Stop the Push for a Mandate for Water Fluoridation
Secure Arkansas has been made aware of a push for a mandate for water fluoridation. The mandate bill has not been filed, but it is coming soon. We must try and stop this action NOW.
We are asking everyone to first contact all members of the Senate and House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committees, then contact your own senator and representative AND TELL THEM TO VOTE NO TO A WATER FLUORIDATION MANDATE.
Here is a link to the Arkansas Legislature website. You will find the committees by clicking on the word “Committees” and legislators by clicking on “Legislators,” over on the left.
FIND YOUR COMMITTEES AND LEGISLATORS
Link to the Arkansas State Legislature
We believe that water fluoridation should be a local decision. Many towns in Arkansas have voted to keep this substance out of their water and the state should not be an outsider inference. Fluoride is available to any town that wants to add it, but it should not be forced to do so by the State. Due to recent developments on January 10, 2011, arising from the nationwide announcement from the EPA of overexposure to fluoride, mandating more would not be wise. See links below.
US says too much fluoride causing splotchy teeth
Times Union Article
Leading fluoride opponent Paul Connett says fluoridation makes no sense — at any level
Arkansas Matters Article
Overexposure is a reality all over the nation and it doesn’t matter if you live in fluoridated or non fluoridated areas. According to the CDC, 41% of all our children have dental fluorosis, which is an outward sign of consuming to much. It’s undisputed that exceeding the “optimal” dose of 1 PPM will result in dental fluorosis. This makes total exposure from all sources even more important. Most people do not realize that fluoride is in more than just our water and toothpaste.
Today most foods and beverages (examples infant formula, raisins, fruit juices, processed cereals such as Wheaties, sodas, beer, mechanically deboned chicken such as chicken nuggets, tea, wine etc.) are made with fluoridated water and crops are sprayed with fluoridated water which is absorbed into the plant. Fluoride is also used as a pesticide on food and in prescription medication (Prozac, etc.). ALL these exposures must be considered before adding more.
Before fluoride is added to the community water, shouldn’t dentists estimate how much fluoride is already in the average person’s diet? Only then can the decision to use more be properly determined. Sixty-five years ago, when fluoride was first recommended for municipal water supplies, there were no sources of fluoride in a person’s diet. The “optimum” dose of 1 PPM (equivalent to 1 milligram/liter) was proposed because if a person drank four 8 oz glasses of water they would receive 1 milligram of fluoride.
— A study in the Fall 2008 Journal of Public Health Dentistry reveals that cavity-free teeth have little to do with fluoride intake. Researchers report, “The benefits of fluoride are mostly topical…while fluorosis is clearly more dependent on fluoride intake.”
According to the CDC and the ADA, Fluoridated water is not appropriate for everyone, especially infants.
“If using a product that needs to be reconstituted, parents and caregivers should consider using water that has no or low levels of fluoride.”
“[I]nfant formulas reconstituted with higher fluoride water can provide 100 to 200 times more fluoride than breast milk or cows milk.”
“A major effort should be made to avoid use of fluoridated water for dilution of formula powders.”
SOURCE: Ekstrand J. (1996). Fluoride Intake. In: Fejerskov O, Ekstrand J, Burt B, Eds. Fluoride in Dentistry, 2nd Edition. Munksgaard, Denmark. Pages 40-52.
SOURCE: Levy SM, Guha-Chowdhury N. (1999). Total fluoride intake and implications for dietary fluoride supplementation. Journal of Public Health Dentistry 59: 211-23.
SOURCE: American Dental Association (2006). Interim Guidance on Reconstituted Infant Formula, November 9, 2006.
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