FLUORIDE DEBATE

Is Fluoridation safe?

The National Forum on Fluoridation (set up by the Minister of Health) in May 2000 seems to have worked wonders (some might say miracles) in finding that fluoride is a safe and effective way of improving oral health. (See last weeks Inish Times). Although many areas in Inishowen have had fluoridated water for about 20 years, (including Moville, Redcastle, Muff, Buncrana, Slavery and Faughan), other areas such as Clonmany, Carndonagh, Malin and Burnfoot are not presently fluoridated. This might change in the near future as the National Forum hopes to press ahead with introducing fluoride to these areas.

A few years ago Derry City Council debated whether to introduce fluoride into the drinking water system. It was not introduced and in fact 25 out of 26 Councils in Northern Ireland rejected fluoridation.

Here are a few of the reasons that influenced the decision that made them say NO to fluoridation.

Fluoride is a powerful poison, a highly effective ingredient of rat and cockroach killers and insecticides, and one of the three most hazardous of industrial pollutants, the other two being arsenic and cyanide.

Fluoride that is used in water treatment is a waste product from the fertilizer industry and being so toxic it is very expensive to get rid of. It is cheaper to put the chemical into the environment than to dispose of it safely.

It is so toxic that there is enough fluoride in a tube of toothpaste to be potentially fatal to a small child. In America all fluoride toothpaste must carry a poisons symbol with a warning to contact the nearest poisons unit if more than a pea size amount of toothpaste is swallowed.

Only 2% of European countries are fluoridated. Most of them banned fluoride from their water supplies in the 1970’s. Holland even went as far as ensuring fluoride could not be introduced by amending their constitution.

Recent worldwide studies involving 480,000 children, found no significant difference in tooth decay between fluoridated and non- fluoridated communities.

There is ample evidence that fluoride is harming people’s teeth. Fluoridation causes dental fluorosis (white flecks on the teeth). This is the first sign that the body is overloaded with fluoride.

Fluoridation is also known to increase osteoporosis a condition which is increasingly prevalent among Irish women in their 30’s and 40’s and not just those in their 50’s.

International research shows links between fluoridated water and bone cancer, arthritis, hip fractures, memory loss, genetic damage, lowered birth rates, allergies including irritable bowel syndrome, depressed thyroid function, immune system damage, infant mortality and lowered IQ.

Fluoridation is a sure way of ensuring that fluoride is spread throughout the environment. Fluoridated water is flushed away from toilets, washing machines, dishwashers, farmyards and garages, ultimately going into streams, rivers, lakes and the sea. Evidence from the USA has shown that fluoride levels in rivers may be a factor in dwindling salmon populations.

Fluoridation is untested and unproven mass medication and as everyone swallows different amounts of water the dose of fluoride is uncontrolled. Drinking four cups of tea a day and brushing your teeth twice a day with fluoridated toothpaste over 10 – 20 years means your fluoride intake could be in the danger limits for crippling skeletal fluorosis (according to the National Research Council of the USA).

Improvement in dental health is really due to better nutrition and better dental hygiene. If people want to increase their fluoride levels for any reason they can refer to their dentist for tablets. This way they are in control of their intake.

Enforced uncontrolled medication without informed consent is a breach of human rights. Would we put Prozac in the water to deal with depression?

Ireland is the only democracy in the world that demands the fluoridation of public drinking water supplies by law. This goes against the notion of freedom of choice for consumers.

Environmental.