USA - New Bedford voters, who rejected fluoridation of the water supply in past decades, are being asked the question one more time.

Finally, New Bedford voters, who rejected fluoridation of the water supply in past decades, are being asked the question one more time.
Question 4 is to settle a dispute between Mayor Scott W. Lang and the Board of Health, which started the ball rolling toward fluoridation in early 2005 by getting state approval under the administration of former Mayor Frederick M. Kalisz Jr. After studying the matter and concluding that the potential risks outweigh the benefits, Mayor Lang stopped the fluoridation plans, trying to remove the pro-fluoride health director in the process.
Most American municipal water supplies are fluoridated, and those in Europe are not. The history of the practice dates to around the time of World War II, when fluoride was identified as the naturally occurring substance that hardened (and darkened) the teeth of children living in certain parts of the country, mainly the Rocky Mountains.
The American Dental Association continues to stand strongly behind fluoridation as an effective way of preventing tooth decay, especially among children lacking dental care, which tend to be those in poorer neighborhoods.
Opponents, however, contend that evidence is mounting that fluoride's side effects can be far-reaching and long-term, leading to immune deficiencies and other maladies later in life.
They also say that fluoridation of water supplies amounts to nothing more than forced mass medication, which has no place in the United States. And since other sources of fluoride exist — toothpastes, mouthwash, etc. — they say that the benefits of fluoridated water have diminished since the early days of the practice.
Contact Steve Urbon at
surbon@s-t.com