USA - Pottstown decision to end fluoride in public water a wise one

Sunday, January 11, 2009 6:12 AM EST
The Dec. 26 Mercury article revealed Pottstown Water Authority members Aram Ecker and Tom Carroll blindly support deceptive dental association spin related to adding fluoride to Pottstown's water. I thank Don Read and others who voted to stop fluoridation.
Many independent studies show the alleged benefits of fluoride are topical and that ingesting fluoride does not help fight cavities. Swallowing fluoride to prevent tooth decay makes as much sense as swallowing suntan lotion to prevent sunburns.
It's one thing for dentists to apply fluoride to teeth of willing patients, but it's unethical to dump fluoride into everyone's drinking water. That violates our right to choose and discriminates against low income families who can't afford costly fluoride filtration.
Fluoridation health effects can include arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, dental fluorosis, learning disabilities, effects on kidneys and effects on thyroid function. Anyone believing it's beneficial to intentionally poison public water with fluoride should visit www.FluorideAction.net.
A large body of peer-reviewed science has raised concerns that fluoride may present unreasonable health risks, particularly among children, at levels routinely added to public water. No one can accurately claim any level of fluoride in water is safe, especially for children who could develop learning disabilities, and the vast numbers of people with cancer, arthritis, kidney problems, thyroid problems and more.
Dentists who use biased "Science for Sale" studies to defend fluoridation of public water should be ashamed. Water fluoridation chemicals are largely toxic waste byproducts of Florida's phosphate industry, containing chemicals regulated as hazardous wastes, which can't be dumped into oceans or streams, but can illogically be sold to water treatment plants to add to public water.
Mr. Carroll, you're not "taking care of society" by adding fluoride (a poison more toxic than lead), to Pottstown's water. Instead, you further jeopardize the health of a population already overexposed to toxic pollution.
I urge Ecker and Carroll to review and consider the body of independent scientific information showing fluoridation of public water is not good for teeth, but actually bad for teeth and health. Please vote to stop fluoridation the next time.

LORRAINE RUPPE

Pottstown