Dr. Paul Connett speaks to Houston residents

On April 14 and 15, Dr. Paul Connett held two informational meetings for the citizens of Houston prior to a public meeting held by the City of Houston to allow public comments on the future of fluoridation in Houston’s municipal water supply. The sessions were held at the University of Missouri Extension office in downtown Houston.

Connett is a nationally recognized expert on the issue of water fluoridation, and the head of the Fluoride Action Network. He has spoken in more than 2,000 presentations in 49 states and 52 countries on the issues of fluoridation and waste management. Prof. Connett holds a B.A. (Honours) in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University, England and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Dartmouth College.

On April 14, the one-hour meeting ran over two hours as Dr. Connett explained the latest science on fluoride’s adverse health effects, including major concerns about its effects on the brain. There are 59 out of 59 studies that have found an association between fluoride and lowered IQ in children. That includes a very rigorous US Government funded study published last year that found a robust relationship between fluoride exposure to pregnant women and the IQ of their children at the ages of 4 and 6-12 years of age. The study measured fluoride levels in the urine, a measure of TOTAL fluoride exposure from all sources, consistent with the range of adult fluoride exposure in fluoridated areas. The study predicted up to a six IQ point drop. Note that fluoride is NOT naturally present in our body.

Other points made by Connett included the fact that once fluoride is added to the water, you can’t control the dose or who it goes to. Forcing people to swallow fluoride does not make sense. Even the CDC admits that the actions of fluoride in preventing tooth decay are primarily topical.

On April 15, the Extension Office was open for a public debate on fluoride. Although invited, both publicly and privately, none of the fluoride proponents attended, so Dr. Connett continued with his presentation regarding the effects of fluoride on the body, including bone, thyroid and the kidneys. Connett discussed alternatives to fluoridation, including more tooth brushing, more fruits and vegetables and LESS SUGAR.

Before leaving Missouri, Dr. Connett attended and spoke at both the public hearing and City Council meetings in Houston April 16. The jury is still out on whether the Houston City Council members will vote to remove fluoride from the water, but at Dr. Connett’s next stop the following day in Walden, NY, following the Public Hearing on fluoride, the Walden Mayor called for an immediate vote with the council, which voted unanimously to end fluoridation. It can be done.