Dallas considers ending 50 years of water fluoridation

dallas-considers-ending-50-years-of-water-fluoridation

Dallas, the ninth-largest city in United States, is teetering on a huge victory for public health pending four more City Council members agreeing to end water fluoridation.

So far, three council members, including Sheffie Kadane, Scott Griggs and Jennifer Staubach Gates, have stood up to the practice, acknowledging that it's unhealthy and expensive.

NSNBC International reports that ending water fluoridation in Dallas would immediately free up around $1 million.

Dallas City Council Member Sheffie Kadane said, "We don't need it and we'd just save a million dollars that we can use for something else. … We're looking into seeing what we can do immediately so we can get those funds up front now."

For decades, activists around the nation, including home to the Texas State Capital, Austin, have fought relentlessly to discontinue fluoridating the public's water supply. Despite presenting current scientific evidence to the Austin City Council blatantly illustrating that the dangers of water fluoridation far outweigh any benefits, the City Council ignored public concern and renewed their contract with Mosaic, the chemical supplier, for $500K.

In most cities, the silicofluorides used to fluoridate the water are unprocessed industrial byproducts of the phosphate fertilizer industry.

Fluoride proponents (mainly the American Dental Association) rely on outdated science to make claims that water fluoridation helps prevent tooth decay.

However, further research has shown this to be untrue.

Critics who refer to opponents of water fluoridation as conspiracy theorists or "anti-fluoridation cranks," like Dallas Morning News columnist Jacquielynn Floyd, should take a long hard look at the facts before so carelessly slandering citizen activists.

In Floyd's recent article, she ignorantly begins her piece by describing citizens' right to speak in front of city council a "privilege," rather than a right. According to Floyd, if we're going to eliminate fluoride from the water, "Why not just let people go get it in buckets from lakes and stock tanks and backyard wells?"

Despite a very reputable study conducted by Harvard showing that fluoride lowers children's IQs, Floyd argues that water fluoridation is "one of the cheapest, safest and most effective means of improving public health."

Firstly, Harvard's study proves that fact wrong, and secondly, how many of you think $1 million is cheap?

Floyd continues her derogatory comments when she calls devoted activists "self-promoting quacks and gullible amateurs who swap crazy talk on the Internet."

Desperately fighting to drive her point home, Floyd references a New York Times article in which Adam Frank, a professor in physics and astronomy at the University of Rochester, argues that the public has lost confidence in science since the nation's "post-World War II technological achievements and prosperity."

Many would counter that it's government that citizens have lost faith in, not science.

Science is very much on our side when it comes to whether or not water fluoridation is safe.

Harvard University conducted not just one but a series of experiments aimed at analyzing the effects of fluoride. Researchers found fluoride to be dangerous for pregnant women in that it can cause irreversible brain damage in a developing fetus.

Researchers also recently added fluoride to a list of industrial chemicals known to cause other developmental disorders including autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and dyslexia.

Back to Dallas

Once the three Dallas Council Members went public with their plans, the Dallas County Dental Society chimed in, stressing that use of the chemical is supported by "more than 125 professional health-related organizations and years of peer-reviewed scientific research."

This isn't surprising, however, considering the "incestuous" relationship that dental associations have with the fluoride industry. Plus, the "peer-reviewed" studies they're referring to have been conducted by scientists on the industry payroll.

Water fluoridation is very common in the United States but found less frequently in other parts of the world. We're actually the largest developed nation to use the chemical in our drinking supply.

The fact that three Dallas City Council Members are openly voicing their support to end water fluoridation is majorly progressive, not just for Dallas, or the state, but for the entire nation. So far, no metropolitan city has ever been successful in reversing water fluoridation. Cities like Portland have been successful in preventing water fluoridation from being implemented, but no city has ever reversed such a measure.

If Dallas is able to do this, there's a good possibility that it will lay the groundwork for other major cities to follow.

In order for water fluoridation to end in Dallas, four more City Council Members need to jump on board.

Make sure to keep checking NaturalNews.com for updates on this developing story.

Sources:

http://www.naturalnews.com
http://www.thenewamerican.com
http://www.dallasnews.com
http://nsnbc.me
http://science.naturalnews.com

Republished with permission from Natural News
Written by Julie Wilson

Featured image: Trammel Crow skyscraper proposal across from Klyde Warren Park, Downtown Dallas, 04-11-14 by http://www.flickr.com/photos/52949402@N03/13790676633

Share:

Commenting rules and guidelines

We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:

  • Treat others with kindness and respect.
  • Stay on topic and contribute to the conversation in a meaningful way.
  • Do not use abusive or hateful language.
  • Do not spam or promote unrelated products or services.
  • Do not post any personal information or content that is illegal, obscene, or otherwise inappropriate.

We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.

3 Comments

  1. Men of science have spoken passionately against fluoride and fluoridation. Phillipe Grandjean has remarked on the lack of good studies on fluoride's affect on the brain. (though we've been putting it in the water for 60 years) Dean Burk called it public murder on a grand scale after heading a department at the American Cancer society and studying and working there for 34 years on groundbreaking lifesaving research. Aarvid Caarlson the 2000 Nobel Prize in medicine advised the government of Sweden and recommends pharmacologically active substances not be added to the environment. nor medication given to the public instead of the individual. He called it obsolete. Toxic waste should not be diluted then dumped into the ground and the waterways (through mopping sprinklers, toilets, baths, and washing) and it certainly shouldn't be used to grow food, prepare food, be in most beverages and in one of life's necessities. Most of the world has stopped doing this. The United States is far lower on the list of countries when arranged by lifespan. More people get fluoridated water in the United States than the rest of the world combined. It may be good for teeth at 1-3mg per day, but the dosage you get is probably higher. It affects the thyroid, the pineal, the brain, the kidneys, and the bones. This is about more than just teeth. Men of science speak against this, but to find anything for it one must turn to agencies, organizations, and bureaucracies.
    from the USDA http://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/Fluoride/F02.pdf
    While daily intake of 1–3 mg of fluoride prevents dental caries, long-term exposure to higher amounts may have deleterious effects on tooth enamel and bone. from the world health organization. http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/123075/AQG2ndEd_6_5Fluorides.PDF
    "according to clinical research, the fluoride dose capable of reducing thyroid function was notably low-just 2-5 mg per day over several months" (Galetti & Joyce 1958) "this dose is well within the range (1.6 to 6.6 mg/day) of what individuals living in fluoridated communities are now estimated to receive on a daily basis."
    But don't take my word for it. Read it yourself. It's out there. If you are only skeptical about that which you are uncertain you are not using skepticism properly. Take out your beliefs and give them an airing out on occasion

  2. Floyd is an idiot! My hat goes off to the city of Dallas and all those who are bright enough to see that what they are doing. Is a definite step forward in bettering the lives of future generations in that area! More cities should follow their example! Good work Dallas!

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *