My home county of Pinellas County Florida, the most densely populated in the state, voted to end fluoridation of its drinking water to about 700,000 residents by a margin of 4-3. The move will save taxpayers $270,000 per year.
The vote to end water fluoridation happened despite heavy opposition from dentists who insisted the move would cause more rotten teeth and harm the health of disadvantaged children.
Todd Pressman, a Pinellas County activist, describes it as a mood shift that is occurring across the country with the Tea Party representing only the tip of the iceberg.
The vote attracted nationwide attention likely due to the large number of people affected and the fact that Florida is a swing state and represents the pulse of the nation on many issues.
County Commissioner John Morroni who changed his mind on the issue the last time a vote was taken in 2003, said that the county should not be in the business of doling out medicine to the public any more than the federal government should mandate health insurance.
“People are not dying because they don’t have fluoride,” Morroni said.
Other commissioners who voted against water fluoridation noted conflicting evidence presented by both dentists and national health organizations. They also cited repeated complaints by taxpayers over the years about the overreach of government in putting drugs in the drinking water.
The Safety of Fluoride is Questionable at Best
Activists have lobbied for the removal of fluoride from drinking water for years and this victory in Pinellas County Florida is a huge win for the anti-fluoridation movement.
Even if water fluoridation really did reduce cavities – which is doubtful and it very well may increase tooth problems such as fluorosis (white spots) over the long term – the many health problems associated with exposure to the fluoride levels present in drinking water patently override any such questionable benefit.
Probably the most disturbing complication is that fluoride exposure reduces IQ in children.
To see the research yourself, this link details 76 studies on the reduction of IQ from fluoride.
The other huge side effect of fluoride is the depression of thyroid function.
Hypothyroidism is at epidemic levels in modern society and contributes to weight issues among other serious health challenges.
In a nutshell, fluoride is an enzyme poison. Â
Its presence in the body even in small amounts competes for the receptor sites on the thyroid gland. Â If fluoride occupies these sites instead of thyroid stimulating hormone, less thyroid hormone is manufactured resulting in a slow but steady decline in thyroid function.
Here’s the really scary part.
Fluoride displaces iodine in the body. Â
Without sufficient iodine, even less thyroid hormone will be produced and even taking iodine supplements may not help much if a constant infusion of fluoride is occurring via drinking water, toothpaste, dental fluoride treatments, etc.
In short, water fluoridation is an unmitigated public health disaster.
I applaud the Pinellas County Commissioners for eliminating fluoridation of the drinking water of its citizens. Â
Reference
Too bad that the City of St Petersburg isn’t part of the good news. Maybe in time.
I just took our 3 kids to the dentist and asked them to leave out the fluoride treatment. I then got a lecture from the dentist that they need it and cases of having and damage/danger are very minimal….I just let it go in one ear and out the other.
@ Bonny – I think that most dentists are brainwashed about the “benefits” of fluoride. AND this is great news about Pinellas County – hopefully their example will start a trend towards reason.
Wonderful! I’m always so glad to hear about these kinds of things!
Is there a significant difference between “naturally flouridated” water and water that has fluoride added into it?
Yes–there is a HUGE difference between natural calcium fluoride and the so-called “fluoride” they use for fluoridation. What they mostly use is Hydrofluorosilicic acid. It is an unrefined toxic hazardous industrial waste product! Not only is the chemical form of this fluoride infinately more toxic than natural calcium fluoride but it is also contaminated with lead, mercury, aresnic, chromiun 6 (the bad form), radioactive particles etc. It is a real witches brew : (
To make matters worse you do not have to drink it to get exposed because it is absorbed directly through the skin everytime you take a shower or even just wash your hands.”Fluoride is readily absorbed through the skin (and inhaled). Two-thirds of the fluoride we take into our bodies using fluoridated public water comes from bathing and wearing clothes washed in it. Drinking fluoride-free water in a fluoridated district only reduces fluoride intake by about a third.” Click here: Fluoride Follies by Donald W. Miller, Jr., MD
so what do we do then?????
Awesome. My kids’ pediatrician told me to get my kids on tap water so they can get fluoride. I played dumb and asked why. She said because it helps bones grow. I guess she doesn’t study any longer or she’d realize that there is a reason we have water filters sold in stores and kids between the ages of 1-5 get fluorosis the most. She even asked if I had fluoride in my well water and if not, I need to ask my landlord to add tabs. I mentioned this to my husband (who works with chemicals daily) and his eyes bugged out of his head. I asked his coworkers and they nearly fainted. She also must have forgotten that not that long ago, tap water in Houston was flameable.
@ Shannon good for you! Those letters probably helped as the commissioners who voted against the measure to fluoridate the water cited complaints to the county about it.
Actually, we have a well … we bought the house with that in mind not wanting any part of city water due to the fluoridation issue. I no longer live in Pinellas .. I live in an adjacent county that still does fluoridate the water.
Yeah! I wrote letters for YEARS! when I lived there1
Lucky you!