22 August 2002 Edition
Fluoridation: Healthy democracy - or sick dictatorship?
BY CAROL-MARY FRASER
Environmental Officer, Cúige Connacht/Uladh Sinn Féin
Fluoride is not classified as a medicine and has never been tested for safety since its introduction to the Irish water system in 1964
History is littered with accounts of how practices once believed to be beneficial were over a period of time found to be anything but.
A couple of hundred years ago, trepanning was for the moneyed classes the favoured method of 'curing' mental illness - until they realised that boring holes in people's skulls actually caused more problems than it solved. In the 19th century, laudanum, - extracted from the opium poppy and a precursor of heroin, was used widely for a whole range of painful situations, from toothache to childbirth - or even getting a fretful child off to sleep!
About 40 years ago, the belief that any medication prescribed by a qualified doctor must be 100% foolproof was shattered by the tragedy of the thalidomide babies. Mothers who had been prescribed this sedative drug in early pregnancy gave birth to babies with missing or malformed limbs.
Surely, you would think that we must have learnt a thing or two by now, and be more questioning about what is being delivered to us in the name of health enhancement?
I know that fluoridation has featured before in An Phoblacht's pages, but I make no apologies for revisiting this issue. The appearance on the Ard Fheis Clár last year of two diametrically opposed motions on fluoride tells me that there is still confusion in some people's minds about what purpose this chemical serves.
The initial idea of adding fluoride to water supplies arose after an American dentist in 1928 noticed that children from an area where the water had a high naturally occurring fluoride content seemed to suffer less dental caries (decay). Before you could say "toothbrush", the Americans were adding fluoride to as many water supplies as possible, promoting it as the wonder substance to ensure strong cavity free teeth and sunny smiles.
Fluoridating water supplies was found to be an excellent way of dispersing toxic industrial waste, and surprise, surprise - early 'research' on the supposed benefits of artificially fluoridating water was funded by the industrial giant Aluminium Co. of America (ALCOA).
Ireland bought into this scientific con trick in 1964, when fluoride was first put into our water systems. This operation was funded by the US Public Health Service; millions of dollars were spent in a big push to fluoridate as many Western European countries as possible.
The idea that fluoride improves children's teeth is one of the biggest health frauds in modern times. International research has pointed to far more harmful effects than any perceived beneficial ones. People have better teeth today because of improved nutrition and dental hygiene, not because of fluoride. Since fluoridation, there is an increase in dental fluorosis, showing itself as white flecks on the teeth, or brown stains and pitting on the enamel. Fluorosis is the result of too much fluoride accumulating in the body. And teeth are visible; what is too much fluoride doing to the bits of the body that are not seen?
Fluoride is now linked to an increase in osteoporosis and bone cancer, and it has been implicated in a number of serious health problems such as Alzheimer's disease, IBS and thyroid damage. Fluoride is present in water at naturally high levels in certain parts of the world. It was found only last year that 100,000 villagers in the Karbi Anglong district of NE India were suffering from fluorosis and many have been crippled for life.
It is important to realise that hydrofluorosilicic acid (the stuff added to our water supplies) is a corrosive substance, more toxic than lead, and is obtained from the waste products of the artificial fertilizer industry. At present, our fluoride comes from Holland, interestingly enough, a country that has banned fluoridation of its own water supplies. Sodium fluoride (the chemical that is found in our toothpastes and suchlike) is used in the manufacture of rat poison. Scary enough - but even scarier when you realise that this substance, which is pumped into our water supplies at a rate of 2,000 gallons a day, has never been licenced, as it is not classified as a medicine and has never been tested for safety since its introduction in 1964.
Leaving aside the health aspects, the situation vis-a-vis fluoride is following a similar pattern of decisions being taken over our heads, a pattern seen with an increasing number of issues. People say they do not want the hazards of incineration in Ireland; county managers are given authority to go ahead with the building of incinerators. The people say they want to keep their local general hospitals (I live in Monaghan don't forget!); unaccountable Health Boards and senior professional bodies seem hell bent on destroying our local healthcare provisions.
Last year, the people voted in a referendum against ratifying the Nice Treaty, believing it to be not in Irish interests; we are told by those in high office that we must vote again, and be sure to say, "yes" this time. What on earth is happening to democracy?
It will be interesting to see the 'findings' of last year's Fluoridation Forum, scheduled for release in a few weeks' time. This was yet another 'so-called' public consultation exercise, designed to make us dumb clucks on the ground really believe our concerns were being taken seriously. The Forum was apparently weighted with proponents of fluoridation, and it is feared that the government has chosen to ignore the fact that Ireland is now the only 'democratic' country where fluoride is mandatory by law; the others have wised up.
As with most issues of public concern, there are questions to be answered. In whose interest would be the continuation of such an uncontrolled, outmoded unsafe policy of mass medication?
A few ideas to ponder:
Nobody - especially those in power - likes to admit that they got it wrong.
Fluoridation provides a convenient and profitable disposal method for thousands of tons of toxic waste.
The increased incidence for discoloration and damage to fluoridosis-ravaged teeth would be advantageous and profitable to the cosmetic dentistry business.
Could be that the government fears a surge of compensation claims if they do a U-turn on fluoride?
It can't be a comforting thought for Mícháel Martin and his cronies to know that they will stand accused of poisoning the Irish public.
Environmental Officer, Cúige Connacht/Uladh Sinn Féin
Fluoride is not classified as a medicine and has never been tested for safety since its introduction to the Irish water system in 1964
History is littered with accounts of how practices once believed to be beneficial were over a period of time found to be anything but.
A couple of hundred years ago, trepanning was for the moneyed classes the favoured method of 'curing' mental illness - until they realised that boring holes in people's skulls actually caused more problems than it solved. In the 19th century, laudanum, - extracted from the opium poppy and a precursor of heroin, was used widely for a whole range of painful situations, from toothache to childbirth - or even getting a fretful child off to sleep!
About 40 years ago, the belief that any medication prescribed by a qualified doctor must be 100% foolproof was shattered by the tragedy of the thalidomide babies. Mothers who had been prescribed this sedative drug in early pregnancy gave birth to babies with missing or malformed limbs.
Surely, you would think that we must have learnt a thing or two by now, and be more questioning about what is being delivered to us in the name of health enhancement?
I know that fluoridation has featured before in An Phoblacht's pages, but I make no apologies for revisiting this issue. The appearance on the Ard Fheis Clár last year of two diametrically opposed motions on fluoride tells me that there is still confusion in some people's minds about what purpose this chemical serves.
The initial idea of adding fluoride to water supplies arose after an American dentist in 1928 noticed that children from an area where the water had a high naturally occurring fluoride content seemed to suffer less dental caries (decay). Before you could say "toothbrush", the Americans were adding fluoride to as many water supplies as possible, promoting it as the wonder substance to ensure strong cavity free teeth and sunny smiles.
Fluoridating water supplies was found to be an excellent way of dispersing toxic industrial waste, and surprise, surprise - early 'research' on the supposed benefits of artificially fluoridating water was funded by the industrial giant Aluminium Co. of America (ALCOA).
Ireland bought into this scientific con trick in 1964, when fluoride was first put into our water systems. This operation was funded by the US Public Health Service; millions of dollars were spent in a big push to fluoridate as many Western European countries as possible.
The idea that fluoride improves children's teeth is one of the biggest health frauds in modern times. International research has pointed to far more harmful effects than any perceived beneficial ones. People have better teeth today because of improved nutrition and dental hygiene, not because of fluoride. Since fluoridation, there is an increase in dental fluorosis, showing itself as white flecks on the teeth, or brown stains and pitting on the enamel. Fluorosis is the result of too much fluoride accumulating in the body. And teeth are visible; what is too much fluoride doing to the bits of the body that are not seen?
Fluoride is now linked to an increase in osteoporosis and bone cancer, and it has been implicated in a number of serious health problems such as Alzheimer's disease, IBS and thyroid damage. Fluoride is present in water at naturally high levels in certain parts of the world. It was found only last year that 100,000 villagers in the Karbi Anglong district of NE India were suffering from fluorosis and many have been crippled for life.
It is important to realise that hydrofluorosilicic acid (the stuff added to our water supplies) is a corrosive substance, more toxic than lead, and is obtained from the waste products of the artificial fertilizer industry. At present, our fluoride comes from Holland, interestingly enough, a country that has banned fluoridation of its own water supplies. Sodium fluoride (the chemical that is found in our toothpastes and suchlike) is used in the manufacture of rat poison. Scary enough - but even scarier when you realise that this substance, which is pumped into our water supplies at a rate of 2,000 gallons a day, has never been licenced, as it is not classified as a medicine and has never been tested for safety since its introduction in 1964.
Leaving aside the health aspects, the situation vis-a-vis fluoride is following a similar pattern of decisions being taken over our heads, a pattern seen with an increasing number of issues. People say they do not want the hazards of incineration in Ireland; county managers are given authority to go ahead with the building of incinerators. The people say they want to keep their local general hospitals (I live in Monaghan don't forget!); unaccountable Health Boards and senior professional bodies seem hell bent on destroying our local healthcare provisions.
Last year, the people voted in a referendum against ratifying the Nice Treaty, believing it to be not in Irish interests; we are told by those in high office that we must vote again, and be sure to say, "yes" this time. What on earth is happening to democracy?
It will be interesting to see the 'findings' of last year's Fluoridation Forum, scheduled for release in a few weeks' time. This was yet another 'so-called' public consultation exercise, designed to make us dumb clucks on the ground really believe our concerns were being taken seriously. The Forum was apparently weighted with proponents of fluoridation, and it is feared that the government has chosen to ignore the fact that Ireland is now the only 'democratic' country where fluoride is mandatory by law; the others have wised up.
As with most issues of public concern, there are questions to be answered. In whose interest would be the continuation of such an uncontrolled, outmoded unsafe policy of mass medication?
A few ideas to ponder:
Nobody - especially those in power - likes to admit that they got it wrong.
Fluoridation provides a convenient and profitable disposal method for thousands of tons of toxic waste.
The increased incidence for discoloration and damage to fluoridosis-ravaged teeth would be advantageous and profitable to the cosmetic dentistry business.
Could be that the government fears a surge of compensation claims if they do a U-turn on fluoride?
It can't be a comforting thought for Mícháel Martin and his cronies to know that they will stand accused of poisoning the Irish public.