USA - Women protest fluoridated water
Women protest fluoridated water
By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com
Several Oak Park moms tried in vain to convince the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to rescind its decision to add fluoride to tap water starting in October.
They testified about the perceived hazards of fluoride at the MWD board of directors' Aug. 20 meeting at district headquarters in Los Angeles.
Opponents of adding fluoride to water said the chemical is linked to a variety of health risks, the latest being a rare bone cancer in boys. They also allege intellectual impairment and hip fractures can be traced back to fluoride use.
But proponents of the additive include the American dental and medical associations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and other organizations and agencies that refute the idea that fluoride poses any health risk. They say the additive improves public health.
The four women who spoke against fluoridation cited studies, research, books and a long list of environmental groups who have taken a similar stand.
"One thing you need to know about this chemical, beyond the idea that the state shouldn't be medicating its citizens without their consent, is that it was originally an industrial pollutant that corporations like Andrew Mellon's Alcoa needed to get rid of," said Nicole Johnson, who spoke against the additive.
"Fluoride," she said, "like asbestos and cigarettes, was sold to the public as something that was good for them. The poisonous scam has been going on long enough, and we need to protect our local water supplies."
Water officials say they have an equal arsenal of information. "Thousands and thousands of studies all conclude that adding fluoride at these levels is good for your health," district representative Denis Wolcott said later.
Water officials argue that studies show no evidence to link fluoride to fractures, mental impairment, cancer or other medical problems. The MWD website, http://mwdh2o.com/, states, "The American Dental Association, in reviewing the body of scientific evidence, concluded that the 'overwhelming . . . evidence indicates that fluoridation of community water supplies is both safe and effective."
Against the additive
The four local opponents, Johnson, Cindi Gortner, Caroline Aslanian and Sheila Irwin, all serve on the Oak Park Unified School District's Wellness Council.
"As a parent of three kids, I worry a heck of a lot more about allowing my kids to drink water that even the ADA (American Dental Association) says is not safe for infants," Gortner said. "It is mind-boggling that it is legal in our country to add something to our water that is so poisonous that if a child swallows more than a pea-sized amount (of fluoridated toothpaste) a parent is to call poison control."
Gortner said that even if the water district informed every citizen about the hazards fluoride poses to infants, low-income families unable to afford bottled water often mix formula using tap water.
The water district does not dispute findings that infants could receive a greater than optimal amount of fluoride through baby formula if it is mixed with treated water. The ADA recommends formula be mixed with water that is either fluoride-free or contains lower levels of the chemical. The complete list of recommendations is available on the ADA's website, www.ADA.org.
Aslanian, a mother of three, told directors that she uses a reverse osmosis water filtration system to safeguard her children's health against all toxic chemicals found in tap water.
She bolstered her argument by naming countries that choose not to fluoridate public water supplies, including Germany, France, Belgium, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Japan, Italy and Scotland.
Rather than take the risk on fluoride to protect teeth, Aslanian suggested an education campaign on nutrition and hygiene as a preventive measure for healthy teeth and general good health. "Monies should be spent on that and not mass medication that has scientifically proven to have harsh side effects," she said.
Irwin, who chairs the Oak Park Wellness Council, told MWD directors that the sharp drop in tooth decay over 30 years and across the United States has occurred both in areas that fluoridate water and areas that don't. She said in areas where water is fluoridated, children averaged one fewer cavity than in areas without added fluoride.
"The benefits do not outweigh the risks," Irwin said. "To the extent that fluoride helps to prevent tooth decay, if it does, the predominant advantage is from topical application, not from ingestion. My own pediatrician . . . told me years ago that the best way to apply fluoride is directly to the teeth, from either toothpaste or fluoride treatments. When ingested, the risk of getting too much fluoride from all sources (diet, supplements, water) starts to be a very serious concern."
And in support
The water district's website says fluoridation is supported by most major national and international health service organizations, including the ADA and AMA, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the CDC and the World Health Organization.
According to the website, "The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recognized fluoridation of drinking water as one of the 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century."
In 2004, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Richard H. Carmona said, "Community water fluoridation continues to be the most cost-effective, practical and safe means for reducing and controlling the occurrence of tooth decay in a community."
But water officials have noted the possibility of harmful effects from fluoride when tests are conducted using 10 or more times the recommended amount.
Fluorosis, a condition that changes the appearance of teeth, can occur if too much fluoride is ingested in early childhood, according to the MWD. "The vast majority of dental fluorosis is caused by the ingestion of fluoridated products such as toothpastes and fluoride supplements, not from fluoridated water supplies," officials said on the MWD's Fluoridation FAQ webpage.
Environmental Protection Agency standards set the level of fluoride that can be added to tap water; the limit is 4 milligrams per liter. In the MWD's area, 0.7 to 0.8 mpl will be added, officials say.
"Water fluoridation has been proven to be beneficial for people in every community regardless of age, regardless of socioeconomic status," said Dr. Howard Pollick, an ADA representative.
Pollick said it's not just his own belief that fluoridated water is safe: 15 years of scientific review by the WHO, the U.S. Public Health Service and groups in Canada, England and Australia have found the practice causes no harm.
Pollick also rebuts the contention that children in low-income households will be harmed if fluoridated water is mixed with infant formula.
"Lower socioeconomic groups suffer more from tooth decay," Pollick said. "We want them to get the benefit of fluoride."
Wolcott said the district will roll out fluoridation in phases, starting Oct. 26. The Conejo Valley, Camarillo, Simi Valley and Moorpark are served by the Jensen plant, and will be the last to have tap water fluoridated.
The MWD is a consortium of 26 cities and water districts that provides drinking water to about 18 million people in Los Angeles, Ventura, San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside and Orange counties.
By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com
Several Oak Park moms tried in vain to convince the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to rescind its decision to add fluoride to tap water starting in October.
They testified about the perceived hazards of fluoride at the MWD board of directors' Aug. 20 meeting at district headquarters in Los Angeles.
Opponents of adding fluoride to water said the chemical is linked to a variety of health risks, the latest being a rare bone cancer in boys. They also allege intellectual impairment and hip fractures can be traced back to fluoride use.
But proponents of the additive include the American dental and medical associations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and other organizations and agencies that refute the idea that fluoride poses any health risk. They say the additive improves public health.
The four women who spoke against fluoridation cited studies, research, books and a long list of environmental groups who have taken a similar stand.
"One thing you need to know about this chemical, beyond the idea that the state shouldn't be medicating its citizens without their consent, is that it was originally an industrial pollutant that corporations like Andrew Mellon's Alcoa needed to get rid of," said Nicole Johnson, who spoke against the additive.
"Fluoride," she said, "like asbestos and cigarettes, was sold to the public as something that was good for them. The poisonous scam has been going on long enough, and we need to protect our local water supplies."
Water officials say they have an equal arsenal of information. "Thousands and thousands of studies all conclude that adding fluoride at these levels is good for your health," district representative Denis Wolcott said later.
Water officials argue that studies show no evidence to link fluoride to fractures, mental impairment, cancer or other medical problems. The MWD website, http://mwdh2o.com/, states, "The American Dental Association, in reviewing the body of scientific evidence, concluded that the 'overwhelming . . . evidence indicates that fluoridation of community water supplies is both safe and effective."
Against the additive
The four local opponents, Johnson, Cindi Gortner, Caroline Aslanian and Sheila Irwin, all serve on the Oak Park Unified School District's Wellness Council.
"As a parent of three kids, I worry a heck of a lot more about allowing my kids to drink water that even the ADA (American Dental Association) says is not safe for infants," Gortner said. "It is mind-boggling that it is legal in our country to add something to our water that is so poisonous that if a child swallows more than a pea-sized amount (of fluoridated toothpaste) a parent is to call poison control."
Gortner said that even if the water district informed every citizen about the hazards fluoride poses to infants, low-income families unable to afford bottled water often mix formula using tap water.
The water district does not dispute findings that infants could receive a greater than optimal amount of fluoride through baby formula if it is mixed with treated water. The ADA recommends formula be mixed with water that is either fluoride-free or contains lower levels of the chemical. The complete list of recommendations is available on the ADA's website, www.ADA.org.
Aslanian, a mother of three, told directors that she uses a reverse osmosis water filtration system to safeguard her children's health against all toxic chemicals found in tap water.
She bolstered her argument by naming countries that choose not to fluoridate public water supplies, including Germany, France, Belgium, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Japan, Italy and Scotland.
Rather than take the risk on fluoride to protect teeth, Aslanian suggested an education campaign on nutrition and hygiene as a preventive measure for healthy teeth and general good health. "Monies should be spent on that and not mass medication that has scientifically proven to have harsh side effects," she said.
Irwin, who chairs the Oak Park Wellness Council, told MWD directors that the sharp drop in tooth decay over 30 years and across the United States has occurred both in areas that fluoridate water and areas that don't. She said in areas where water is fluoridated, children averaged one fewer cavity than in areas without added fluoride.
"The benefits do not outweigh the risks," Irwin said. "To the extent that fluoride helps to prevent tooth decay, if it does, the predominant advantage is from topical application, not from ingestion. My own pediatrician . . . told me years ago that the best way to apply fluoride is directly to the teeth, from either toothpaste or fluoride treatments. When ingested, the risk of getting too much fluoride from all sources (diet, supplements, water) starts to be a very serious concern."
And in support
The water district's website says fluoridation is supported by most major national and international health service organizations, including the ADA and AMA, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the CDC and the World Health Organization.
According to the website, "The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recognized fluoridation of drinking water as one of the 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century."
In 2004, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Richard H. Carmona said, "Community water fluoridation continues to be the most cost-effective, practical and safe means for reducing and controlling the occurrence of tooth decay in a community."
But water officials have noted the possibility of harmful effects from fluoride when tests are conducted using 10 or more times the recommended amount.
Fluorosis, a condition that changes the appearance of teeth, can occur if too much fluoride is ingested in early childhood, according to the MWD. "The vast majority of dental fluorosis is caused by the ingestion of fluoridated products such as toothpastes and fluoride supplements, not from fluoridated water supplies," officials said on the MWD's Fluoridation FAQ webpage.
Environmental Protection Agency standards set the level of fluoride that can be added to tap water; the limit is 4 milligrams per liter. In the MWD's area, 0.7 to 0.8 mpl will be added, officials say.
"Water fluoridation has been proven to be beneficial for people in every community regardless of age, regardless of socioeconomic status," said Dr. Howard Pollick, an ADA representative.
Pollick said it's not just his own belief that fluoridated water is safe: 15 years of scientific review by the WHO, the U.S. Public Health Service and groups in Canada, England and Australia have found the practice causes no harm.
Pollick also rebuts the contention that children in low-income households will be harmed if fluoridated water is mixed with infant formula.
"Lower socioeconomic groups suffer more from tooth decay," Pollick said. "We want them to get the benefit of fluoride."
Wolcott said the district will roll out fluoridation in phases, starting Oct. 26. The Conejo Valley, Camarillo, Simi Valley and Moorpark are served by the Jensen plant, and will be the last to have tap water fluoridated.
The MWD is a consortium of 26 cities and water districts that provides drinking water to about 18 million people in Los Angeles, Ventura, San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside and Orange counties.
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