Trending Now: Breaking the Fluoride Cycle in B.C.
by Jane Shaak
Source: Health Action magazine - Summer 2014
From 1955 to 1975, a total of 21 communities installed fluoride in their water in the province of British Columbia. The very last new community to actually put fluoride into its water in B.C. happened 39 years ago, in 1975, when the resource-based community of Mackenzie installed it. There have been no new B.C. communities putting in fluoride since then.
According to a B.C. government report, 97 percent of our province's population is not being fluoridated. The remaining three percent are from five communities that still administer this hazardous chemical to their residents: Cranbrook, Fort St. John, Prince George, Sparwood and Terrace. At least three of these five communities are going to referendum on November 15, 2014, and there is still time for all five to give their residents a chance to end this practice. There is no fluoride administered in Vancouver, Vancouver Island or the Okanagan. The trend is in favour of finally breaking the fluoride cycle, and it is a matter of time and awareness.
Why do authorities and big business continue to support fluoridation? Liability might be one of the issues. Over the years, many authorities promoted fluoride in spite of peer-reviewed research of its risks. Recently, the town of Williams Lake hired a media firm to inform their community of the pros and cons of fluoride for an upcoming referendum. Hiring this firm cost $25,000; however, that is much less than the cost of future litigation. Williams Lake citizens voted to discontinue fluoridating by a huge margin. Other munici-palities can learn from this example.
Class action litigation for dental fluorosis recently began in the last few months in Prince George. (For info on dental fluorosis, go to fluoridealert.org/issues/fluorosis/) Kevin Millership is suing the city of Prince George and has a lot of experience in this area. Millership worked passionately with Kamloops, which eventually voted out fluoride in their referendum. He has also sued Cranbrook, later accepting a settlement that will go towards informing voters of fluoride's hazards prior to their upcoming November 15 referendum.
Emile Begin, a father and concerned citizen living in Prince George, has been one of the key advocates for discontinuing fluoride in this community. He reports, "In 1954, elected officials of the city of Prince George decided to fluoridate residents against vocal and published opposition. Sodium fluoride began on September 12, 1955."
Sixty years later, Prince George has the opportunity to end fluoridation with its own referendum, again being held November 15. On the worldwide scene, fluoride is being banned in many countries and continents. The trend is towards taking fluoride out of municipal water and there has been great progress. Paul Connett, of Fluoride Action Alert, has been vigilant with informing populations around the planet on this toxic practice. For this worldwide overview, go to fluoride alert.org.
Jane Shaak is a director of Health Action Network Society.
Source: Health Action magazine - Summer 2014
From 1955 to 1975, a total of 21 communities installed fluoride in their water in the province of British Columbia. The very last new community to actually put fluoride into its water in B.C. happened 39 years ago, in 1975, when the resource-based community of Mackenzie installed it. There have been no new B.C. communities putting in fluoride since then.
According to a B.C. government report, 97 percent of our province's population is not being fluoridated. The remaining three percent are from five communities that still administer this hazardous chemical to their residents: Cranbrook, Fort St. John, Prince George, Sparwood and Terrace. At least three of these five communities are going to referendum on November 15, 2014, and there is still time for all five to give their residents a chance to end this practice. There is no fluoride administered in Vancouver, Vancouver Island or the Okanagan. The trend is in favour of finally breaking the fluoride cycle, and it is a matter of time and awareness.
Why do authorities and big business continue to support fluoridation? Liability might be one of the issues. Over the years, many authorities promoted fluoride in spite of peer-reviewed research of its risks. Recently, the town of Williams Lake hired a media firm to inform their community of the pros and cons of fluoride for an upcoming referendum. Hiring this firm cost $25,000; however, that is much less than the cost of future litigation. Williams Lake citizens voted to discontinue fluoridating by a huge margin. Other munici-palities can learn from this example.
Class action litigation for dental fluorosis recently began in the last few months in Prince George. (For info on dental fluorosis, go to fluoridealert.org/issues/fluorosis/) Kevin Millership is suing the city of Prince George and has a lot of experience in this area. Millership worked passionately with Kamloops, which eventually voted out fluoride in their referendum. He has also sued Cranbrook, later accepting a settlement that will go towards informing voters of fluoride's hazards prior to their upcoming November 15 referendum.
Emile Begin, a father and concerned citizen living in Prince George, has been one of the key advocates for discontinuing fluoride in this community. He reports, "In 1954, elected officials of the city of Prince George decided to fluoridate residents against vocal and published opposition. Sodium fluoride began on September 12, 1955."
Sixty years later, Prince George has the opportunity to end fluoridation with its own referendum, again being held November 15. On the worldwide scene, fluoride is being banned in many countries and continents. The trend is towards taking fluoride out of municipal water and there has been great progress. Paul Connett, of Fluoride Action Alert, has been vigilant with informing populations around the planet on this toxic practice. For this worldwide overview, go to fluoride alert.org.
Jane Shaak is a director of Health Action Network Society.
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