MLive.com, Jen Eyer
Published June 10, 2008

Will the city that became the first in the world to fluoridate its drinking water decide to discontinue use of the chemical?

Grand Rapids has been fluoridating its tap water since 1945, but now some city officials say they’re studying the question because of increased concerns over the potential long-term effects of exposure to what some consider a toxic chemical.

Corky Overmyer, the city’s director of sustainability, said officials are working with scientists at Grand Valley State University and other water quality specialists to determine whether to continue adding fluoride to the city’s water supply. (more…)

Folsom Telegraph
Published July 23, 2008

Over 1,750 professionals signed a statement urging Congress to stop water fluoridation until Congressional hearings are conducted. They cite new scientific evidence that fluoridation, long promoted to fight tooth decay, is ineffective and has serious health risks. See statement: http://www.fluorideaction.org/statement.august.2007.html (more…)

Health Canada Calls For Reduced Levels In Tap Water

Sarnia Observer, Jack Poirier
Published July 31, 2008

Municipal officials are once again being asked to wade into the fluoride controversy in light of a new Health Canada study calling for reduced levels of the cavity-fighter in drinking water.

Point Edward Mayor Dick Kirkland said he will ask that flouride be removed entirely from drinking water at the August committee meeting of the Lambton Area Water Supply System (LAWSS). (more…)

Context - Food and drinking water typically contain at least small amounts of fluorides. They occur in the environment both naturally and as a result of human activities.

Fluorides are commonly added to dental products – and sometimes to tap water – to prevent cavities.

Under what conditions can fluoride exposure be beneficial or detrimental to human health?

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Law firm seeking contact with anyone, particularly parents of children, who has dental fluorosis

Experts are questioning whether we are consuming too much fluoride, and some are fighting to remove it from tap water.

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Red Flags Weekly
November 28, 2002
The Absurdities of Water Fluoridation
by Paul Connett, PhD

Water fluoridation is a peculiarly American phenomenon. It started at a time when Asbestos lined our pipes, lead was added to gasoline, PCBs filled our transformers and DDT was deemed so “safe and effective” that officials felt no qualms spraying kids in school classrooms and seated at picnic tables. One by one all these chemicals have been banned, but fluoridation remains untouched.

For over 50 years US government officials have confidently and enthusiastically claimed that fluoridation is “safe and effective”. However, they are seldom prepared to defend the practice in open public debate. Actually, there are so many arguments against fluoridation that it can get overwhelming.

To simplify things it helps to separate the ethical from the scientific arguments.

For those for whom ethical concerns are paramount, the issue of fluoridation is very simple to resolve. It is simply not ethical; we simply shouldn’t be forcing medication on people without their “informed consent”. The bad news is that ethical arguments are not very influential in Washington, DC unless politicians are very conscious of millions of people watching them.

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by Paul Connett, PhD
Professor of Chemistry
St. Lawrence University
Canton, NY 13617

1) Fluoride is not an essential nutrient (NRC 1993 and IOM 1997). No disease has ever been linked to a fluoride deficiency. Humans can have perfectly good teeth without fluoride.

2) Fluoridation is not necessary. Most Western European countries are not fluoridated and have experienced the same decline in dental decay as the US (See data from World Health Organization in Appendix 1, and the time trends presented graphically at http://www.fluoridealert.org/who-dmft.htm ). The reasons given by countries for not fluoridating are presented in Appendix 2.) (more…)

• By Chris Reinolds
  Green Right Now ABC7, June 3, 2009
  Straight to the Source

A new cancer study from India suggests that fluoride is a contributing factor to osteosarcoma, or bone cancer - but just how much fluoride intake causes the uncommon disease is not clear.

Fluoride in Americans’ tap water has spurred controversy since its introduction in 1945. Anti-fluoride activists say the risks are too high to add “medication” to the water, while government officials cite scientific studies that prove fewer cavities and no serious risk.

In Europe, most countries refuse to treat their water with fluoride with the exception of the United Kingdom. According to the British Medical Journal, fluoridation was introduced in 1963, and the Department of Health reports that rates of dental decay have been reduced 70 percent. But experts remain divided over epidemiological research that has suggested that water fluoridation might be linked to osteoporosis, dental fluorosis, irritable bowel syndrome, and other health problems.

The latest cancer study indicates blood fluoride levels were significantly higher in patients with osteosarcoma than in control groups, according to research published in Biological Trace Element Research (April 2009).

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