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Editorial: Reduce, don't eliminate, fluoride in Sch'dy water
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
The Great Fluoride Debate, one of those issues that never seem to die, is back before Schenectady’s City Council. Too bad, because little has changed in the argument against putting the chemical in the public water supply — except the price of fluoride. And even though it has gone up $20,000 since last year, which was $20,000 more than the year before that, it still seems a bargain at roughly $1 per city resident per year, and even less when the city’s outside water sales are factored in. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control, American Dental Association and state Health Department all agree that fluoride is the most cost-effective way to keep people — especially children — from getting cavities. The chemical is not benign, but as long as it’s taken at recommended doses, it is not dangerous. For the purposes of public water supplies, the federal Public Health Service recommends a range of between 0.7 and 1.22 parts per million. For years, Schenectady has used an amount roughly in the middle of that range, 1 ppm. To save money, and to assuage people like Councilwoman Barbara Blanchard, who fear Schenectadians might be getting too much fluoride, the city could reduce its dosage by 30 percent and still be within the recommended range. That seems like a reasonable compromise until a definitive answer can be obtained as to the optimum level for the city. But the last thing Schenectady should do is suspend water treatments — unless it wants to blow residents’ and the county’s (Medicaid) dental budgets. Get ALL of our news...Click here to subscribe to our online edition, a complete replica of our print edition.
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July 4, 2009
8 a.m. [ Suggest removal ]
Fluoridation is Ineffective & Harmfujl
Over 2,024 professionals urge the US Congress to stop water fluoridation until Congressional hearings are conducted, 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....
Fifty three US cities rejected fluoridation on election day 2008.
A Tennessee State legislator who is also an MD is urging all Tennessee Water Districts to stop fluoridation, reported a Tennessee newspaper on 11/29/08. At least 30 Tennessee water districts have already complied with his request.
On 1/6/09, a Canadian town, Drayton, stopped fluoridation, not to save money, but because it was in the best interests of residents, said the Mayor.
On 1/5/09, the Burlington VT Board of Health passed a resolution urging the Burlington legislature to stop water fluoridation. "In light of recent scientific developments indicating the potential for harm to certain subsets of the population, the Burlington Board of Health recommends immediately taking a precautionary stance by discontinuing the practice of water fluoridation," the resolution reads.
-- 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 was 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,” concluded 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
References:
(1) National Kidney Foundation, “Fluoride Intake in Chronic Kidney Disease,” April 15, 2008
http://www.kidney.org/atoz/pdf/Fluoride_...
(2) "Adding fluoride to water supplies," British Medical Journal, KK Cheng, Iain Chalmers, Trevor A. Sheldon, October 6, 2007
For more info:
Fluoridation 101
http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof
Fluoride Health Effects
http://www.FluorideAction.Net/health
8:27 a.m. [ Suggest removal ]
Little may have seemed to have changed in your little world Daily Gazette but in the wider world fluoride is now thoroughly discredited, like it or not. If you cannot be bothered to read the latest research reports then its better you stop printing nonesense and go back to sleep and get some apparently much needed rest. Fluoride does not work, it damages teeth more than it protects them and it has many serious effects on the human body which are much more serious than tooth decay. Governments are not medically qualified to mass maedicate and should be taken to court. Companyy that charge you for supplying water should not be paid for it and in fact billed for botted water and reverse osmosis water filters. These are expensive but very necessary to many people with medical conditions or sensitivity to fluoride. Elected members who promote this muck should be disposed of at the next election with a view to prosecution of them at a future date. Stop the Truth Decay Now and Say No to Fluoride.
1:43 p.m. [ Suggest removal ]
Fluoride is poison. It does not reduce cavities.
Having it in your water, for free, is just stupid.
Paying for it is beyond insane.