Bulletin #748

January 17, 2006

Dear All,

Last election (Nov 7) Skagit County (Washington) passed a very narrow vote in favor of fluoridation (52 to 48%). But the vote was only advisory and the three County Commissioners have the final say. Some have argued that they would need 60% in favor to move ahead. Yesterday they were due to vote on the matter, but they put off their vote – possibly because of the large turnout at the meeting. According to Dr. Bill Osmunson, who attended, “All presentations were powerful and covered almost all topics of concern; freedom of choice, lack of efficacy, risks and more.  A big bravo to the group in Skagit, Washington.”

Below is a local TV News report of the meeting. According to Linda Joy, another member of the FAN Mobilization Team from Washington, who attended the meeting, this was a fair account of the proceedings.

However, a report in the Herald newspaper (http://skagitcleanwater.org/SVH070117–Debate-Contins.htm) was far less balanced. According to local organizer Don Johnson,

“As one might expect from the Skagit Valley Herald and Jennifer Carter, the focus of her story was on the pro-fluoridationist side when it came to quoting professionals. At least that is how it read to me. I am highly critical of the Herald’s poor record on objective reporting. Carter wrote about Leibrand (misspelled) and “several dentists, doctors and dental hygienists” very authoritatively, while taking Dr. Osmunson out of context somewhat with his “We don’t know” comment regarding proof that fluoride has reduced cavities in Washington. I know for a fact that she spoke with Dr. Groesbeck at length during the intermission. Not one word from him was printed. Carter needs to be called on this. Next week’s edition of The Argus will be much better I am certain.
 
A big round of applause goes to both Dr. Osmunson and Dr. Groesbeck for their powerful presentations in the time that was allotted. As concerned citizens, those of us who attended should all be proud of our show of numbers. Everyone who spoke can take a bow. It was all good!”
 

One of the reasons for the good attendance at the meeting was a powerful guest editorial which appeared in another local newspaper. This is also printed below.

Paul Connett
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Skagit County debating fluoridation of water supply

07:07 PM PST on Tuesday, January 16, 2007

By ROB PIERCY / KING 5 News

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. – Putting fluoride in public water supplies - some call it “preventive medicine,” others call it “forced medication.”

It’s a debate that’s been raging throughout Western Washington for years.

PHOTO: Skagit County commissioners got an earful Tuesday.

In a room that usually sees but a handful of people during county commission meetings, there was standing room only. Almost everyone was there to talk about fluoridating Skagit County’s water supply.

“This is one of the ten most effective public health actions in the last century,” said Dr. Harold Clure.

An advisory vote in November proved people wanted to fluoridate a reservoir, but by a narrow margin of only 4 percent.

Taking that vote and this testimony into consideration, county commissioners will make the final decision.

Tuesday, they got an earful.

“There is absolutely no reason, no sanity for fluoridating,” said Dr. Bill Osmundsen.

“It makes all the sense in the world because it prevents disease and that’s what we want to do, we want to prevent disease for our patients,” said Dr. Christine Johnson.

There are countless studies touting the effectiveness of fluoride in preventing tooth decay, especially in children.

Other studies suggest it can over time lead to other health problems.

“Obesity, heart disease, cancer,” said Dr. Jess Groesbeck.

The debate happening in Skagit County is not unique. In past few years, some cities in Pierce County decided to add fluoride to their water systems, whereas the City of Bellingham decided against it.

As of now, a little more than half of the state’s water supply has fluoride.

Where there is no fluoride in the water, some parents give their children fluoride drops. Some said that’s the way it should be where people not politicians decide what’s best for their health.

It could be several weeks before commissioners make a decision on fluoridation.
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Citizens of Skagit County asked to say no to fluoridation by fiat

By LEE TAYLOR
GUEST COLUMNIST

Is fluoridation effective against tooth decay? Should anyone have the authority to mandate fluoridation of public drinking water? How does it affect human health? Those questions have given rise to a growing social phenomenon — a highly controversial debate concerning fluoridation and public health.

This is a confusing debate because most families grew up with fluoride. They followed their dentist’s advice, believing public health agencies are protecting our health, using the latest scientific knowledge.

With the advent of cyberspace and the Internet, a tsunami of information has forced us from naïve complacency to more informed awareness. It has fueled a growing fluoride debate at the international, national, state, county and city levels of government, pitting an outraged and educated public against the richly financed special interest groups within the aluminum, phosphate fertilizer, steel, glass and nuclear weapons industries.

Not unlike the civil rights movement, not unlike the national upheaval that stopped the bleeding and corporate profiteering in Vietnam and not unlike the emergence of the environmental movement, informed citizens of Skagit County are now challenging the fluoride voice of “authority” within the federal government-military-industrial-public health complex. The propaganda, influence peddling, power-control politics and conspicuous lack of scientific evidence of fluoridation proponents are being called into account.

Skagit Clean Water (skagitcleanwater.org http://skagitcleanwater.org/> ) is a volunteer organization coordinating opposition to the fluoridation of Skagit PUD water within the Judy Reservoir system in Mount Vernon, Burlington, Sedro-Woolley, Alger, Rockport, Cedargrove, Skagit View Village and Marblemount.

Born in opposition to the Skagit County Board of Commissioners’ first summit meeting on water fluoridation in August 2005, Skagit Clean Water has become the primary force in community education on fluoride, coordinating citizen action and public awareness in the local media.

In September 2006, the Skagit County Board of Commissioners issued a resolution calling for an advisory vote on fluoridation in the Nov. 7 election. SCW responded with a public awareness campaign targeting the toxic effect of fluoride on public health and formed a political action committee.

In a David-Goliath confrontation — with Washington Dental Services Foundation funding at $116,000 and SCW funding at $1,300 — Skagit voters delivered a slim victory to Proposition 2 fluoridation proponents by a margin of 52 percent-48 percent, nowhere near the 60 percent required for mandated fluoridation in citizen-initiated resolutions.

On Jan. 2, despite a very close vote, the board of commissioners approved a resolution that set 11 a.m. today as the time for the final hearing on fluoridation in Skagit County; it will be held in the commissioners’ hearing room, 1800 Continental Place, Mount Vernon.

At this public hearing, concerned voters, dentists and other professionals promise to challenge the accountability, priorities and patronizing disregard of informed citizens by the commission.

Will this lead to just another fluoridation by fiat? How will legal parameters influence the fluoridation debate and who will make the final decision?

The public is encouraged to review Skagit Clean Water Web site and the Fluoride Action Network at fluorideaction.net http://fluorideaction.net/> , noting scientific information from the National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council, Environmental Protection Agency and World Health Organization.

Lee Taylor lives in Bellingham.

Tell us what’s on your mind.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/299774_fluoride16.html http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/299774_fluoride16.html>

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