Dear All,

Anyone who has read the history of fluoridation has to admit that it is a very bizarre story (If you haven’t done so please read the book The Fluoride Deception by Chris Bryson and watch our videotaped interview with him -see http://www.FluorideAction.net). However, an even more bizarre part of this already bizarre story is the failure of the FDA to regulate fluoride as a medicine in over the counter drugs or when added to our drinking water.  Thus, the most prescribed drug in our history - going every day to approximately two thirds of the American population - has never been examined for its health effects by the FDA!

Making this even more bizarre is the official reason given by the FDA for its dereliction of its duty in this matter: They say it was grandfathered in because it was in use before 1938!

Now wait a moment no one was giving out fluoride tablets in 1938, and fluoridation of drinking water didn’t begin until 1945, so what was its use before 1938? Wait for it - (and this is actually not an episode of Monty Python, but it could be) - its use was as a rat and roach poison!

Now at this point dear and patient reader you are entitled to a large glass of wine or something stronger… yes the FDA says it didn’t have to examine the potential health effects or the effectiveness of fluoride on humans because it had been used (and approved?) as a rat and roach poison before 1938! Which planet is the FDA on?

After learning this I decided to find out more about the FDA. I went to the Wikipedia website and below I have printed out some of what I found, including highlights of its history, which turns out to be a very long one.

The FDA was created in 1906 as a result of the Pure Food and Drug Act. Its name from 1927 to 1930 was the “Food, Drug, and Insecticide Administration” but in 1930 the name was shortened to the “Food and Drug Administration” (FDA) under an agricultural appropriations act. Perhaps they met up with fluoride as a roach poison in those early days.

Bringing us back to 2006, this same FDA having failed to respond to a law firm operating on behalf of the Pepsi Cola after 120 days, by default is allowing bottled water manufacturers to say on their products that “drinking fluoridated water may reduce the risk of dental cavities/ tooth decay,” giving consumers the very false impression that the FDA has examined fluoride for safety and effectiveness, when it has done neither!

I will now allow you some time to digest this Monty Python episode and the information on the FDA from Wikipedia below. Shortly, I will be sending out a more serious press release on this matter from the NY State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation (NYSCOF).

Paul Connett

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The following are excerpts from the Wikipedia’s entry on the FOOD and DRUG ADMINISTRATION http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_and_Drug_Administration#Enabling_legislation

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and is responsible for regulating food (humans and animal), dietary supplements, drugs (human and animal), cosmetics, medical devices (human and animal) and radiation emitting devices (including non-medical devices), biologics, and blood products in the United States.

(Historical highlights)

1862 - President Lincoln appoints chemist, Charles M. Wetherill to the Department of Agriculture. This appointment led to the Bureau of Chemistry.

1906 - Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle is published: this contributes to the creation of the FDA which received power through the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act.

1927 - The “Bureau of Chemistry” is reorganized into two separate entities. Regulatory functions are located in the “Food, Drug, and Insecticide Administration”, and non-regulatory research is located in the “Bureau of Chemistry and Soils”.

1930 - The name of the “Food, Drug, and Insecticide Administration” is shortened to “Food and Drug Administration” (FDA) under an agricultural appropriations act.

1938 - The resulting sulfa elixir scandal and public outcry led to the passage of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938, which gave the FDA the power to preapprove all new drugs introduced into interstate commerce.[1]

1990 - The FDA promulgates regulations banning “gifts of substantial value” from drug companies to doctors. Minor gifts (like meals, tickets, and travel) are not banned.

1992 - Congress passes a new law creating a faster approvals process to legalize new drugs. The FDA must hire more reviewers and speed up reviews without sacrificing proper study and testing. The drug industry must pay “user fees” with every new drug application. A drug is given “fast-track” status if it meets a medical need not currently being met by any medication. Approval times drop from 30 to 12 months on average. 60% of new drugs come on the market in the U.S. first, before other countries. Before this law, when the approval process was slower, more new drugs came out in other countries first.

1997 - The FDA loosens restrictions on consumer advertising. Drug companies are allowed to spend less time describing risks and side effects on TV commercials. A large increase in TV drug ads caused a large increase in drug sales within months.

Anyone can request or petition the FDA to change or create an Agency policy or regulation through the Citizen’s Petition process. 21 CFR Part 10.30. [1]. Despite the name, this process is primarily used by companies seeking a change to an FDA policy.

Since the FDA derives its authority from enabling legislation, it is principally a delegate of Congress to handle the large number of detailed issues related to its authority. As such, it at any time may be redirected, reorganized or even dissolved at the discretion of Congress. This puts the purpose of the FDA at risk with any change in the balance of power in Congress.

In addition to direct control over the agency’s charter, Congress has leverage over the FDA’s operations by means of budget allocation. Since budgetary legislation and amendments are very common and many times have a “must pass” status, this method of control is much easier to implement than to gain the wide agreement by Congress to modify the charter of an agency.

Additionally, the FDA’s Commissioner is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. This allows the President to select Commissioners who may be sympathetic to political issues he deems important. Additionally Senate rules allow for nominations to be blocked by means of filibuster, whereby the Senate must first obtain a super-majority of 60% to close debate on an issue before vote.

Finally, the Commissioner himself has discretion regarding the staff employees within the agency and has the power to influence their decisions simply by being able to dismiss those who are not aligned with his views.