FAN Bulletin 829

July 4, 2007

Dear All,

Happy July 4 to our American readers, consolation to the Brits, whose biggest failure was their inability to teach the Americans how to play cricket before they were kicked out! I don’t think the game had been invented then but it is good for a laugh.

A quick comment from Lorna from Utah. She notes that in addition to the attempt to seduce Yemen into fluoridating, former CDC engineer and fluoridation proponent, Tom Reeves, now a consultant, has been in Kuwait pushing fluoridation there.

As far as fluoridation is concerned I don’t think there is a more frustrating country in the world than Ireland. This country, with the exception of Singapore, is the only country in the world which has mandatory fluoridation statewide. Fluoridation began in Ireland in 1963 and now over 70% of the population is forced to drink fluoridated water every day of their lives.

Despite being mandatory for over 40 years, not one single health study of the population has been conducted. That is not to say “research” is not being done, but the millions of dollars spent on this issue is frittered away on endless studies on teeth with total disregard to any impacts on the rest of the body. Of course, the dental establishment loves this situation. It is a huge gravy train for them, as long, of course, they keep toeing the party line that fluoridation is “safe and effective.”

However, with a growing number of independent observers and Irish dentists raising concerns about the practice, and pointing out that the vast majority of European countries have refused to force fluoride on its populations, the Irish government has had to find a way to “defang” this discontent.

They have done this in a most transparent and dishonorable fashion. First, in 2000 they set up the national Forum on Fluoridation to “examine” the issue. It was clear to opponents from the outset that this was a set up. The hand picked panel members consisted largely of pro-fluoridation dental people and yes men and women from government agencies. After failing miserably with the task I set them, namely: to respond scientifically to my “50 Reasons to Oppose Fluoridation” (see the FAN homepage http://www.FluorideAction.net ) the panel produced one of the worst reviews on fluoridation that any government sponsored panel has ever produced. Out of nearly 300 pages, it spent more time illustrating what a pea-sized piece of toothpaste looked like on a toothbrush than it spent reviewing the primary literature on health effects (less than two pages)!

But to show that it really, really cared about the health of the Irish people the panel recommended that the levels of fluoride in water be lowered to 0.6 – 0.8 ppm, to reduce the incidence of dental fluorosis (only a cosmetic problem you understand – but we must err on the side of caution don’t you know?). It took the Irish government (who also really, really care about the health of the Irish people) 5 years to implement this recommendation.

In the interim the Irish government also set up “The Irish Expert Body on Fluorides and Health” again stuffed with pro-fluoridation “experts” and “yes” people. This body serves as the official propaganda arm for the government’s pro-fluoridation policy.

Meanwhile, an all-party committee appointed by the Irish parliament has reviewed fluoridation for several years. A damning report rejecting the practice was all set for release, but was skillfully blocked by a pro-fluoridation member. Completely frustrated by his inability to get decent science heard on this issue, John Gormley, who had overseen the writing of the report, went public and at a press conference announced that the Green Party, if it became part of the new government after the election, would demand the end of fluoridation. At this point, the Irish Times which had failed to cover this issue for years, stepped in and launched an attack - not on fluoridation – but on Gormley. This attack included a piece by a “scientist” whose review of the issue consisted of parroting a single superficial article by one of the most aggressive proponents of fluoridation in Ireland, Dr. Joe Mullen. So effective was this attack on Gormley that he nearly lost his seat at the election. Of course, many people wrote letters to the Irish Times complaining about its hatchet job, but they didn’t print one of them!

Fortunately, Gormley was re-elected and the Green Party is now part of the new government. Whether or not Gormley can make his election promise bear fruit from his position in the Ministry of the Environment, we will have to wait and see. But now back to the Irish Times.

Yesterday, the Irish Times gave its version of “fair and balanced” coverage of the issue. This was wrapped around news that the new lowered fluoride levels are now in effect.

This is how their health correspondent Eithne Donnellan described the two sides of the debate on the safety of fluoridation:

“Fluoride has been added to public water supplies in the Republic to prevent dental decay since the early 1960s. Its introduction has has had a significant impact but the Green Party and a number of other organizations have staunchly opposed the practice, claiming fluoride intake can adversely impact on the population’s health.

The Irish Expert Body on Fluorides and Health, which advises the Minister for Health and evaluates ongoing research on all aspects of fluoride including its safety, disagrees.

Its view is that fluoridation is safe and effective. Between 2004 and 2006 alone, the expert body reviewed and assessed 72 reference documents, research papers and health reports in relation to fluoride – both national and international.”

I am sure that most Irish readers were truly fooled by this. We have the Green Party and some other unnamed organizations claiming there is a problem, but never fear, we have the government’s mighty “Irish Expert Body on Fluorides and Health” to put the matter right. They have reviewed 72 documents between 2004 and 2006 alone and they find no safety problems. Who would you believe?

This is where either lazy or dishonest journalism really hurts us – both in Ireland and other countries which fluoridate. Does this “health” correspondent not know that the National Research Council (the research arm of the National Academy of Sciences) put out a 500 page report in 2006 summarizing its review of not 72 – but over 1000 references on health concerns pertaining to fluoride? If she doesn’t know then she can’t read, because people have spoken about this in Ireland, even in letters to her own newspaper. If she did know, then she is willing – like her paper – to act as the propaganda arm for the government’s policy on this matter. Either way the Irish people are not being served by its “premier” newspaper.

Now jump to the last paragraph.

“Additionally, it (The Irish Expert Body on Fluorides and Health, PC) said research would be undertaken to monitor the public health impact of the present reduction in water fluoridation levels.”

If indeed this body plans to “monitor the public health” that would indeed be news, since no one has done that in 44 years! Probably, what they mean is that more taxpayers’ money will be again squandered on pro-fluoridation dental researchers to study how many angels can dance on the top of a tooth filling.

Paul Connett
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IRISH TIMES
July 3, 2007

First steps taken to reduce fluoride level in water supplies

Eithne Donnellan
Health Correspondent

Local authorities across the State have this week begun taking steps to reduce the levels of fluoride in public water supplies.

The change comes on foot of new regulations which came into effect on July 1st.

Under these, the levels of fluoride added to public water supplies have to be reduced from the current limit of 1 mgs per litre to 0.6-0.8 mgs per litre.

The change is in accordance with one of the main recommendations of a report issued five years ago by the national Forum on Fluoridation.

It said fluoridation of public piped water supplies should continue as a public health measure but levels added to water supplies should be reduced.

This recommendation arose from a slight increase in cases of questionable and mild dental fluorosis in the population.

Fluoride has been added to public water supplies in the Republic to prevent dental decay since the early 1960s. Its introduction has has had a significant impact but the Green Party and a number of other organizations have staunchly opposed the practice, claiming fluoride intake can adversely impact on the population’s health.

The Irish Expert Body on Fluorides and Health, which advises the Minister for Health and evaluates ongoing research on all aspects of fluoride including its safety, disagrees.

Its view is that fluoridation is safe and effective. Between 2004 and 2006 alone, the expert body reviewed and assessed 72 reference documents, research papers and health reports in relation to fluoride – both national and international.

The Department of Health said yesterday that the Fluoridation of Water Supplies Regulations 2007 were signed by Minister of Health Mary Harney and laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas earlier this year and took effect last Sunday.

A spokeswoman said the department had written to the Health Service Executive (HSE) in April advising it to take appropriate action to comply with the new regulations.

The addition of fluoride to water supplies and the subsequent testing of fluoride levels in the water is carried out by county and city councils on behalf of the HSE. Calls to a number of local authorities yesterday confirmed they were aware of the new regulations and had begun to implement them.

Dublin City Council confirmed it was complying with new regulations. So too did Cork City Council and Galway County Council.

Meanwhile, the Irish Expert Body on Fluoride and Health has developed a detailed code of practice on the fluoridation of drinking water and a national audit of all fluoridation processes in water treatment plants across the State is about to be instigated, it said.

Additionally, it said research would be undertaken to monitor the public health impact of the present reduction in water fluoridation levels.