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Friday, December 12, 2014

Why Public Officials Oppose Fluoridation




December 12, 2014

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In Their Own Words:

Why Public Officials Oppose Fluoridation

Here is a small sample of quotes from public officials explaining why they oppose fluoridation. We plan to put up a webpage with a more extensive list of statements in the near future: 

Irish Senator Mary Ann O’Brien

"My job as a senator is to protect the people, not to protect a failed government policy. It is inarguably a breach of human rights to drug a population against their will, via the water system…My motion in the Senate is to give back the human right to choose what drug each Irish citizen does or does not take into their body. I urge everyone to put pressure on their TDs, councilors and anyone else in a position of power to join the fight for Ireland's health freedom." - (Read Entire Letter)

"The federal government should have zero...nothing to do with the promotion of fluoridation unless it’s on a military base...and hopefully there they would do the right thing.  So no, federal fluoride promotion shouldn't exist, they shouldn't be telling you or anyone else what should happen because even though it was well intended at the time--I remember that I thought it was a bad principle because in a way it was massive treatment--and at the time everybody accepted the idea that fluoride was great and that you would never get a cavity and there was no downside, now there is a big question, that's why you don't want government doing these kinds of things.  You or I should decide, someone should give us bottled water with fluoride, or we should have the ability to buy water with fluoride, but we should not have the federal government promoting fluoridation...sometimes their right, most of the time their wrong.  They shouldn't have the authority to do this.  Especially with the information out there now about fluoride, I would do my best to stop federal involvement with state and local fluoride decisions."

Ralph Nader, Independent & Green Party Presidential Candidate
 
"There should be no mandatory fluoridation without the approval of people in a public referendum preceded by full and open public debate with disclosures. There is an old Roman law adage that says, 'What touches all should be decided by all.'" – (also see our video interview)


“I remember as a kid, one of the big battles going on was about fluoridation of the water. Well, I don’t know whether or not fluoridating the water helps people’s teeth become better or not. I don’t know that. But, I do know that in this country, we should be the ones who should be deciding what we put into our bodies one way or the other. Not the federal government or the local government putting fluoride into our water. A lot of these things come down to freedom issues. They come down to whether or not we will control our own destiny. The fact that we will be consistent with what our founding fathers had in mind for us in controlling our own lives.”  

Joey Hensley, Tennessee State Representative & Family Practice Physician
 
“As a legislator and practicing physician serving in the Tennessee Legislature, I am writing this letter to advise you of my recommendation that water districts in Tennessee no longer add fluoride to drinking water supplies…There is no requirement to add fluoride and with the new evidence of possible risks to various organs in the body and the very limited benefit of continued fluoridation, it would be prudent for each water system to weigh all the evidence concerning risks to the water customers they serve. 1would urge you to end the practice of adding fluoride for the welfare of your friends and neighbors.” – (Read Entire Letter and see video interview)


Peter Vallone, Jr., City Councilmember, New York City
 
“This legislation will have an immediate and critical impact – the city will save between seven and 10 million dollars per year, and New Yorkers will no longer ingest a toxic chemical every time they take a sip of water, take a shower or wash a piece of fruit. While four out of five dentists may be enough to pick a gum, all should agree before we force-medicate the public. I hope to prevent little babies from being poisoned. No one should be forced to ingest this toxic poison every day of their life.” 

Anthony Connaghan, City Councilor, Dublin, Ireland

“My motion seeking to end water fluoridation in Ireland was approved at Dublin City Council last night. 98% of Europe has rejected the practice of water fluoridation and it was banned in Holland in 1976. Numerous studies worldwide have indicated potential harm to human health from adding fluoride to our drinking water. Why are we taking this risk when dental health can be dealt with by conventional methods? There’s a lot of questions to be answered. My argument is it’s universal medication, it’s one size fits all, but even the World Health Organization, which recommends fluoride, recommends it – but only where intake of fluoride is known. Even our own government should be looking into it more…[removing fluoride] is in the interest of safety and erring on the side of safety”


“New research shows that ingesting fluoride delivers health risks without benefit of less tooth decay which makes water fluoridation obsolete, unhealthy and a waste of money, and that is why I introduced legislation calling for the end of Milwaukee's water fluoridation program…We have served as guinea pigs in this ongoing and failed experiment for far too long. In my position as Alderman, it is my duty to promote the health, safety and welfare of all our residents. Adding fluoride chemicals into our public water supply runs counter to this and therefore needs to end.” - (Read his entire statement)


“It was evident to me during my election campaign that a lot of people were very vocal on their concerns about their water supply being medicated by fluoride against their will and they were asking for this to be addressed. I carried out a small degree of research and found that in other countries across Europe and in N Ireland that fluoridation of water does not exist, for me this was alarming. I am elected to voice the concerns of the public and I will continue to do this. This was passed unanimously in KCC, no other Councillor from any party disagreed with my motion in calling on the removal of Fluoride from our water supply here in Co Kerry. I hope that other councils around the country will follow suit. Irish water expect us now on top of this to add insult to injury to pay for the water that they medicate against our wishes, they must be joking, I personally will not be paying one red cent as I do not or my family do not want fluoride in our water supply. I will continue to support the campaigns for the removal of fluoride from our water supply going forward.”

“Firstly [rejecting a plan to fluoridate] is good for the people of Southampton and the surrounding area that would have received this medication via their tap water. But it’s also good news because I think it sends out a message nationally that public health bodies cannot impose their wishes upon people without their consent.”

“I understand the arguments about children’s teeth, but each individual should decide what they take in their water. It’s fundamental. If you agree to the principle that the government can add to water, they might put all sorts of things in the water. Our water should be pure and to put fluoride in water is mass medication, which is illegal.”
Sincerely,


Stuart Cooper

Campaign Manager

Fluoride Action Network