USA - ACE: Fluoride in public water is unnecessary and not safe

Saturday, January 10, 2009 6:13 AM EST
It's perplexing and even shameful that the American Dental Association is refusing to look at the overwhelming evidence showing fluoridation of public water is ineffective, unnecessary, and not safe. ACE commends the Pottstown Water Authority members who looked at reality, rejected dental association spin, and opposed fluoridation of Pottstown's water.

In 2007, ACE did extensive research on fluoridation:

A wealth of new data is available showing harms from fluoridation, including a major review by the National Academy of Sciences of over 1,000 scientific papers, published March 2006. Their report said EPA's standards are not protective of public health, documenting fluoride's role in damage to tooth enamel, brittle bones, increased risk of fractures, possible links to diabetes, reduced IQ, early onset of puberty and impaired thyroid function.

The union representing about 1,500 scientists, lawyers, engineers, and other professional employees at US EPA in Washington stated in 2001, "…fluoridation is unreasonable risk…. hazards can include… impaired kidney function, cancer, reproductive effects, neurotoxicity, bone pathology and dental fluorosis."

Over 1200 professionals made overwhelming scientific arguments against fluoridation. Http://www.fluoridealert.org.

Evidence links fluoride to bone disease and fracture, bone cancer; brain, pineal gland and kidney problems; allergic/hypersensitive reactions, gastrointestinal tract problems, dental fluorosis, and more. Http:// www.fluorideaction.net/health/sitemap.HTML.

Ninety percent of water fluoridation chemicals are toxic waste byproducts of Florida's phosphate industry, contaminated with arsenic, lead, mercury, radon and other impurities. These chemicals are regulated as hazardous waste if dumped in rivers, lakes, or oceans — yet sold for use in drinking water systems. The practice of water fluoridation helps the phosphate industry convert millions of dollars in hazardous waste disposal costs to a profit from sales to public water systems.

It's unethical to force everyone to ingest toxic chemicals that aren't needed to make drinking water safe. Adding fluoride discriminates against the poor and underprivileged who can't afford to buy and maintain costly filtration required to remove fluoride. People can reject fluoride in food, beverages, and dental products, but when added to water, choice is eliminated.

Pottstown area residents are overexposed to toxic chemicals. Without precautionary positions and decisions of caring Pottstown officials in the past, this region would face far greater pollution risks. The most precautionary approach is required. That's not adding fluoride to water.

ACE encourages Pottstown officials to continue to follow the Precautionary Principle and continue to say NO to fluoridation of Pottstown's water. That will actually protect public health while saving taxpayers' money. For more fluoridation facts, visit www.FlourideAction.org

The Alliance for Clean Environment

Board of Directors