Canada - Delhi

Ward 3 candidate presses anti-fluoridation platform

All-candidates meeting in Delhi draws 300 people

DELHI – A local teacher who was disciplined last year for his anti-vaccination views is campaigning for a seat on Norfolk council on an anti-fluoridation platform.

Tim Sullivan of Simcoe, a science and special needs teacher with the Grand Erie District School Board, is seeking to replace incumbent councillor Mike Columbus in Delhi-area Ward 3.
Sullivan introduced himself to Ward 3 voters Wednesday at an all-candidates event at the Delhi German Home.
In his opening remarks, Sullivan spoke about his opposition to fluoridated water and his belief that the chemical added to municipal water to prevent cavities – fluorosilicic acid – is toxic and bad for human health
If elected, Sullivan said he will work to eliminate fluoridated water in Simcoe and Delhi.

Thirteen candidates for Norfolk council attended Wednesday’s meeting, which was organized by the Delhi and District Chamber of Commerce.

The three mayoral candidates in Norfolk – Kristal Chopp of Port Dover, Russell Colebrook of Simcoe, and incumbent Charlie Luke of Simcoe – shared their vision for the future and fielded questions from the floor. Also sharing their platforms were council candidates in Langton-area Ward 2, Delhi-area Ward 3 and Windham-area Ward 4.
After a time, laughter greeted Sullivan’s approach to the microphone because – no matter the issue — he found a way to steer the discussion toward his anti-fluoridation views.
In response to a question about a water line at the Delhi baseball park that has been broken for a considerable time, Sullivan said he would take savings from the elimination of fluoridated water and devote them to an immediate repair.

In response to a question about the pending legalization of marijuana, Sullivan said he was glad that cannabis is not toxic.
“Otherwise, the county might try to slip it into our water,” he said.
And – in response to a question about what Norfolk can do to retain its young people – Sullivan said, “I’d ply them with fresh, fluoride-free water.”
Sullivan made headlines last year when the Ontario College of Teachers found him guilty of professional misconduct for aggressively promoting anti-vaccination viewpoints in the workplace.
Sullivan’s actions included an angry exchange with a public health nurse at a school in 2015 while medical staff were conducting a vaccination clinic.
All five councillor candidates in Delhi – Leslie Berta, Columbus, Albert Guiler, Darryl Smart and Sullivan – attended the chamber event.

Came across this video found it interesting and informative.

F.A.N Newsletter

The third video in the Fluoride Action Network’s Fluoride Fundamentals series is now available.  The latest production features FAN’s Director, Paul Connett, PhD, discussing the importance of applying a regulatory margin of safety in an effort to protect whole populations from the harmful effects of toxic chemicals like fluoride.

According to chapter 20 of Connett's book, "The Case Against Fluoride:"

 "It is not disputed that, at moderate to high doses, fluoride can cause serious health problems and other adverse effects.  The crucial question is whether there is a sufficient margin of safety between the doses that cause those effects and the doses experienced in fluoridated communities...this margin of safety has to be sufficiently large to protect everyone, including the most vulnerable, not just the average person.  Moreover, it has to be large enough to protect the whole population over a lifetime of exposure."

It is reckless to continue promoting fluoridation when studies indicate that thyroid function and IQ in children can be lowered by fluoride exposure levels found in "optimally fluoridated" communities.  Because there is no adequate margin of safety, the practice ought to be discontinued immediately.  Click below to watch the video and learn more: 

(Click on graphic to watch video)

Over 2,500 people have already viewed this video on Facebook since it was posted.  Please help us keep the momentum going by sharing...

-On Facebook
-On Twitter
-Our Youtube link for the video via email or on social media

Be the first to view our videos as they're made public.  To do so, visit our Youtube page and click the "subscribe" button.  You will see our videos on your Youtube homepage as soon as they're uploaded by FAN. 

Stay tuned! More short and engaging videos featuring experts discussing critical topics related to fluoride and fluoridation will continue to be released over the coming weeks and months. 

Emperor Without Clothes

Clean Water Portland and Newport organizer Rick North--who has also recently joined FAN's Board of Directors--has written a new OpEd featured in Oregon's premier health-industry news publication, The Lund Report.  The comprehensive piece entitled, "Water Fluoridation is An Emperor Without Clothes," highlights the absurdities of allowing politicians to indiscriminantly add a drug in the public's drinking water supply.   

Please read, share, and comment on the article.    

Educate Your Own Community 
Hopefully you've been inspired by Rick North's OpEd!  Please now use that inspiration to help educate your own community about the latest science and known risks associated with fluoridation.  Our supporters have had tremendous success getting countless letters to the editor published in their local papers over the years, and their efforts have educated thousands.

-Click here to send letters-to-the-editor to your local newspapers-

This is an easy way to educate residents, journalists, and community leaders simultaneously.  While we have set up an automated system to make sending the letters easier, for the greatest success we recommend cuting and pasting our letter content (found by following the link above) into your own personal email to your local newspapers.  You can usually find the email address to letter submission in the opinion section of a newspaper, or by searching the web for "[paper name] submit letter."  

Latest Fluoride News

-Hazmat Crew Responds to Fluoridation Chemical Accident (Ohio)
-Only Bulk Fluoride Supplement Producer in U.S. Ends Production (Pennsylvania)
-City Drops Fluoridation on Cost Concerns and Precedent (Wisconsin)
-LETTER: End Fluoridation of Lynchburg Water (Virginia)
-Dentists Organize Group in Bedford County to Restart Fluoridation (Virginia)
-Dentists Attack Franklin Water Authority for Ending Fluoridation (Pennsylvania)
-Tapping into Minnesota’s New Fluoridation Rules (Minnesota)
-Woodbine Council Discusses Proposal to Bring Fluoride Back (Iowa)
-Parry Sound Cancels Fluoride Meeting After Bias Exposed (Ontario)
-Study: Cutting Down on Salt, Fluoride Can Help Tackle Anemia (India)
-Biochemist Lecturer gets Teeth into Fluoride Debate (New Zealand)

For more fluoride related media, please visit FAN’s News Archive.

Sincerely, 

Stuart Cooper
Campaign DirectorFluoride Action Network

‘Over my dead body’ – Doncaster campaigner hits out at ‘ridiculous’ council plan to add fluoride to drinking water

Anti-fluoridation campaigner Elizabeth McDonagh. Picture: George Torr



A campaigner of more than 60 years has hit out at Doncaster Council’s plan to add fluoride to drinking water and called the idea ‘ridiculous’. Retired nutritionist and college lecturer Elizabeth McDonagh, aged 82, of Thorne, is the former chairwoman of the National Pure Water Association. She has fought councils up and down the country and has lobbied the EU in Brussels on fluoridation. Doncaster Council voted against endorsing fluoridation in 1997. But Dr Rupert Suckling, the council’s director of public health, raised the issue again after shocking stats revealing the poor oral health in children.

He added adding fluoride returns £12 to £1 spent in health benefits and residents in areas with the element in drinking water have lower levels of tooth decay. But Ms McDonagh has claimed countless academics have proven exposure to fluoride has links to skeletal and dental fluorosis and other health conditions.

A similar debate which is further advanced rages nearby in Hull. Councillors are split on the idea and those rejecting fluoridation has prompted a strong response from the British Dental Association to urge opponents not to ‘peddle myths’ or ‘alternative facts’. Responding to the ‘conspiracy theory’ labels, Ms McDonagh said: “If you look at when they piloted it in four areas of the country in the 1940s - the evidence is clear. “A doctor from the time compared North Shields and South Shields - one had fluoride one didn’t. “He found mortality rate was higher in the fluoridated area. In Birmingham, which has had fluoride in water since 1964, there is evidence now to suggest the neo-natal death rate are higher by around double on average. These are just a few examples.” Ms McDonagh also claimed Yorkshire Water would be ‘laughing all the way to the bank’ if the council paid them to carry out a feasibility study.
“When I read what health bosses were proposing I felt sick to be honest. I can’t be as vociferous as I once was as I’m retired but over my dead body will the council carry this out in Doncaster,” she said. “There are better ways to improve children’s teeth. Scotland decided a few years ago not to fluoridate and they have something called Child Smile which is a scheme which specifically targets children that need it as opposed to this ridiculous idea in a blanket scheme which goes in all the water. “There is a big difference between fluoride in toothpaste and adding fluoride to water. There is lots of evidence in children that it is beneficial. “But the most concerning issue is seems like the council are saying we must give this medicine to everybody regardless of their age, if its good for children in the womb, babies, the elderly, anybody who lives in the area. “Is it ethical to be giving it to the toothless elderly who might be getting skeletal fluorosis in their old age in order to benefit the teeth of a selection of five-year-olds? “The reason, is not because of a lack of fluoride in young children, it’s because parents give their children drinks and sweets that are extremely high in sugar.” Dr Rupert Suckling, director of public health at Doncaster Council said: “The evidence is clear that fluoridation of water can prevent tooth decay, however any decision would need to meet with public approval, be technically feasible and follow Council decision making processes.”

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Peak medical body's offer to help council with fluoride | Chronicle

https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/peak-medical-bodys-offer-to.../3534766/

13 hours ago - It would be the council's third vote on fluoride since 2012, with the most recent in 2016. As a result, the council stopped adding fluoride to the region's water ...

From Ann Wills

Daily Telegraph 26.9.18  “  BLOOD VICTIMS DISCREDITED IN DOCTORED FILES”

Medical records were destroyed by the NHS or altered to wrongly portray victims of the contaminated blood as drug addicts, alcoholics or of being promiscuous, amid a

cover-up.  False info had been added to patients’ medical records to suggest the liver damage caused by hepatitis C was the patient’s own fault.  One married woman was accused of having multiple sex partners or using illegal drugs when she was diagnosed with hep C.  She had actually caught the virus from a blood transfusion given during childbirth.  QCs representing victims told the Infected Blood Inquiry that victims had great difficulty in obtaining their medical records & many medical records had been shredded. The NHS wanted to wash its hands of any responsibility.

And they really care for the  underprivileged children' teeth.

UK - Hospital admissions for tooth decay among five to nine-year-olds rise for second consecutive year

The number of five to nine-year-olds admitted to hospital for tooth decay has risen for the second consecutive year.

The dental problem was the main reason for hospital admissions among children of this age in England.

In response to the figures, the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) has called on parents to ensure that their children maintain good oral health, branding the NHS figures “disgraceful”.

There were a total of 26,111 hospital admissions for tooth decay among five to nine-year-olds in 2017/18, the data shows, up from 25,923 in 2016/17 and 25,875 in 2015/16.

However the number of admissions for dental decay is still lower than 2014/15, when there were 26,708.

The Royal College of Surgeons has called for extra funding for classroom oral hygiene education 

Figures for the number of hospital admissions for tooth decay among babies to 19-year-olds has decreased overall.

The total number of hospital admissions among babies to 19-year-olds fell from 45,224 in 2016/17 to 44,047 last year, which included two children under the age of one.

The number of admissions among one to four-year-olds dropped from 8,281 to 7,666 across this period, while there was also a decline among 10 to 14-year-olds, from 7,303 to 7,060.

Professor Michael Escudier, dean of the faculty of dental surgery at RCS, said: "It is disappointing that we haven't seen the same improvement in the number of children aged five to nine being admitted to hospital for dental decay as we have for other age groups.

"These children will likely be having teeth removed in hospital under general anaesthetic - something that should never be taken lightly.

"When you consider that tooth decay is 90% preventable and NHS dental treatment is free for all under 18s, it is disgraceful that so many children in their early years of school are suffering time away from class to have teeth removed."

Figures for the number of hospital admissions for tooth decay among babies to 19-year-olds has decreased overall (Getty Images)

Professor Escudier called on money raised by the sugar tax on soft drinks to be used to improve oral health education.

He added: "Parents and carers must ensure children visit the dentist regularly, eat less sugar and brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.

"Supervised tooth brushing sessions in nurseries and primary schools are an excellent way to instil good oral health habits at an early age, and there should be support for these programmes in the NHS Long Term Plan."

Dr Sandra White, dental lead for Public Health England, said: "While dental health in England is improving for five-year-olds, almost a quarter of five-year-olds are still suffering from preventable tooth decay and children in our most deprived communities continue to be hit the hardest.

"Alongside targeted interventions put in place to reduce these inequalities, it's vital that we continue to educate younger generations around dental hygiene and reducing sugar intake."

Canada - Five things to know about fluoride in Parry Sound

Fluoride was turned off in Parry Sound in 2016 - Metroland File Photo

1) Fluoride was removed from the Town of Parry Sound’s drinking water in March 2016.

2) In the Oct. 22 municipal election, Parry Sound voters will be asked on the ballot if they are in favour of fluoridating the public water supply.

3) Fluoridating the town’s water requires upgrades to its water treatment plant of a cost well above the 2015 estimate of $250,000.

4) On Wednesday, Sept. 26, Parry Sounders for Progressive Water Management are hosting a public fluoride information session inside the Parry Sound Public Library.

5) The town had scheduled a public meeting to allow ratepayers to hear both sides of the issue, but it had to be cancelled because only one Third Party Advertiser was available to speak.

No guilt

WHO warned of the risks because the NHS was buying blood from high risk paid donors in US - prisoners, drug addicts & sex workers.  A family friend, Edward Priestley of Yorkshire, developed aplastic anaemia (bone marrow destruction) from workplace toxic chemicals, & caught hepatitis C from an NHS blood transfusion in 1986.  It ended to his successful career & his cycling.  Scotland realised quite quickly about the contamination & stopped buying US blood, but the NHS in England continued to buy infected blood.  He was given just 6 months to live but developed a “Survival Guide” for anyone to read free of charge & his blood count is now normal.  Visit Edward’s website:  www.medicineandillness.com   But his pain & disability from treatment side-effects remain.  Anita Roddick “The Body Shop” founder was given an infected blood transfusion during childbirth & later died from hepatitis C.    

Daily Telegraph 24.9.18 “Ministers broke blood scandal fees pledge, say victims.”  This reports that Des Collins of Collins Solicitors is worried that the money pledged by ministers has not yet been received by victims’ lawyers to fight their cases.  He says this would be unjust as the authorities have “very deep pockets” whereas because of ill health, most of the victims have little money.

From Ann Wills

And they really care for children's teeth?

New Zealand

Fluoride speakers were providing latest evidence

• Otago Daily Times
• 24 Sep 2018

IN his letter (ODT, 20.9.18), Stuart Mathieson likened Dr Connett, the guest speaker at a recent public session on fluoridation, to a magician producing rabbits from his hat.

He also stated that ‘‘academics and scientists heads are full of established knowledge’’, and these have proven the safety of fluoridation ‘‘many times over’’.

Many, many years ago, the established knowledge of the day was that the earth was flat and the sun went around Earth.

Anyone who thought or taught otherwise about this was ridiculed and often severely punished.

It seems this still applies to those who question and disprove the ‘‘established knowledge’’ of fluoridation and who have done new studies which indicate that fluoride does indeed damage the developing brains of our young and yettobe born children.

The three speakers at the session at Otago University — Drs Paul Connett, Vyvian Wyatt and Declan Waugh — are in fact very highly qualified and practising scientists from the United Kingdom.

Rather than campaigning, they were simply giving us the most uptodate scientific studies, with all the facts and figures.

In fluoridated areas, the estimated lowering of a child’s IQ by five to seven points is a very serious claim which screams out for even more consideration and research.

‘‘Established knowledge’’ is not necessarily safe or accurate science. There is truth in the saying ‘‘the science is never settled’’. All expectant and new parents should be concerned for new research to prove what is best for their children and the community.

Freedom of choice — or lack of it — is another concern. Why must we all be mass medicated when it is well established that, for children’s teeth, topical application with fluoride toothpaste is much more effective than ingested fluoride?

Dosage needs to be considered too. A baby on infant formula using tap water is getting a very much higher dose of toxic fluoride than a larger child or adult. Jennifer Drew

Dunedin

Australia - Fluoride debate fires up tonight

A LEADING Queensland medical professional has joined the local debate on fluoridation, as residents on the Southern Downs prepare to have their say on whether to keep the controversial additive in the region's drinking water.

Brisbane Dental Hospital director Michael Foley, who will present a case at the Warwick Town Hall tonight arguing in favour of keeping fluoride, told the Daily News water fluoridation was a proven public health measure to reduce tooth decay in the community.

"Reports show we spent $80 billion on dental care - that's more than all canc

ers combined and mental health care. It's massive," he said.

"Research shows people in regional areas have substantially more tooth decay than those in the cities."

As both sides of the debate face off at tonight's public information session, Merilyn Haines from Queenslanders For Safe Water said she will argue that water fluoridation is "forced mass medication".

"It's unethical without the consent of the community - forced on Queenslanders by the Bligh Government," she said.

"It's widely acknowledged that the act of fluoridation isn't typical - most of the world's countries don't do it and 20 councils have rejected it."

With both sides claiming to have evidence of benefits and risks, Dr Foley dismissed the claims by Mrs Haines as scare- mongering by a fringe group.

"I respect the right of people to have their opinions, but as a medical professional I'm entitled to get annoyed when people attack facts of matters of public health," he said.

"I don't accept her argument has equal validity.

"That's what bugs me about giving credit to fringe groups - particularly when public health is an issue."

One of the biggest arguments to be presented by the Queenslanders for Safe Water according to Mrs Haines is that fluoride can harm vulnerable members of the community.

"The biggest concern is for bottle-fed babies and people with kidney impairments," she said.

"We're calling for health studies to be done; it's already been proven that tooth decay has come down dramatically in unfluoridated countries."

Supporters of fluoride however are arguing that the science and studies have been done to show the benefits of keeping fluoride in drinking water.

"I'd argue the science is 99-1," Dr Foley said.

"Every reputable health and scientific professional will say it's not a 50-50.

"Some of the top organisations in Australia support fluoridation including the Cancer Council and the Rural Australasian College of Physicians."

Both sides of the debate are hoping they can sway water ratepayers in Stanthorpe, Warwick, Yangan and Allora, who will have their say on the issue with a survey in coming weeks.

"I'm hoping residents will listen to what we have to say," Mrs Haines said.

"I'm hoping more than 50% would say yes to an end of fluoridation on the Southern Downs."

Dr Foley said he was hoping residents would make an informed decision based on the facts.

"I would be disappointed if people on the Southern Downs were swayed by this fringe group," he said.

 Mr Foley and Mrs Haines will present their cases for and against fluoridation at a council-run meeting at the Warwick Town Hall tonight from 5.30pm.

Heightened Living

Published on 22 Sep 2018

Welcome back to Nathan Hatch on Thyroid Cancer, Progesterone, and Metabolism! If you enjoy this video, feel free to subscribe! Also feel free to show that like button some love below as well! Stick around for more content! Join the newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dpI6n9

One of the biggest crimes against humanity in our modern world is still allowed to happen. Fluoride (AKA, Hydrofluorosilicic, Hexafluorosilicic acid) is scientifically and medically proven to be one of the most toxic compounds on earth. Hundreds of modern scientific studies and research from around the world has shown that fluoridation is having a disastrous effect on peoples health, animals and the earth itself. This disgusting, immoral and criminal practice needs to be stopped. Watch this video (linked below) if you want an in-dept look into the dangers of fluoride.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx4_D...

Oral hygiene services expand for young children in Rochdale

As the academic year begins, young children in the borough of Rochdale will have access to more oral hygiene services than ever before.

We and the NHS provide interventions which ensure that children are getting the correct dental care and advice throughout the school year.

A new service, provided by the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, teaches children aged 2 to 5 how to brush their teeth correctly. Children will be sent home with a letter asking for parental consent to take part in activities which teach children good toothbrushing techniques.

Like adults, children should visit the dentist at least once a year and should be cleaning their teeth twice a day all year round.

Packs to aid toothbrushing at home are given to children aged 4 and under who go to nursery or school. These packs are delivered by Living Well, our healthy lifestyles provider, and give families helpful advice and information about oral hygiene to help them to look after children's teeth.

Fluoride varnishing is routinely carried out twice a year on children over 3-years-old during dental appointments. The process applies a protective layer on children's teeth which, in addition to tooth brushing, reduces tooth decay by 35 per cent.

For children aged 3 to 5 who haven't visited the dentist in 12 months, Pennine Care can carry out fluoride varnishing at nursery or school. Parents will be sent a form to complete to see if their child is eligible and to get their permission to apply the varnish. Parents and grandparents should ask their dentist about fluoride varnishing.

Councillor Sara Rowbotham, our Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: "Improving the health of Rochdale's young children is a key priority for us and oral hygiene plays an important role in that.

"Almost half of our 5 year olds start school with dental decay so we ask that parents allow their children to access all the services available and remember the importance of taking children to the dentist once a year.

"Tackling unhealthy habits is a crucial preventative measure to protect our young children against poor dental health and weight gain so we continue to prioritise working with schools to implement healthy lifestyles initiatives to ensure children grow up to be healthy adults."

Anyone with young children or grandchildren should keep an eye out for forms coming home in their bags from school or nursery to keep up to date with oral hygiene activities.

Let’s get rid of fluoride in Corvallis! Anyone with me? from r/corvallis

Mather: We don't want mass medication in our water

Rockhampton Morning Bulletin-9 hours ago

MEDICAL and dental associations can push as hard as they like for fluoride to be readded to local water supplies, but if Livingstone councillor Glenda Mather ...

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Australia - 'fluoride free' Pete's Paleo palace

Inside Pete's Paleo palace! My Kitchen Rules judge Evans builds a solar-powered seaside mansion in Sydney - and it's completely 'fluoride free'

He's the My Kitchen Rules judge known for advocating the controversial Paleo diet.

And it seems Pete Evans' stunning new mansion is appropriately Paleo-friendly.

The 45-year-old chef has built an ultra-modern property in Sydney's Malabar, which he proudly claims is completely 'fluoride free'.....................

Letters: Happy to move back to Stockton away from Hartlepool's water

I NOTICE Hartlepool is always mentioned when people start talking about fluoride (Echo, Sept 7). Let me tell you a couple of tales about the local water there.
In 1985 I moved to Hartlepool from Stockton, and stayed for seven years, but mostly was unable to drink the water as it made me bilious and sick from the very beginning.

I went to my GP, and after a few tests he quizzed me about where I had lived before. He came to the conclusion it was the fluoride in Hartlepool’s water. his advice was that if my sickness continued, I should collect water from my parents in Stockton, which I did, and I felt much better within a few days.

Shortly after that I noticed a lump in my left side rib cage, close to a previous injury, and went to my doctor who suggested I needed an X-ray.

When he got the results, my doctor confirmed it was the previous break to my rib and the fluoride in the water had created a callous, which is still with me today.

I am now happy to say I live back in Stockton.

Has anyone else noticed similar things?

J Hunton, Stockton-on-Tees

F.A.N. Newsletter

In an effort to forestall the bill pushing for mandatory fluoridation in New Zealand’sparliament, FAN NZ organized a visit of three experts to provide the latest evidence at Otago University that fluoride was neurotoxic and had the potential to lower the intelligence of children even at the doses commonly experienced in fluoridated communities.

Why Otago University? It’s located in Dunedin on NZ’s South Island. It hosts the only dental school in the country and for many years has been the hotbed of fluoridation promotion. But it also has a famous medical school and many relevant science departments. Surely, if we could convince some of the prestigious professors who teach at this school - as well as the students - that fluoride was neurotoxic with the potentialto reduce the mental abilities of future generations that they would sound the alarm bell and bring the MPs and the new Labor government to its senses. The government is led by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern who has just had a baby.
The motto of Otago University is “Sapere Aude” (“Dare to be wise”). The former vice-chancellor of the university is Sir David Skegg, now President of the Royal Society of NZ, who was half the prestigious team (other half: Sir Peter Gluckman, former chief scientific advisor to the Prime minister) of the2014 report that whitewashed fluoridation’s dangers. Despite gross errors, this report has been widely used by the media and the Ministry of Health in their support of this parliamentary bill.
The three experts who visited NZwere

• Vyvyan Howard from Northern Ireland, an infant and fetal pathologist;

• Declan Waugh, an environmental scientist from the Republic of Ireland – who has spent the last 7 years on an intensive study of fluoride’s toxicity.

• and myself, Paul Connett, a retired professor of chemistry and co-author of the book The Case Against Fluoride.

Half page ads were run in major newspapers in both Wellington and Dunedin, promoting our visit and announcing our talks (Dunedin, Sept 4 and Wellington, Sept 6).
The evening arrived. As we approached 7 pm, nearly 300 people began to fill the seats.
You can see videotapes of our three presentations:

Paul's talkVyvyan’s talkDeclan’s talk

Many of you have seen and heard me many times so I recommend that you start with Declan’s presentation, which I found absolutely riveting, and then watch Vyvyan’s commentary on fluoride and the thyroid gland and then mine.
The disappointing news – not one professor from the University came to hear our presentations nor did the local media!
However, the next day in a follow-up meeting a journalist from the Otago Daily News did show up and I am afraid I gave him an earful – which he dutifully reported.

He wrote:

At a question-and-answer session yesterday, Prof Connett said the university should be ashamed of its attitude to the fluoride debate.

''Is this tower so ivory that it doesn't matter?'' he asked.

''Taxpayers' money has gone in to funding people's education, their university degrees, their postgraduate degrees, their professorships and salaries, and they don't feel any obligation whatsoever to debate the science.''

Prof Connett said the public needed to hear both sides of the debate - ''to simply ignore us is unacceptable''. (see the full article)

Dr. Vyvyan Howard wrote a letter to the Otago Times responding to this article, but the paper did not publish it. Here it is:

Dear Sir

Re: Anti-fluoride campaigner invites university debate (6/9/18)

I was surprised to find no mention of the scientific issues, presented at the meeting, mentioned in your article. As one of the “trio” of “campaigners” (as described in your article) you made no mention of my qualifications and therefore of my influence to the discussion.

I am a medically qualified pathologist, specialized in the effects of toxic substances on the fetus. The last time I spoke in public on the topic of fluoride and health was 10 years ago in Toronto. I do not consider myself to be a campaigner but I am a medical professional with a concern for public health. The reason I have given up 2 weeks of a busy life to come to NZ is that I consider the findings of the latest published papers (of which you gave no mention) merit a civil and informed discussion amongst involved scientists from both sides of the argument.

I stated yesterday, in the presence of your reporter, that if I was in medical practice here in NZ I would be advising female patients who were considering starting a family to avoid drinking fluoridated tap water. This is based on the findings in the recent paper by Bashash et al which shows very clearly that fluoride is associated with a considerable fall in IQ (over 5 IQ points) in offspring in a dose dependent manner. This very well designed study mirrors the findings in over 30 prior studies. Not to have mentioned these facts will also probably have surprised your readership.

Yours sincerely
Vyvyan Howard

Sadly, few academics and politicians heard our words in person. Most citizens remain oblivious to the threat this practice presents to future generations of Kiwis.  But we did leave behind these three videos (see links above) and an hour long radio program.
We encourage all our supporters in NZ to do what they can to get as many people as possible to watch (and listen to) them and then send the links to their MPs.

 But hope may also be coming from a different direction. The Maori community is becoming involved. They are fighting the atrocity of dropping pellets of highly toxic sodium fluoroacetate (known as 1080) from helicopters on forests. This cruel and foolish program is designed to kill off possums and rats, which are threatening flightless birds. But the indiscriminate distribution of this horrible poison is killing other mammals, including domestic pets, deer, wild pigs and farm animals.  Here is a link to an award-winning video on this issue, “Poisoning Paradise.” 

On Saturday Sept 8, Declan, Mary and I (Vyvyan had already left for Northern Ireland) attended a very powerful Maori demonstration outside parliament house in Wellington and this was followed by a march. I have never witnessed such public emotion in NZ before. Another 43 demonstrations were held throughout the NZ on the same day. This has been the biggest ever demonstration of Maori feeling on this matter and people close to the organizers believe that the campaign will extend to other issues including fluoridation. Possible messages: Stop poisoning our land, our food, our water. Ban 1080, end fluoridation. Stop poisoning NZ.

 

Paul Connett,
Director of FAN 

Tom Whitesell

Published on 18 Sep 2018

Potsdam NY Fluoride Vote Sept 17, 2018 Part 5 And… the vote. Each of the trustees presents his or her position, and understanding. And then they vote. I guess the Constitution of the United States, and all that it stands for… does not apply to our universal natural human right to refuse to be medicated by a presumed authority against our will. Hmm…