USA - Let City Council know you don’t want fluoride in water

As a clinical psychologist for over 20 years in Missouri, including seven years as a school psychologist, I have had the responsibility to evaluate children’s intellectual ability. In interviewing parents to obtain the child’s developmental history one question routinely asked was the child’s exposure to lead.

It is well known and widely accepted in clinical and governmental agencies that lead is a neurotoxin, which has been associated with mental retardation, lower intellectual abilities, ADHD and other behavioral disorders. Lead used to be added to gasoline to prevent engine knock. Since lead has been removed from most gasoline products there has been a significant decrease in criminal behavior in the United States.

Fluorine was added to municipal drinking water beginning in the 1950s supposedly to help with the prevention of tooth decay. However, there is mounting evidence fluorine is a neurotoxin, which when elevated in drinking water can cause intellectual deficits.

Evidence from more than 100 research studies from around the world, using both human and animal subjects, has overwhelming shown that when fluorine levels increase, IQ levels decrease. At least one study has shown that pregnant mothers who consume elevated levels of fluorine can cause cognitive defects in their children.

Many cities have decided to stop fluoridating their municipal water. Locally, attempts have been made to convince the city of St. Joseph to do the same. Last year in a vote of 5 to 4, the city decided not to pursue an investigation to consider eliminating fluoride from the water supply.

What can you do? Call and write your City Council representative. Ask candidates for the council how they would vote on the fluoride cessation issue. Find a fluoride-free water supply for your children and yourself. Join the Fluoride Action Network by going to fluoridealert.org.

Richard R. Taylor