, although on a less frequent basis every five years.

The ATDS is conducted about every two years to ensure the Australian food supply is safe and nutritious. The 23 rd ATDS is already under way and will cover a large range of pesticide residues and veterinary chemicals, as well as selenium, fluoride, aluminium, arsenic, cadmium, copper, iron, lead, mercury and zinc, and toxins present in fungus and mould.

The full report can be found on the Food Standards Australia New Zealand website www.foodstandards.gov.au.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

NZ - Councillors clash over fluoridation options

Councillors clash over fluoridation options
Dunedin
By Chris Morris on Tue, 14 Oct 2008The ghosts of thalidomide and Nazi Germany's gas chambers were evoked when Dunedin city councillors clashed over fluoridated water supplies yesterday. The chemical, which is mixed with water to improve dental health, is added to reservoirs supplying 85% of the city's reticulated water. But there were howls of outrage yesterday when the council's infrastructure services committee discussed extending fluoride use to Waikouaiti, Mosgiel, Outram, West Taieri and Rocklands. Are you in favour of fluoridation? A report by water production manager Gerard McCombie recommended reconfirming the city's existing water fluoridation policy, which in principle includes extending fluoridation to areas not already receiving treated water. But the same report also recommended holding local referendums before adding fluoride in areas not receiving treated water.
Cr Michael Guest, a staunch supporter of fluoridation, attacked the idea yesterday, arguing fluoridation was really about "responsible leadership".
The scientific evidence supporting it was "heavy and compelling", and those who opposed the use were "akin to quacks and snake oil merchants", he said.
The community should be consulted but any talk of city-wide or local referendums should be shelved, he said.
"It's not about running off to referendums when the going gets tough."
Cr Fliss Butcher disagreed, arguing the issue was about "personal choice" and the ability to reject "mass medication" by "men in white coats".
"I'm sure you will remember thalidomide," she said.
"Sometimes men in white coats get it wrong. That's what Hitler used it for in the gas camps and the people that pulled the levers said they were following orders."
Cr Neil Collins said councillors needed to make a "gutsy decision" to support fluoridation for the benefit of future generations' oral health.
His call to reject Cr Butcher's "anti-fluoridation diatribe" offended her , but she was not successful in demanding an apology.
Yesterday's clashes followed a briefing for councillors by Public Health South officials and representatives of the anti-fluoride Fluoride Action Network last month.
Both viewpoints were discussed in yesterday's report, but Mr McCombie warned council staff were not qualified to judge the relative merits.
Councillors would have to make a "fundamental decision" about which side's argument was "the most credible", he said.
The Ministry of Health "quite firmly" supported fluoridation to improve oral health, and Public Health South officials argued the "considerable" health benefits outweighed the "minimal risk of harm from side effects".
However, Fluoride Action Network argued benefits were "at best dubious" and the risk of side effects "considerable", Mr McCombie said.
Cr Andrew Noone, who chaired yesterday's committee meeting, said more public input was needed.
Councillors eventually voted against reconfirming the council's existing policy, or holding local or city-wide referendums.
Instead, fluoridation will continue until the next round of annual plan and long-term council community plan (LTCCP) hearings, which will allow for public input before a final decision to extend reticulation is made.
Yesterday's decisions will also be discussed at the next council meeting on November 3.

USA - letter

Is it safe to drink tap water yet?
Although it seems like old news now, I am still a little shaken by reports that our drinking water contains measureable amounts of discarded pharmaceutical drugs (see Water quality follow-up) which made front page news nationwide in March 2008.
Like too many things, the problem was identified only to vanish back into the back pages of our history book. Were regulations put into place that minimizes contamination? Are people still advised to flush unused medication in lieu of another safer disposal method?
It is bad enough that our drinking water contains trace amounts of lead, mercury, and fluorosilicic acid (fluoride); one can see why bottled water enjoys such broad appreciation!
Ashley Deters
Saint Cloud , Minn.

Monday, October 13, 2008

New Zealand - Fluoridating Under The Test

Fluoridating Under The Test
October 13, 2008 - 6:48pm
The tide against fluoridating the city's water supply may be turning.
The Infrastructure and Services Committee of the Dunedin City Council voted this afternoon against the status quo.
Fluoridating Under The Test
Which is that the council will confirm the existing policy of fluoridating the city's water supply.
There were heated exchanges between councillors with Councilor Guest calling anti-fluoride campaigners 'Quacks and Snake Oil Merchants'.
He also said if they wanted to take legal action against council at the environment court, they should: "Bring It On".
On the other side of the argument Councillor Butcher said the issue is one of choice, likening fluoride with melamine, DDT, and Thalidomide.
The committee voted 7 to 5 against the status quo, meaning it will go to public consultation.

Australia - Dental crisis is about to bite us

Dental crisis is about to bite us
By Clair Weaver and Sharon Labi
October 12, 2008 12:00am
AUSTRALIA is facing a dental time bomb, with just three per cent of pre-schoolers brushing their teeth properly.
Parents are giving up the bathroom battle to get their kids to brush well enough to keep their gums and teeth healthy.
Dentists now warn a generation of kids will grow up facing rotting teeth, extractions and gum disease.
Latest research shows 85 per cent of parents struggle to get their children to brush, with many saying their son or daughter is too tired, it's too difficult or they want to avoid conflict.
More than half of pre-schoolers have never visited a dentist, despite NSW Health recommending regular check-ups from the age of six months.
"For the average parent, it is quite difficult,'' Dr Eduardo Alcaino, specialist paediatric dentist and visiting consultant at Westmead Centre for Oral Health and Sydney Dental Hospital, said.
"Pre-schoolers can be quite playful or difficult and that can disrupt their parents' best intentions. I don't think most children get their teeth brushed twice a day.
"A lot of parents say to us that, although they try, their children won't let them.''
The new findings were based on Galaxy Research, commissioned for Oral-B, and were backed by some of NSW's top dentists. Results showed the average brushing time for pre-schoolers was one minute.
Only nine per cent brushed for the recommended two minutes or more.
More than two-thirds of parents say they are worried about the long-term dental health impact of their child not brushing properly.
But only seven per cent always brush their child's teeth for them.
Australian Dental Association research supported the findings, showing almost half of Australian six-year-olds have cavities in their baby teeth, while 42 per cent of 12-year-olds have them in their permanent teeth.
Associate Professor Hans Zoellner, chairman of the Association for the Promotion of Oral Health, said he was not surprised by the research.
"Children don't have the manual dexterity to brush their own teeth _ they really need their parents' help,'' he said.
The Australasian Academy of Paediatric Dentistry's Dr James Lucas said dental decay in children was worsening and could lead to problems like abscesses, extractions and infections.
Dr Lucas said parents from all socio-economic backgrounds struggled to get their children to brush their teeth.
Another dental expert described tooth decay as being like "leprosy of the mouth''.

Australia is 75% fluoridated:NYSCOF

Sunday, October 12, 2008

USA - There’s something good in the water

DAPHNE, Ala.—Daphne is one of 73 Alabama public water systems that are recipients of a Water Fluoridation Quality Award from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Fluoridation—the process of adjusting fluoride levels in water—involves fluoride, a mineral that contains the element fluorine, and is helpful with preventing and fighting tooth decay, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Fluoride is measured in water in parts per million. Sometimes, fluoride is naturally present in water, at or near .7 ppm. Fluoride levels should be around .7 ppm to 1.2 ppm to prevent tooth decay, according to experts. Daphne's water system stayed at an average of 1 ppm for the calendar year 2007.
“Precise amounts of fluoride are added to the water supply through special equipment at an average cost of $1 per person per year,” Shellie Foster-Lyles, senior environmentalist for the Bureau of Family Health Services, said. Each dollar invested in fluoridation saves about $38 in dental treatment costs per person, according to the bureau.
“Studies have shown that as much as 60 percent of tooth decay can be prevented by adjusting fluoride to the optimal level,” Foster-Lyles said...........

Do we believe it?
Why an award scheme and what about those who fail to meet the standards?

Canada - Fluoride debate on hold

Fluoride debate on hold
Posted By TARA HAGAN, THE OBSERVER
Posted 20 hours ago
The local fluoride debate has been placed on hold by the Lambton Area Water Supply System board (LAWSS).
St. Clair Township Mayor Steve Arnold asked for the delay this week until confirmation is received about a proposed national consultation process.
"The decision is not one to be taken lightly," said Arnold, a board member. "I suggest we table the fluoride issue until we get information back from Health Canada that they are for sure going ahead with this."
Arnold pointed to a document sent to the board from the Middlesex-London Health Unit, which states that the Ontario Ministry of the Environment has indicated that Health Canada hopes to commence, within this calendar year, "a national consultation process on the technical support document for the Canadian drinking water quality guideline for . Fluoride in Drinking Water.'"
But others argued that things need to happen sooner than later.
"We'd like it gone," said Lambton Shores Deputy Mayor Carolyn Jamieson. "And we'd like the board to make a decision."
The board has been debating for months whether fluoride should continue to be added to local drinking water.
Earlier this year, Health Canada study recommended lower optimal concentrations of fluoride in drinking water to protect children and infants.
The report's authors recommend a level of 0.7 milligrams per litre as the optimal target. The maximum acceptable concentration is currently 1.5 mg/ L.
The local system is already well within those limits.
"I'm hearing overwhelming support to remove it," said Arnold. "but I don't want this to become an emotional issue; I want it to be based on science."

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Newsletter

We will be sending out an email giving an update on what is happening in the Southampton area. The first one goes out later today if you wish to receive it send an email with "subscribe" in the subject line to nofluoride@googlemail.com

UK - Fluoride in water too clumsy to work

Fluoride in water too clumsy to work
Last updated 09:42, Friday, 10 October 2008
IN your article concerning the introduction of fluoride into local drinking water (The Cumberland News, October 3), Eric Rooney, the dental health consultant for Cumbria, makes a number of statements that deserve further scrutiny.
The first concerns the amount of fluoride people are exposed to.
This is a crucial issue as 50 per cent of the fluoride taken in on a daily basis remains in the body for life, accumulating in the skeleton.
In countries with high levels of natural fluoride, the damage that this can cause, skeletal fluorosis, is a crippling, painful condition.
Levels of fluoride intake in fluoridated areas depend on individual lifestyles but need to be known as they will determine the possibility of long and short-term health problems.
Exploring fluoride intake should have been a matter of priority for health authorities in fluoridated west Cumbria. However they have neglected to test levels of fluoride intake and refused individual requests for this information.
In 2002 Cumbrians against Fluoridation sampled 30 people and tests were analysed in a reputable laboratory.
There was a wide variety of fluoride levels, some very high, which reflected the fact that everyone has individual intake and tolerance to fluoride.
When fluoride is added to water everyone receives an indiscriminate and undetermined dose of this chemical and it is misleading to allow people to think that the one part fluoride per million parts water which health bosses want to introduce into water is the only source of fluoride that local people will be receiving.
Tea, toothpaste, fish, crops irrigated with fluoridated water, some medicines and food processed using fluoridated water would all contribute to a substantial daily dose.
Mr Rooney then goes on to say; ‘for other serious negative [health] effects there was insufficient evidence’.
As the health authorities have failed to test or undertake the effective research advised by Government scientists, they should not be allowed to dismiss valid health concerns on the basis of ‘insufficient evidence’.
In no other area of health concern, be it smoking, alcohol use or any other lifestyle issue is there any thought of or proposal to address the problem by use of chemicals in the water supply. It raises huge questions as to why an inadequately-researched and potentially-damaging chemical is being touted as a mass remedy for tooth decay.

We can only hope that the Cumbrian people and media explore and expose this proposal to mass medicate as an indiscriminate, clumsy, inefficient and dangerous action. See www.cumbrians-against-fluoridation.org for more information.

DIANNE STANDEN
Cumbrians against Fluoridation
High Street
Maryport

Friday, October 10, 2008

UK - Half of our children’s dental health is worse than national average

Half of our children’s dental health is worse than national average
3:10pm Thursday 9th October 2008
Comments (5)
By Joanna Lean - health correspondentHEALTH bosses agreed to investigate the possibility of adding fluoride to the water supply in the north west at a meeting last week.
The board at NHS Warrington accepted a paper that asked them to request further investigation into the feasibility of the scheme.
For now, all that means is that the Strategic Health Authority, (SHA), will look into the possibility of adding the chemical.
“This is not a decision on whether we support it; it is a very contentious issue and we appreciate that,” said chairman, John Gartside.
The board was told at its monthly meeting that the decision lay with the SHA and not any one primary care trust.
“It is only if and when the SHA decides to do it that this PCT will say whether it supports it,” said Dr Keith Milsom, a public health dentist.
“The dental health of the Warrington population is worse than the national average. Eleven of the 22 electoral wards have child dental health that is worse than average,” he said.
Children living in Bewsey and Whitecross have six times as many cavities than children in Appleton, he told the board, and adding fluoride to the water has been shown to reduce dental cavities.
But some groups say it is forced mass medication that can cause serious dental damage.
Consuming fluoride can cause fluorosis, a mottling of the teeth, and in areas that are already fluoridated upwards of 40 per cent of the population suffer from the condition.
It can only be treated with veneers, which cannot be fitted until a person is 21 and therefore no longer eligible for free treatments on the NHS.
A number of residents have posted comments on our website voicing their concerns about fluoridation.

USA - Physicians' Group Rejects Fluoridation

Physicians' Group Rejects Fluoridation
New York - October 9, 2008 – “Fluoridation of drinking water is scientifically untenable, and should not be part of a public health initiative or program,” says the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) in a new published statement.
CAPE is Canada’s leading voice on environmental health issues. Fluoridation is the addition of fluoride chemicals into tap water as a drug (with side effects) to ostensibly prevent tooth decay in tap water drinkers.
Against a backdrop of intense opposition to the fluoridation of public drinking water in several communities in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, CAPE asserts:
A) fluoridation is unlikely to be the cause of the cavity decline in Europe and North America,
B) the potential for fluoride’s adverse effects is real, and
C) current evidence points in the direction of caution.
Paul Connett, PhD, Executive Director, Fluoride Action Network says, “CAPE joins a growing list of environmental health experts who have called for an end to the fluoridation of public drinking water.
They include:
• Vyvyan Howard, MD, PhD, President, International Society of Doctors for the Environment
• Ken Cook and Richard Wiles, Environmental Working Group
• Lois Gibbs, Center for Health, Environment, and Justice
• Joseph Mercola, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
• Theo Colborn, PhD, co-author, “Our Stolen Future”
• Sam Epstein, MD, Chairman, Cancer Prevention Coalition
• The current and six past Presidents of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology
• Board of Directors (2007), American Academy of Environmental Medicine
• FIVE Goldman Prize winners
These are among over 1800 professionals who have signed a statement calling for an end to fluoridation worldwide see http://www.FluorideAlert.org/professionals.statement.html
According to Connett, “Citizens facing well-financed efforts to fluoridate their communities need to know that US governmental agencies (particularly the CDC) are ignoring the voluminous body of scientific evidence on the adverse effects of fluoride. The National Research Council of the National Academies published a landmark report on these effects in 2006. More than 2 years after its release, CDC and fluoridation promoting agencies in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand and the UK act as if this report was never published. We urge communities to reject fluoridation proposals until promoters can provide a rational scientific response to fluoride’s dangers, which includes 23 peer-reviewed and published studies indicating that fluoride can lower children’s IQ. Fluoridation exposes infants to 250 times the level of fluoride in human breast milk. That is reckless.”
CAPE’s statement is online at http://fluoridealert.org/cape.html
Take Action to Stop Fluoridation here: http://congress.FluorideAction.Net

USA - Timberville Residents To Vote On Fluoride

Timberville Residents To Vote On Fluoride
Posted 2008-10-10
TIMBERVILLE - Whether the town continues to put fluoride in its water will be up to residents.
At Thursday's meeting, the Town Council voted 4-2 to leave the issue up to its constituents.
It will go before voters in November 2009.
At one point during the meeting, council asked Timberville residents who attended how many wanted fluoridated water and how many did not by a show of hands.
One person was in favor, while about a dozen were not.
In recent months, the council began considering whether the town should continue treating its water with fluoride, which led to a September forum on the issue. At that forum, dentists with opposing views on fluoridation presented their sides of the story.
Opponents of fluoridation told the audience the practice is not safe for babies and people with specific health concerns. But supporters claimed that decades of research - backed by more than 100 leading U.S. and world public health organizations - proves fluoride is safe and reduces cavities in children and adults.
Split Decision
On Thursday, Councilman Tyler Jessup made a motion to discontinue water fluoridation until the residents vote on it, saying that people who want to use fluoride can get it by other means, such as through their dentists.
Those who don't want to use fluoride, he said, don't have much of a choice if it's in the water.
The council was split on that motion, leaving Mayor Don DeLaughter to cast the tie-breaking vote.
DeLaughter voted against the motion, effectively opting to continue fluoridation.
"I'm fearful of discontinuing it because of the effects it may have on teeth and tooth decay," he said, adding that after speaking with local doctors and dentists, he's confident fluoridation is a safe practice.
‘A Possible Health-Related Issue'
Councilman Carl Turner made the motion to put the issue on the ballot next year.
"Being a possible health-related issue, I'm uncomfortable making that decision for 2,000 people," he said. "I feel I don't have the credentials to make that decision."
Town Manager Austin Garber echoed Turner's concerns, saying most actions the town takes are for the protection of its residents, such as chlorinating water to kill harmful bacteria.
"With fluoridation, it doesn't follow suit with the rest of those actions," he said. "It's not like discontinuing the use of chlorine in the water."
‘Credible' Evidence In Favor
Councilman Robert Blosser, who voted against both motions, said he's researched the topic and talked to health professionals.
"The evidence is more credible to continue fluoridation," he said.
The council, Blosser said, could have made a decision based on all the information that's already been presented.
"We've had ample opportunity to have the pros and cons discussed," he said, adding that fewer than 100 people voted in the 2006 election. "How many people are going to vote?"
Contact Jeremy Hunt at 574-6273

Thursday, October 09, 2008

UK - Southampton Golden shot at great gnashers

Golden shot at great gnashers
6:40pm Wednesday 8th October 2008
By Jon Reeve »
SOUTHAMPTON’S health chiefs have again insisted fluoridation is the only way to combat tooth decay in the city’s youngsters.
They argue repeated attempts to improve dental health in deprived areas have failed to cut the number of children suffering rotten teeth.
The projects trialled have included handing out free toothbrushes and toothpaste each school term, brushing schemes in nurseries and reception classes, and attempts to educate parents on healthy eating, snacks and drinks.
Professionals have worked in specifically targeted areas to provide valve-less feeding cups for under-ones as part of a “bin the bottle” campaign, while encouraging breastfeeding and less use of dummies.
But while they say there has been some limited success, the city remains below the national average for the number of decayed teeth children suffer.
Southampton City Primary Care Trust now wants fluoride added to the tap water of two-thirds of the city in a bid to reduce the number of children needing operations under general anaesthetic to remove diseased gnashers.
Health bosses say introducing a scheme that people participate in “unconsciously” is the ideal way of backing up their other programmes.
They want levels of fluoride in the water delivered to 160,000 city residents and 36,000 people in Eastleigh, Totton and Netley to be increased from 0.08 parts per million to one part per million.
Sarah Peckham, a dental therapist and oral health promotion co-ordinator for the PCT said there has already been a “huge amount of work” in Southampton to improve dental health, particularly for children.
“This has involved a large number of initiatives and is in addition to good access to NHS dentists in Southampton,” she said.
“With oral health figures in Southampton being so poor, fluoridation is a golden opportunity for the city to join areas currently fluoridated in having some of the best teeth in the country.”
But anti-fluoridation campaigners concerned about potential negative effects on health caused by the process say other countries have shown dental health promotion can bring dramatic results.
John Graham, vice-chairman of the National Pure Water Association said Britain should look at places like Sweden.
“They used a comprehensive family-based approach to tooth decay and it has been fantastic,” he said.
“They don’t have fluoridation, but have seen reductions in tooth decay of up to 90 per cent. If we were to introduce that here there would be no need to have fluoridation anywhere in the UK.”

Having met the pushers of fluoridation they all seem like zealots incapable of accepting any evidence that they may be wrong in their beliefs. Logic tells me that there is a risk of ill health, there is more fluorosis and the benefits if any are slight. So if in doubt it should be left out.