• newsletters • best of austin • find a paper • submit an event • advertise with us • contact • jobs •
HOME: NOVEMBER 27, 2009: NEWS
text size

Change on Tap? Council on Fluoride.

BY WELLS DUNBAR

The City Council only needs a simple majority vote of four to alter or abolish the water fluoridation policies. But with three of the council members the Chronicle spoke with opposed to a change in fluoridation policy, the chances of a revision seem slim.

Mayor Lee Leffingwell: "Right now, the science we're looking at says fluoridation of drinking water is a benefit. ... And it doesn't cost very much money – 50 cents per person, per year. If somebody else has better science, science that's documented, certainly, we can take a look at that, but right now, the science side is in favor of fluoridation. [Austin's fluoridation] was actually a result of a public referendum ... and I would think at a very minimum, if the decision was made not to do that, it should have to go back to the voters."

Mayor Pro Tem Mike Martinez: "Right now, staff is telling us there just doesn't seem to be this looming evidence [of fluoride's dangers]. We should have worldwide health problems if it's as dramatic as it's being portrayed. But maybe some would argue we do have worldwide health problems. ... If folks want to look into our fluoride policies, fine – there are bigger issues to be dealt with."

City Council Member Chris Riley: Assistant City Manager Rudy Garza's report "makes an impressive case as regarding the widespread support for fluoridation. I think it adds to our understanding of the case for maintaining that practice here in Austin."


RELATED STORIES
 
Share Digg Twitter Facebook Del.icio.us LinkedLn Email Print article
COMMENTS
4
 
Fluoridation Ineffective nyscof Nov 25, 2009 - 06:46 am
Fluoridation Opposition: Scientific, Respectable


are you joking? BemaSelf Nov 27, 2009 - 03:19 am
You want documented science? What about the fact that fluorine is a product of nuclear waste? What about the fluorine over dose in the UK? What about the fact that fluorine actually makes teeth worse, not better?You have all the truthful science out there you need. It's right in front of your face and the reason you can't see it because your brain is full of fluorine from drinking and eating it all your life! Do the research. The small amount from your tap might not be dangerous in one does, but imagine after a lifetime of that.Then add in every time you get into the shower, the bath, the pool, anytime you wash your clothes or do the dishes. Anytime you eat produce from non organic grocery stores. Anytime you take pharmaceuticals, anytime you get a vaccination, and time you eat anything with "preservatives" in it.They use it as a pesticide as well, which should tell you something right there. They also use it as an anesthetic, which means that if you drank and bathed in enough of your own water you would pass out.The world is striken with disease, and the only reason you don't see it is because you're only in tune with your own world. Get out and look around. There are no real diseases that just "come from no cause". Fluorine is also the highest cause of low iodine levels in our body which causes cancer, kidney problems and calcification of the penal gland.Look this up, there is enough compiled evidence from scientists, and for that matter, the fact that there is nothing natural about fluorine and the costs out weight the benefits three times!If you want better health for the poor, then make your dentist lower their prices, and stop the dental insurance companies from not allowing the care of those in need! That will save our teeth, not toxic poison!


Real Science EPA science unions JimSchultz Nov 30, 2009 - 09:25 am
Outright fraud and deception by government agencies is how fluoridation began only to protect industrial polluters at first. During WW2 military contractors needed huge amounts of fluoride as it is still the only way to enrich uranium to bomb grade. The military and AEC assisted in the cover ups or litigation might have halted the Manhatten Nuke project. Alcoa Aluminum had been creating fake safety data already as they had been the biggest polluter prior to the nuke program. A deadly pollutant became a health food to protect our kids teeth. The created data made it look like it might actually do it. We now have proof it is only a topical effect in post eruptive teeth. Problem with that is no researcher has ever shown proof of a mechanism at 1ppm benefit. Proof can be shown at 1000ppm as in toothpaste. Problem with that is the young kids swallow so much as to cause more damage then benefit.Dental fluorisis is porous brittle discolored stainable enamel for life which is only caused by fluoride overdose before age 9 as enamel forms. The CDC does admit 32% of kids now have multiple tooth damage. Truth is closer to 50% in the latest data they did not publish yet.Blacks have much higher rates and uglier damage in double of the moderate and severe damage. The CDC again flat refused to warn the public even after ethics charges filed in 2007.EPA professional unions of the real scientists first discovered this fraud in 1985 and have been trying to get management and congress to halt this outright fraud. In 2005 11 EPA unions total asked congress to halt and for a goal of ZERO just like other cumulative toxins like arsenic and lead. See http://www.nteu280.org then click on fluoride and see 8 position papers. 29 Feb 2008 the number was increased to 19 with 10,000 professional employees. No response yet and near ZERO media coverage.Most world governments do not fluoridate and strangely they decreased cavities as much and more often more then the handfull that do. 9 of the top ten countries for good teeth do not fluoridate. WHO data can be seen at http://www.fluoridealert.org along with other supporting study data.The bigger issue is fluorides whole body toxicity dentists seem to know nothing about. The NRC 2006 showed over 1000 studies over 507 pages of concerns and said by 12-0 vote the current fluoride max is not protective(safe for all). The EPA management has refuse to respond but the science unions did the math and science proves ZERO is the safe dose goal.


I would give anything to have safe drinking water out the tap... omnipadme Dec 01, 2009 - 10:06 am
JimSchultz and BemaSelf have said it all- the documentation is out there and I don't doubt that they've read it. They've just chosen to turn a blind eye instead and it's sickening. Sodium Fluoride is poison used to dumb us down and aid in population control-pure and simple. If it "only cost .50 cents per person," why not save some money during this DEPRESSION and eliminate it all together??? .50 cents adds up! But they'd rather reduce the number of fire trucks on the street. Makes ya think.




POST A COMMENT

(optional):
:

Permission to Print. Letter to the editor.
 
See our
Elections
page

for more
coverage.

RELATED STORIES


Unstable Element
Are Austin's water fluoridation policies dangerous? It depends who you ask.

Fun With Fluoride
A timeline

Really White Vigilante

BLOGS
White vs. Shami, Round One
Re-Dunking the Tea Bag
Texies and the City

'A' Is for Axed: Cactus Gets Chopped, Classes Get Cut
White vs. Shami, Round One
Neon Genesis Evangelion: End of Evangelion

ARCHIVES
More from
November 27, 2009
News
Arts
Books
Food
Screens
Music
Columns
Sports

Browse the
Archives by
Issue
Author
Column
Review
Section


Short Story Party
Sound Wars
Mind Over Music
Online Contests
Chrontourage
Chronicle Merch

 

Ads of the Day