Fluoride: We’re Being Poisoned!

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 38 million Americans are drinking unsafe water. The water seems to have dangerous levels of lead, mercury, chlorine, fluoride and other toxic substances. Due to its complexity, I’m going to limit this discussion to the toxic problems associated with fluoride consumption.

The principle source of fluoridation in our water supply comes from a very toxic substance known as hydrofluosilicic acid (a liquid) and sodium silicofluoride (a powder). These two substances are toxic waste products from phosphate fertilizer production and are added directly to our water supply without any refinement! Fluoridated toothpaste and fluoride supplements utilize sodium fluoride which is extracted from the toxic by-products of aluminum and steel mining, as well as the glass, brick and ceramic industry.

Aside from being placed in our toothpaste and fluoride supplements, sodium fluoride is the chief component in rat poison (yes, rat poison)! It is also used in pesticides, insecticides and fungicides. Further, every form of fluoride has a cumulative effect in the body; Every time you drink fluoridated water, eat contaminated produce (produce grown with phosphate fertilizer), eat processed food and brush your teeth, you’re adding to your body’s toxic reserves! Even without swallowing ANY toothpaste, your mouth can absorb up to 1.0 mg of fluoride per brushing.

It should be noted that at its conception in the mid 1940s, the fluoridation campaign was driven by Oscar Ewing, a lawyer and head of the U.S. Public Health Service. Mr. Ewing was also a highly paid legal representative for ALCOA (Aluminum Company of America). ALCOA generously paid Ewing a "fee" ($750,000.00) to promote the fluoridation campaign in Washington D.C. With all of Ewings’ campaigning and coercion, Grand Rapids, Michigan became the first city to implement the fluoridation of their water supplies in 1945. Initially, the plan was to test fluoride for 10-15 years and compare it with another city that was lacking fluoride. After only five years, they decided to introduce fluoride into as many water supplies as possible. Their failure to follow the original plan was deemed not only unscientific, but dangerous...they did not have proof that fluoride was safe.

Fluoridation of our water supplies was said to protect future generations from perpetual tooth decay. Studies performed in Europe, Canada and the U.S. clearly show that there is no difference in the number of cavities comparing fluoridated and non-fluoridated regions. Recently, a study performed in Tucson, Arizona, found that children who received fluoridated water actually had more cavities than children who received non-fluoridated water.

In Tacoma alone, it cost $1,000,000 last year (1995) for chemicals and new equipment to pump the toxic waste into our water supplies. Pro-fluoridation committees say the fluoridation of our water is designed to give poor children fluoride, and yet it would cost less than $10,000/yr. to give every poor child pharmaceutical grade fluoride supplements; Is that truly their only concern? Fluoridated water supplies are costly and unnecessary mass medication which violates our civil rights!

The FDA considers fluoride a "poison" and an "unapproved new drug." Would a medical doctor prescribe an unapproved drug for a 200 pound male and expect an infant to take it? Of course not! So how can our city government justify the introduction of a drug in our water and expect persons of all ages, sex, weight and demeanor to take this drug? Secondly, has the city of Tacoma gone door to door and asked you to sign a "Consent for treatment" form? By law, anyone who administers a drug or treatment must have you sign a consent form.

Studies by the National Academy of Science show that industries are polluting the atmosphere with 100,000 tons of fluorides each year; another 500,000 tons are "dumped" into our water supplies (this is in addition to the "treating" of water with fluoride). The study sites many related side-effects of fluoridation even at the recommended concentrations found in our current water supplies (1 PPM or part per million); interestingly, there were never any studies performed to determine the optimum concentration.

Fluoride has many known side-effects, one of the most severe noted was a reduction or slowing down of the DNA enzymatic repair of the immune system. Other effects include severe chromosomal damage, increase in bone cancer (osteosarcoma), altered bone formation, alteration in collagen synthesis which results in premature aging and reduced production of neurotransmitters in the brain. These neuro-transmitters are responsible for the function of the brain and protection against seizures. Less severe effects of sudden mood changes, headaches, nausea, night twitching, fetal damage and hallucinations have been noted too!

In the last five years, several studies have shown that the consumption of fluoridated water by the elderly has resulted in an increase in hip fractures. In Brigham City, Utah, they discovered 41% more hip fractures among men and 27% more hip fractures among women who consumed intentionally fluoridated water!

In 1992, the New Jersey State Department of Health completed a study and discovered that there was a six fold increase of bone cancer among males under the age of 20 who lived in communities supplied with fluoridated water. It is well known and accepted that fluoride reacts with hydrogen bonds in proteins and enzymes in the body and distorts many normal chemical bonds. This alteration of chemical bonds results in reduced function of the immune system.

The U.S. Public Health Service statistics show that 30% of children are afflicted with "dental fluorosis" in areas where fluoride is added to the water and only 10% where the water is free of fluoride. This condition is associated with the ingestion of too much fluoride and manifests itself as permanently discolored and weakened teeth which are prone to chipping and cracking throughout adulthood.

Children are not only drinking fluoridated water (1 PPM), but they’re brushing their teeth on the upscale of 2-3 times/day. Toothpaste contains 7% (500-1500 PPM) sodium fluoride and studies show that children habitually ingest 10% of the toothpaste. Applying simple math, that translates to children ingesting 20-30% of 7% sodium fluoride in addition to what is absorbed by their gums. Then, add to that processed food, produce grown with phosphate fertilizer, inhaled pollution from factories, fluoridated water, absorption of fluoride through the skin while taking a shower or bath, vitamins with fluoride, mouthwash, fluoride supplements and fluoride treatments at the dentists office.

Being well aware of the neurologic effects of fluorides, the Soviet Union in the early 1940’s administered increasing doses to the populace and created a docile, sheep-like obedience; this is the same principle why vodka is so cheap and readily available. Furthermore, it was also well known that breeders of purebred bulls used doses of fluorides to make their bulls more controllable and passive.

In his book, "Fluoride: The Aging Factor," Dr. John Yiamouyiannis states that from 30,000-50,000 deaths/year are directly traceable to fluoridation; 10,000-20,000 of these deaths being from fluoride induced cancers. By the early 1970’s, scientists in other countries could no longer be silenced and as a result, Japan and nearly all of Europe banned fluoridation of their water! In Sweden, fluoridated toothpaste is labeled: Not For Use By Children Under The Age Of Six!

If cavities were truly the only concern that pro-fluoridation groups had, why not spend the astronomical amounts on diet awareness and proper dental hygiene? In 1992, $400,000 dollars was spent on a campaign to encourage people to eat fruits and vegetables. In that same year, $49,000,000 dollars was spent by manufacturers to advertise the two best-selling sugary cereals! Instead of poisoning millions with fluoride, why not educate the public on proper oral hygiene and the damaging effects of sugar?

What can you do to avoid fluoride and other water contaminants??? 1. Don’t buy toothpaste with fluoride; most health food stores sell natural toothpaste without fluoride and some even carry pure herbal ayurvedic paste (they work great!) 2. In regards to water, fluoride is only removed by reverse osmosis or distillation. I highly recommend the consumption of non-fluoridated bottled water. If you insist on tap water, purchase a high quality water purifier that has the capability of lead and chlorine removal. I mention this because corrosive fluoride in our water almost doubles the amount of lead present (this is through corrosion of our water pipes). 3. Above all, be the squeaky wheel that gets the grease; Contact your local / state representatives and express your concerns on unnecessary water contamination!

Miscellaneous Facts on Fluoride

• Fluoride has never received FDA approval and does not meet the legal requirements of safety and effectiveness necessary for such approval. Neither the FDA, National Institute of Dental Research (NIDR) nor the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry have any proof that fluoride is safe OR effective. Although virtually every American is exposed to daily treatment with this medication, the official FDA classification for fluoride is unapproved new drug. This means that fluoride prescribed by doctors and dentists is illegal. It also means that fluoridation of public water supplies is medical experimentation.
• In over 50 years of testing, it has never been demonstrated that fluoride is effective in preventing tooth decay.
• A world wide decline in human tooth decay has occurred at the same rate in populations exposed to elevated fluoride levels and in populations not exposed to elevated fluoride levels. This spontaneous decline in tooth decay has been superstitiously attributed to fluoride.
• Fluoride is an accumulative protoplasmic poison rated at or above the toxicity of lead. According to "Clinical Toxicology of Commercial Products," 5th Edition, 1984, lead is given a toxicity rating of 3 to 4 and fluoride is rated a 4 (3 = moderately toxic; 4 = very toxic). On December 7, 1992, the new EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for lead was set at 0.015 PPM, with a goal of 0.0 PPM. The MCL for fluoride is currently set for 4.0 PPM -- that’s over 350 times the permissible level of lead! Furthermore, water containing 4.0 PPM fluoride concentrations can readily produce dental fluorosis, a recognized adverse health effect.
• Four major studies reported since the early 1990’s in the Journal of the American Medical Association, show that hip fracture rates are 20-40% higher in localities with fluoridated water. The most controlled of these studies found 41% more hip fractures among men and 27% more hip fractures among women in Brigham City, Utah, where water is intentionally fluoridated to 1.0 PPM (same level as Tacoma).
• In 1990, the National Cancer Institute statistics showed a 79% increase in bone cancers in males under the age of 20, for the period 1981-87 over the period 1973-80, in the Seattle metropolitan area and in the state of Iowa.
• In 1992, the New Jersey State Department of Health released the results of a study which found six times more bone cancer among males under the age of 20 living in communities with fluoridated water.
• The U.S. Public Health Service’s statistics show that 30% of the children living in areas of intentional water fluoridation are afflicted with dental fluorosis. Fluorosis is characterized by chalky white spots on the teeth and is indicative of permanent damage to the enamel; This results in teeth that are brittle and prone to chipping. A recent study of children with dental fluorosis in Europe showed a difference in bone structure when compared to normal children.
• Fluorides have adverse physiological reactions on many aspects of body functioning. Furthermore, their damaging effects occur at levels once believed to be safe. Problems arise when reactive fluorides mix with hydrogen and form hydrogen-fluoride bonds. This reaction distorts the hydrogen bonding responsible for the configuration of proteins and enzyme activity.
• In 1992, a man died in the village of Hooper Bay, Alaska, and 296 people were poisoned, when the fluoride feed mechanism malfunctioned on one of the community’s two wells.
• On July 16, 1993 three kidney dialysis patients died at the University of Chicago Hospitals when a water filter failed to remove the fluoride in Chicago’s drinking water before it was used in the dialysis procedure. Six other patients suffered acute reactions after undergoing dialysis with the fluoridated water.
• On November 16, 1993 in Middletown, Maryland, lethal levels of 70 PPM fluoride were found in the drinking water.
• Some allergic reactions people experience when exposed to fluoridated water or toothpaste include gastrointestinal symptoms, ulceration of mucus membranes and skin rashes. Furthermore, it is well known that fluoridated water is detrimental to individuals with conditions such as kidney disease and diabetes. There is also evidence of detrimental damage to the stomach, thyroid, bones and teeth!
• According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than half of the United States relies on intentionally fluoridated water for consumption.
• The observed world-wide decline in tooth decay over the past four decades has occurred at the same rate in areas that are not fluoridated as in areas that are. "The Mystery of Declining Tooth Decay" by Mark Diesendorf. Nature, July 10, 1986, pp. 125-129.
• In general, tooth decay rates correlate inversely with family income rather than with exposure to fluoride.
• The U.S. Public Health Service still uses H. Trendley Dean data as justification for fluoridation, despite the fact that those data were twice shown in court to be false: once in 1955 and again in 1960.
• In 1987, Alan S. Gray, DDS, FRCD(C), Director of the Division of Dental Health Services for the British Columbia Ministry of Health, called for a reassessment of fluoridation. He found that the dental caries rate in British Columbia was much lower than any other Canadian Province. Only 11% of B.C. utilizes fluoridated water as opposed to 40-70% in other Province’s.
• In 1993, a Canadian Dental Association panel concluded that ingested fluoride DOES NOT, in fact prevent tooth decay. They did however, find that ingesting the fluoride places children at risk for dental fluorosis. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 1993:149 (12), December 15, 1993.
• In the 1930’s, fluoride in industrial emissions was regarded as a major pollutant. In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson’s Science Advisory Commission identified fluoride as one of the nation’s four major environmental pollutants. "Total Fluoride Exposure," a program prepared by Elise Jerard for the NY Municipal Broadcasting System, September 1968.
• Laws controlling the disposal of toxic wastes do not permit the industries creating these fluorides to release them into the environment. However, the "laundering" process of fluoridation allows these same toxins to be spread indiscriminately on lawns and gardens, incorporated into processed foods, and released by the ton into water and air, in sewer effluent and sludge.
• The original promotion of fluoridation as a remedy for tooth decay was funded by the aluminum industry. The research purporting to demonstrate fluoride effectiveness and safety was funded by ALCOA, Reynolds Metals, and other heavy fluoride emitters. "Fluoridation: Commie Plot or Capitalist Ploy?" by Joel Griffiths, Covert Action, Fall 1992.
• In 1977, a Congressional inquiry found that the Public Health Service had never conducted appropriate tests for the safety of fluoridation. Congress then created the National Toxicology Program (NTP) to determine the health risks associated with fluoride; this program was under the control of the U.S. Public Health Service and its’ inherent bias. After the completion of the two year study, scientists (including EPA toxicologists) criticized the experiment and labeled it inadequate; they also criticized the NTP of data/fact manipulation. Despite the biased manipulation, the NTP was forced to report an "equivocal" relationship of fluoride to cancer, meaning that it is a possible cause. "Another Flap Over Fluoride" by Judith Randal, The Lancet, Feb. 3, 1990.
• Since there is no limitation or monitoring of the use of fluoridated water in food processing, many processed foods contain high concentration of fluoride.
• Ingested fluoride is deposited in bones as well as teeth. X-rays show abnormal bone structure in children with dental fluorosis.
• Fluorides are used in biochemistry laboratories to stop enzyme activity; they have the same effect in the human body.
• There is now, no doubt that fluoride can cause genetic damage. Disagreements in this field revolve around the level at which damage manifests. But if we know 5 PPM is quite hazardous, doesn’t it stand to reason that 1 PPM is problematic as well?
• A Class 1 (toxic waste) disposal license is necessary in order to dispose of fluoride. It costs about $8000.00 to dispose of 5000 gallons of fluoride (approximately 1 truck load).
• There are over 500 scientific studies in peer-reviewed journals which state that there is no benefit from fluoride ingestion. In fact, there has never been a study to show that fluoride helps prevent cavities!
• Processed food contains high levels of fluoride. Fluoridated water contains too much fluoride. Toothpaste has levels of fluoride between 500-1500 PPM! Many people use mouthwash with fluoride. Children are commonly given fluoride supplements by their pediatrician. It’s no wonder the U.S. ranks 21st in level of overall health in the world. We spend more money on health care than any other country and yet places like South Korea rate healthier than the U.S.!

We know that fluoride is more toxic than lead. The fact that children are blindly given fluoride is an absolute travesty!

Isn't it time someone does something about this?

For more information, contact:

SAFE WATER COALITION OF WASHINGTON STATE
W 5615 Lyons Ct. Spokane, WA 99208 - 509-328-6704

or

FLUORIDE ALERT
1507 N. Fife Street Tacoma, WA 98406 - 253-756-8737