Experts Respond to Inaccuratels Criticism of Brain and Thyroid Studies on Fluoride

Latest Victories 

• Bennington, Vermont: Despite aggressive campaigning by a well-organized and well-funded pro-fluoridation coalition, on Tuesday residents of this community of 16,000 voted 1,539 to 1,117 in opposition to fluoridation in an advisory referendum vote.  This is at least the fifth time Bennington residents have voted down fluoridation since the 1960’s.  The Selectmen will now make the final decision at an upcoming meeting, and are expected to honor the vote.  According to news reports, the only local official who publicly supported fluoridation lost the election as well on Tuesday.  Local opposition was organized as soon as the proposal was considered.  Bennington Citizens Against Fluoridated Water, along with a number of area residents, led the efforts that included Letter-to-editor campaigns and a community forum.        

• Gilford, Pennsylvania: Gilford Water Authority officials have decided to end fluoridation after more than 60 years of practicing it.  The authority sent a letter to water customers stating, “We believe we should not put anything into the water that is not required by regulation to maintain the potability and pH balance of your water.”  The decision has been aggressively criticized by local pro-fluoridation dentists, who plan on attending the water authority’s March 9^th meeting to bully the board into reversing their decision.  

• Sonoma City, California: This week City Councilors voted 3-2 to oppose a proposal by the County government to add fluoride to the city’s drinking water.  The council will be sending a letter of opposition to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors.  The idea for the vote and letter of opposition came from local fluoride-free campaigner Dawna Gallagher-Stroeh along with others with the Clean Water Sonoma-Marin group, who reached out to Mayor David Cook about the harms and risks associated with fluoridation.

ADA Spokesperson Makes False Statements About NRC Study of Thyroid

A spokesperson for the American Dental Association made an inaccurate statement in the media recently while criticizing the latest study showing hypothyroidism’s link to fluoridation.

Dr. Edmond Hewlett, ADA spokesman and a professor at the UCLA School of Dentistry has been quoted by numerous publications discounting the study, stating that other studies have not uncovered a link between fluoridated water and thyroid problems, saying:

“the 2006 report by the U.S. National Research Council (NRC) found no adverse effects on the thyroid even at levels more than four times greater than that used in fluoridation.”

The quote appeared in a number of articles including those by the Chicago Tribune, HealthDay, and WebMD.  It’s an absolutely false statement, as FAN’s NRC Thyroid webpage makes very clear.  What isn’t clear is whether Dr. Hewlett intentionally lied when making the statement, or if he just lacked the knowledge to make an accurate statement on the matter.

Kathleen Thiessen, Ph.D., who was one of the authors of the 2006 NRC report on fluoride, responded to the inaccurate statement with the following letter to the author of the HealthDay article that quoted Dr. Hewlett:

Regarding a recent HealthDay article by Alan Mozes, which has been used by the Chicago Tribune, WebMD, and probably others: 

The article on fluoride and underactive thyroid, reporting on a recent publication by Stephen Peckham et al., quotes a representative of the American Dental Association as saying that “the 2006 report by the U.S. National Research Council found no adverse effects on the thyroid even at levels more than four times greater than that used in fluoridation.”  This statement by the ADA spokesman is demonstrably inaccurate.

From the NRC report 

pp. 262-263: Fluoride exposure in humans is associated with elevated TSH concentrations, increased goiter prevalence, and altered T4 and T3 concentrations. . .  In humans, effects on thyroid function were associated with fluoride exposures of 0.05-0.13 mg/kg/day when iodine intake was adequate and 0.01-0.03 mg/kg/day when iodine intake was inadequate.  

p. 260: The major endocrine effects of fluoride exposures reported in humans include elevated TSH with altered concentrations of T3 and T4. . . .  These effects are summarized in Tables 8-1 and 8-2, together with the approximate intakes or physiological fluoride concentrations that have been typically associated with them thus far.  Table 8-2 shows that several of the effects are associated with average or typical fluoride intakes of 0.05-0.1 mg/kg/day (0.03 with iodine deficiency). . . . A comparison with Chapter 2 (Tables 2-13, 2-14, and 2-15) will show that the 0.03-0.1 mg/kg/day range will be reached by persons with average exposures at fluoride concentrations of 1-4 mg/L in drinking water, especially the children.  The highest intakes (>0.1 mg/kg/d) will be reached by some individuals with high water intakes at 1 mg/L. . . . 

also

p. 266:  Fluoride is therefore an endocrine disruptor.

p. 234:  Thus, several lines of information indicate an effect of fluoride exposure on thyroid function.

(Note:  I was one of the authors of the 2006 NRC report.  The NRC report is available at http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11571/fluoride-in-drinking-water-a-scientific-review-of-epas-standards)

Kathleen Thiessen, Ph.D.
Oak Ridge Center for Risk Analysis, Inc.

 

Harvard IQ Researchers Respond to Pro-Fluoridation Criticism

The authors of the 2012 Harvard Meta-analysis that highlighted fluoride’s role as a developmental neurotoxin, Philippe Grandjean, MD, PhD, and Anna Choi, ScD, have written a letter responding to pro-fluoridation criticism of their work by Dr. Jonathan Broadbent.  Broadbent’s counter-study and Grandjean’s letter in response were both published in the American Journal of Public Health.  In his response Grandjean states,

“We are therefore concerned that the safety of elevated fluoride exposure is being exaggerated in ways similar to those employed by vested interests to misconstrue the scientific evidence of other neurotoxicants, such as lead, mercury, and certain pesticides.  Firm dismissal of fluoride as a potential neurotoxic hazard would seem premature.”

See abstract of letter

This isn’t the first time Grandjean has responded to pro-fluoridation efforts to downplay the impact fluoride has on IQ.  In December, he challenged the spin being used by fluoridation promoters.  Grandjean’s commentary (Mottled fluoride debate) appears on his website (Chemical Brain Drain) and is printed in full below. Grandjean explained that for the children tested,

“Their lifetime exposures to fluoride from drinking water covered the full range allowed in the US. Among the findings, children with fluoride-induced mottling of their teeth – even the mildest forms that appears as whitish specks on the enamel – showed lower performance on some neuropsychological tests. This observation runs contrary to popular wisdom that the enamel effects represent a cosmetic problem only and not a sign of toxicity. At least one of five American children has some degree of mottling of their teeth.”

Hear Directly From the Experts on These Latest Studies

This month’s International Fluoride Free Teleconference will be held on Saturday, March 14^th at 5:00pm (Eastern Time).  The call will feature a group of scientific experts and researchers discussing the current state of scientific research on fluoridation, including the most recently published studies on IQ, hypothyroidism, and ADHD.  This will be your opportunity to learn the details of these studies, what they mean for the fluoridation debate, and have your questions answered by experts.
REGISTER TODAY FOR THIS IMPORTANT TELECONFERENCE 

Stuart Cooper
Campaign Manager
Fluoride Action Network

Related:

Over 4,000 Professionals Call for an End to Water Fluoridation - Learn Why, How You Can Help Their Campaign, & How to Filter Fluoride in Your Drinking Water

New ADHD Study, More on Thyroid Study & Latest Victories

February 28, 2015  

A New Day, Another Study

Just when you thought we wouldn’t get any more bombshells this week, a study was published yesterday linking fluoridation to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the United States.The study entitled, “Exposure to fluoridated water and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder prevalence among children and adolescents in the United States: an ecological association,” was published in the journal Environmental Health.  According to the authors:

“State prevalence of artificial water fluoridation in 1992 significantly positively predicted state prevalence of ADHD in 2003, 2007 and 2011, even after controlling for socioeconomic status.

A multivariate regression analysis showed that after socioeconomic status was controlled each 1% increase in artificial fluoridation prevalence in 1992 was associated with approximately 67,000 to 131,000 additional ADHD diagnoses from 2003 to 2011. Overall state water fluoridation prevalence (not distinguishing between fluoridation types) was also significantly positively correlated with state prevalence of ADHD for all but one year examined.

Conclusions: Parents reported higher rates of medically-diagnosed ADHD in their children in states in which a greater proportion of people receive fluoridated water from public water supplies." 

Stay tuned for more FAN coverage of this and the thyroid study as they continue to get covered by the media, and as the pro-fluoridation lobby responds with their criticisms and propaganda. 

More Great Media Coverage of Thyroid Study

The media continues to widely cover the new study published earlier this week in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health linking fluoridation to an increase in hypothyroidism in the U.K.  Since the publication of FAN’s bulletin on the study entitled “Are fluoride levels in drinking water associated with hypothyroidism prevalence in England?  A large observational study of GP practice data and fluoride levels in drinking water,” the story has been covered by more mainstream media outlets then we can list.  Some include:

-WebMD

-Philadelphia Inquirer

-UK Daily Mail

-The Oregonian

-Birmingham Mail

-The New American 

Our favorite news story published since Tuesday’s great Newsweek article, was in the Chicago Tribune on Wednesday.  Two endocrinologists were interviewed and both had great quotes in opposition to fluoridation, including the following:

"This dramatic increase in thyroid dysfunction associated with fluoridation of the water supply adds to previous studies indicating that fluoride has an inhibitory effect on the thyroid gland," said Dr. Terry Davies, a professor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in New York City.

The study "supports the argument that our water supply should be pure water and nothing else," said Davies, who is also an endocrinologist at The Mount Sinai Hospital.

A Steady Stream of Victories

February has been a very good month for the fluoride-free movement, not only due to the publication of two great studies, but also due to a steady stream of communities ending the practice, with even more on the verge:  

South Dublin, Ireland—South Dublin County Council become the 5th major council calling for an end to fluoridation in 2015 and the 10^th in the past year, collectively representing more than 2 million Irish residents.  This comes less than a month after councilors in Cavan County and the community of Galway both passed motions calling for members to register their opposition to fluoridation.

Yoshikawa, Japan—Officials in this Japanese city with 70,000 residents decided against fluoridating the drinking water after considering a fluoridation proposal for 17 years.  The proposal was defeated by a strong fluoride-free grassroots movement in combination with the election of a new Mayor who opposed the practice. 

New Brunswick, New Jersey—Councilors voted to stop using fluoride in the water supply for their 50,000 residents as part of their plans to improve the town’s infrastructure.  They felt that fluoride was readily available in other forms and that people were choosing to drink bottle water instead of tap water, making the practice a waste of money.  Also in NJ, Egg Harbor will hold a meeting on March 5 to consider ending the practice after the Water and Sewer Department Superintendent urged councilors to oppose the practice.

Boynton Beach, Florida—Town officials will no longer fluoridate the drinking water for their 70,000 residents due to the cost of updating the broken fluoride injection equipment and the limited availability of the additive.

Montello, Wisconsin—Councilors approved a motion ending fluoridation on February 12^th after contacting area dentists and learning that “a person would get more fluoride from brushing their teeth daily than by drinking a gallon of city water daily.”  The decision will save nearly $40,000 this year, and $7,000 each year.  Rice Lake, Wisconsin is also considering removing fluoride. 

Brackenridge, Pennsylvania—Councilors are discontinuing their fluoridation program because of the availability of fluoride in other forms, and because, as one councilor stated, “…it’s dangerous to work with.”  Brackenridge follows Ford, PA, which voted to end fluoridation in December.           

Arkansas Legislature—The full Arkansas House passed legislation (HB1355) that will give municipalities the ability to opt-out of the statewide fluoridation mandate, effectively reversing the policy by allowing local control on the issue.  The bill won by a vote of 60-34 despite efforts by the Arkansas Dental Association to oppose it.  The bill will now go to the Senate, where it will have a public hearing in the Health committee before being heard on the Senate floor. 

February’s Teleconference Audio

If you missed this month’s International Fluoride Free Teleconference you can now download the audio.  February’s call was dedicated to campaigners from around the world coming together to offer each other support in the effort to end fluoridation.

Click Here to Download the Audio 

You can also register for the March teleconference entitled, “Social Media: Today’s Way to Change Hearts and Minds.”  The call will take place on Saturday, March 14^th at 5PM (Eastern Time).  Register today! 

News You May Have Missed

-New York’s Fluoridation Fuss, 50 Years Later (New York)
-NYS Governor is Misled About Fluoride Safety (New York)
-In Oneida, Opposing Views Expressed on Fluoridation (New York)
-Bennington: Citizens Against Fluoridated Water Speak Out (Vermont)
-Fluoride Toxicity in Plants Irrigated With City Water (Michigan)
-Sonoma: Council Delays Stand on Fluoridation (California)
-Farmington’s Efforts to Remove Fluoridation Ordinance (Missouri)
-Rice Lake Considers Removing Fluoride (Wisconsin)
-Fluoride Committee Appointed by Topsfield Town Moderator (Massachusetts)
-Lewiston-Auburn Water Agencies to Repair Fluoride System (Maine)
-Campaign to Stop Adding Fluoride to Hull Water Supply (U.K.)
-New Push to Block Ballina Fluoridation Plan (Australia)
-Acclaimed Fluoridation Experts Touring New Zealand in February (New Zealand)

Stuart Cooper

Campaign Manager

Fluoride Action Network

Related:

Over 4,000 Professionals Call for an End to Water Fluoridation - Learn Why, How You Can Help Their Campaign, & How to Filter Fluoride in Your Drinking Water