FAN Bulletin 788

April 7, 2007

Dear All,

Two items before we get to the Holmen story.

First, the latest article on fluoride lowering IQ, “Effect of high fluoride concentration in drinking water on children’s intelligence by Seraj et al” discussed in yesterday’s bulletin, was published in the Journal of Dental Medicine, an Iranian dental journal.

Second, don’t forget to tell your friends and colleagues about the several fluoride videotapes that are now available for easy watching via google video. These are:

1. “The Fluoride Deception” is an interview with Chris Bryson, author of the book of the same title. Bryson summarizes the evidence that the US government colluded with fluoride polluting industries to promote fluoridation. This was a brilliant PR stunt to detoxify the image of fluoride as one of the country’s worst air pollutants to get these industries (and the nuclear industry) off liabilities. To date 24,601 people have viewed this tape on the google site. Several more thousands have viewed it on other sites.

2. “Don’t Swallow Your Toothpaste” (Channel 4, UK) (24 minutes). This British program takes dental fluorosis as its starting point and gives a general overview of the arguments against fluoridation. To date this has been accessed by 1095 viewers. Ch 4, UK.

3. “Water fluoridation: preventative measure or health hazard” was a rare example of a televised debate on this subject. The three–way debate featured myself, Euan Swan, from the Canadian Dental Association and Dr. David Locker from Toronto University. This debate on fluoridation was part of the “Medical Hotseat” series broadcast on the Health Discovery Channel, Canada) (22 minutes). To date this has only be viewed by 351 people, which is surprising because it presents both sides of the issue. Please check it out.

4. “Fluoride and Cancer: Is Harvard Professor hiding a link?” This Fox TV investigation examines the cover-up by Dr. Chester Douglass of his graduate student’s thesis that fluoridation increases the risk of osteosarcoma in young boys. Osteosarcoma is a rare but frequently fatal bone cancer in teenagers (Fox-TV, Boston) (7 minutes). This very powerful piece has been viewed by 458 people.

5. “Fluoride Fight” in Tennessee. This 3 minute clip from an evening news program includes comments from Dr. Joey Hensley, MD (a state legislator) and Dan Stockin and has been watched by 258 people. This 3 minute program really packs in a great deal of information and deserves a far larger viewing.

The Holmen story.

Below we have pasted a story from yesterday’s LaCrosse Tribune, which indicates that Holmen’s Board of Public Works has recommended that the town does not fluoridate its water. So yet again another water board has taken the initiative on this matter – it is a pity that local health and dental associations are not as diligent with their research. This story has excited a large online response already and I urge our readers to join in before the village board votes on this measure next week (April 12). Letters are restricted to 150 words and it would be advisable to see what others have already written. Hopefully, the village board members will read these responses before they vote on Thursday. They need to have some solid information to balance against the avalanche of “white coats” assuring them, without supporting references, that water fluoridation is “safe and effective” and “it can’t be bad because everyone is doing it.” See the existing responses and instructions to letter writers at Readers Comments.

Thanks for any letter you can get in before Thursday.

Paul Connett
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http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2007/04/06/news/z01holmen.txt

LaCrosse Tribune

Published - Friday, April 06, 2007

What’s not in the water? Holmen public works board recommends against adding fluoride

By ADAM BISSEN | Lee Newspapers

HOLMEN, Wis. — Holmen’s Board of Public Works recommended Thursday to keep fluoride out of the public water supply.

A vote by the village board Thursday, April 12, will determine if Holmen remains one of the largest municipalities in Wisconsin that doesn’t add the substance, which supporters say prevents tooth decay and detractors say is mass medication at best and mass poisoning at worst.

In making his recommendation to the three-person board, Holmen Public Works Director Robert Haines analyzed the net cost of fluoridation to village residents and concluded the present system is cheaper.

He assumed 15 percent of the village opposes fluoride and would have to purchase filters to remove it from the water. He then assumed 35 percent of the village favors fluoridation and would purchase supplements for their children if the water remained untreated.

“My recommendation is, let’s do what costs that certain group of people the least amount of money, which would be not to add fluoride,” Haines said.

Board members Richard Anderson and Neal Forde voted to recommend against adding fluoride to village water, while Ryan Olson voted in favor of fluoridation.

“Based on some of the feedback that I’ve gotten, there’s more support (for fluoride) than what you’re saying,” Olson said. “You have a majority of municipalities in the state that have (fluoridated water), and to me it’s kind of, ‘Why aren’t we doing this?’ more so than, ‘Why we shouldn’t be doing it.’”

The village board will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Village Hall, 421 S. Main St.

Adam Bissen is a reporter for the Holmen Courier. For a more detailed story, see the April 13 Courier.