Dear All,

David McRae from Geelong, Victoria, Australia got a letter into today’s Melbourne Age - Melbourne’s most important newspaper.  Although this paper starves its readers of serious analysis of the fluoridation issue, it does occcasionally let a letter in on the subject. Melbourne has been fluoridated since the 1970’s but only after a long hard battle led by prominent scientists at the Dental School, which included the late Dr. Philip Sutton (author, “The Greatest Fraud: Fluoridation”, 1996).

In my view, it is hard to overestimate the importance of this letter. The Victorian Department of Health (like their counterparts in New South Wales and Queensland) under the dubious leadship of Health Minister Bronwyn Pike and Chief Health Officer Dr. Robert Hall, are hell bent on fluoridating every last remaining unfluoridated hamlet in Victoria - whether they want it or not. However, if the price of doing this is to raise serious questions  in Melbourne (and certainly the NRC report and Bassin’s article raise VERY serious questions), then the Ministry of Health will rue the day that they meddled with Geelong, Ballarat, Horsham and the other Victorian towns currently in the firing line of this foolish practice.

Well done David  and well done also to Neil Adsett of Maryborough and Spencer Gear of Bundaberg, who both had letters published in the Fraser Coast Chronicle (Apr. 15).

Paul Connett

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Liz Porter and her dentist have swallowed a myth themselves on tap water and fluoride (Society swallows the myth, 9/4). She urges people to consume tap water, and her dentist says water needs fluoride.

Two reports from the US have blown those ideas out of the water. This month, a Harvard Centre for Cancer Prevention study showed that fluoridated water results in a five-fold increase in osteosarcoma, a bone cancer, in young people.

Last month, the US National Academy of Sciences revealed serious health hazards from fluoride in water, at quite low levels. Their three-year study highlighted bone fractures and joint pain, thyroid damage, and more.

They recommended that the maximum contaminant level for fluoride be lowered, which will leave no margin of safety between the amount of fluoride authorities add in Melbourne, Shepparton and Bendigo, and the amount proven harmful.

Remember, with fluoridation, the dose is out of control because people consume vastly varying amounts of tap water. Please Liz, check your myths.