Thursday, 9 April 2009
Tuesday, 7 April 2009
CALIFORNIAN OPPOSITION TO FLUORIDE GROWING
"Ineffective & Harmful, studies show - Opposition: Scientific, Respectable & Growing"
It follows this with an excellent and comprehensive trashing of fluoridations alleged benefits citing all the most recent research and surveys much of it garnered from the Fluoride Action Network.
Over 2,200 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.august.2007.html.
Also, eleven Environmental Protection Agency employee unions representing over 7000 environmental and public health professionals called for a moratorium on drinking water fluoridation programs across the country, and have asked EPA management to recognize fluoride as posing a serious risk of causing cancer in people. (1a)
Last election day, 53 US cities rejected fluoridation joining a growing list of communities saying "No," to fluoridation. (1)
Since the professionals' statement was first issued (Aug 2007), the following occurred:
-- The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, Canada’s leading voice on environmental health issues, released a statement opposing fluoridation. (2)
-- 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.” (3)
-- Researchers reporting in the Oct 6 2007 British Medical Journal indicate that fluoridation never was proven safe or effective and may be unethical. (4)
-- “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 (5)
-- 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
-- A study in the Fall 2008 Journal of Public Health Dentistry reveals that cavity-free teeth have little to do with fluoride intake. Researchers report, "The benefits of fluoride are mostly topical…while fluorosis is clearly more dependent on fluoride intake."
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.(6)
On 1/5/09, the Burlington Board of Health recommended that Burlington cease fluoridation because fluoridation can harm some people. (7)
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. (8)
On 2/10/2009 Skagit County, WA officials reversed their 2007 fluoridation decision. (9)
On 3/3/2009, Plainfield, Vermont bans fluoridation. (10)
The Arkansas Oral Health Director is accused of giving eight "false or misleading statements" on fluoridation to an Arkansas legislative Committee. (12)
Nobel Prize winner in Medicine, 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, http://congress.fluorideaction.net/ and over 19,000 individuals have signed so far.
Fluoride jeopardizes health - even at low levels deliberately added to public water supplies, according to data presented in a 2006 National Academy of Sciences' (NAS) National Research Council (NRC) report. Fluoride poses risks to the thyroid gland, diabetics, kidney patients, high water drinkers and others and can severely damage children's teeth. (11) At least three panel members advise avoiding fluoridated water.
“The NRC fluoride report dramatically changed scientific understanding of fluoride's health risks," says Paul Connett, PhD, Executive Director, Fluoride Action Network. "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.”
Adverse health effects of fluoride: http://www.FluorideAction.Net/health
References:
(1a) http://www.nteu280.org/Issues/Fluoride/Press%20Release.%20Fluoride.htm
(1) http://www.fluoridealert.org/communities.htm
(2) http://www.fluoridealert.org/cape.html
(3) National Kidney Foundation, “Fluoride Intake in Chronic Kidney Disease,” April 15, 2008
http://www.kidney.org/atoz/pdf/Fluoride_Intake_in_CKD.pdf
(4) "Adding fluoride to water supplies," British Medical Journal, KK Cheng, Iain Chalmers, Trevor A. Sheldon, October 6, 2007
(6) http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/2840202
(7) http://www.swabvt.org/node/300
(8) http://www.draytonvalleywesternreview.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1373584
(9) http://www.goskagit.com/home/article/commissioners_vote_to_halt_fluoride_program/
(10) http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20090303/NEWS0301/90303100/1009/NEWS01
(11) National Research Council (2003-2006): Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Scientific Review of EPA's Standards
http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/epa/nrc/
(12) "State oral health director challenged over comments about fluoridation,"
March 10, 2009,by Kathryn Lucariello, Carroll County News
http://www.carrollconews.com/story/1509198.html
SOURCE: Fluoride Action Network http://www.fluorideaction.net/
Clearly whats really needed now is much more legal action. The health problems and dangers associated with fluoride and fluoridation are now blindingly obvious but the ethical, moral and legal issues are still being either ignored or at best underestimated. On this side of the Big Pond, so obvious are the dangers that buffoons such as Peter Ward at the British Dental Association and Professor Lemon(sic) will soon have to invest in incontinence diapers when m'learned friends get their act together and this cannot happen soon enough. For far too long these idiots and their ilk have been ignoring all science and research evidence and misleading the British public. Either they don't understand this evidence or simply dont want to because to even engage in a proper debate would expose them as the frauds they are. How can seat polishers of this low calibre hold down such high ranking positions one might ask and the answer is, equally straight forward. Their puppet masters in the Government are every bit as inept and corrupt so such behaviour is par for the course. Fluoride, safe and effective my arse!