USA Fluoride defeat
Fluoride overwhelmingly rejected
Written by Jesse Fruhwirth
Wednesday, 09 November 2005
Tooele voters have turned down a fluoridation proposal for a third time. Despite new residents that proponents thought might be more inclined to vote for fluoridation, it was defeated by a larger margin than in the 1999 election. Jim Busico of Tooele, a local realtor and fluoride critic, said the anti-fluoride activists were successful in causing voters to doubt the advice of the dental and medical establishments.
"Being able to say that [voters] should trust their dentists wasn't good enough ... There's so much controversy over fluoride ... that it caused reasonable doubt," Busico said. "Anytime you have reasonable doubt, why take a chance?"
Dr. Clair Vernon, a Tooele dentist and fluoridation proponent, said he was "surprised and disappointed" that Tooele had voted against fluoridation.
"I'm just sad that Tooele is not going to benefit from fluoridated water," he said. "They don't realize what they're missing."
Voters rejected fluoride by a wider margin than they did in the 1999 election; 66 percent voted down fluoridation in this election, while 64 percent opposed it in the past.
"Our rationale [in putting fluoride on the ballot again this year] was that Tooele has changed since the last time it was voted on," Tooele City Councilman John Hansen said at an October meeting. Voters in newer parts of Tooele did favor fluoride slightly more than the rest of the city, but the opposition was overwhelming in most precincts. Overlake voted for fluoridation more readily than any other precinct, but even there only 51 percent were in favor.
Fluoridation was opposed by 54 percent in precinct three, the southeast corner of Tooele where voter turnout was highest in the city. Precinct 13 around Tooele High School also had high turnout at 44 percent. Proposition one was defeated resoundingly there with 75 percent of voters opposing fluoridation.
Written by Jesse Fruhwirth
Wednesday, 09 November 2005
Tooele voters have turned down a fluoridation proposal for a third time. Despite new residents that proponents thought might be more inclined to vote for fluoridation, it was defeated by a larger margin than in the 1999 election. Jim Busico of Tooele, a local realtor and fluoride critic, said the anti-fluoride activists were successful in causing voters to doubt the advice of the dental and medical establishments.
"Being able to say that [voters] should trust their dentists wasn't good enough ... There's so much controversy over fluoride ... that it caused reasonable doubt," Busico said. "Anytime you have reasonable doubt, why take a chance?"
Dr. Clair Vernon, a Tooele dentist and fluoridation proponent, said he was "surprised and disappointed" that Tooele had voted against fluoridation.
"I'm just sad that Tooele is not going to benefit from fluoridated water," he said. "They don't realize what they're missing."
Voters rejected fluoride by a wider margin than they did in the 1999 election; 66 percent voted down fluoridation in this election, while 64 percent opposed it in the past.
"Our rationale [in putting fluoride on the ballot again this year] was that Tooele has changed since the last time it was voted on," Tooele City Councilman John Hansen said at an October meeting. Voters in newer parts of Tooele did favor fluoride slightly more than the rest of the city, but the opposition was overwhelming in most precincts. Overlake voted for fluoridation more readily than any other precinct, but even there only 51 percent were in favor.
Fluoridation was opposed by 54 percent in precinct three, the southeast corner of Tooele where voter turnout was highest in the city. Precinct 13 around Tooele High School also had high turnout at 44 percent. Proposition one was defeated resoundingly there with 75 percent of voters opposing fluoridation.
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1:46 PM
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