FAN Bulletin 914
 
December 28, 2007
 
Dear Supporter,

We are working on a series of bulletins summing up our and other fluoride activities in the year 2007. Below is part 1 of the series: a listing of quotes from FAN which have appeared in the media during 2007. The links to each article can be obtained at this URL: http://www.fluoridealert.org/fan.news.html . It is critically important that we continue - and increase - this media exposure in 2008, and we can with your help. Speaking of which, here is the latest on our Fundraising effort for the FAN fighting fund for 2008.

Yesterday, we raised another $830 to bring our grand total to $26,048 from a total of 130 contributors. That leaves us $13,952 to raise to reach our goal of $40,000 by midnight New Year’s Eve. We have four days left to reach this goal.  This is not going to be easy, but yesterday we received a great boost to this effort when a fourth angel appeared and has offered to match dollar for dollar the next $1000 in donations, as long as the donations are made before midnight New Year’s Eve. So your donations today will be worth double. Please help us make this a $2,000 day!

To make a donation please go to http://www.FluorideAction.net and click on the Donate link at the top of the page. Alternatively, you may simply write out a check to AEHSP and send it to AEHSP, 82 Judson Street, Canton, NY 13617. But let us know that you have done so so that we can keep track of our running total as well as our matching grant.
 
Remember, if you are a US citizen, your contributions are tax deductible (through our parent body the American Environmental Health Studies Project, AEHSP, which has 5013c status).

Other News:

All uses of Mercury (including mercury amalgams) banned in Norway and Sweden as of January 1, 2008. See full details on the home page of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) at www.iaomt.org
Concern grows about lead in tap water in Massachusetts. Could this have anything to do with silicofluorides helping to dissolve lead from brass fittings? For more information go to http://www.mwra.state.ma.us/04water/html/qual6leadinfo.htm and click on “Video”
Fluoride news from Stuart, Florida. There is vote on this issue on January 29. The local newspaper has run dreadful editorials on this issue (they bear all the hallmarks of Michael Easley who now works for the Florida Department of Health) but today’s issue has an excellent letter refuting their editorial claims, see http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2007/dec/28/letter-vote-keep-fluoride-out-city-stuarts-water-s/
Preston, UK, is under fluoride attack. An article in the local paper contains all the hall marks of the standard promotion techniques with the giveaway quote “Children in Preston have some of the worst levels of tooth decay in the country and more than half of five-year-olds in the city have had experience of tooth decay.” No citation of any peer-reviewed and published study.  Biased government, lazy journalism. See: http://www.lep.co.uk/news/Cost-probe-on-fluoride-in.3621350.;jp

Paul Connett
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FAN’s Year 2007: Part 1, FAN in the news

Second Thoughts About Fluoride - Scientific American, January 2008, pages 74-81.
    Opponents of fluoridation, meanwhile, have been emboldened by the NRC report. “What the committee did was very, very important, because it’s the first time a truly balanced panel has looked at this and raised important questions,” says Paul Connett, a chemistry professor at St. Lawrence University and the executive director of the Fluoride Action Network, one of the most active antifluoridation groups world-wide. “I absolutely believe it’s a scientific turning point because now everything’s on the table.  Fluoride is the most consumed drug in the U.S., and it’s time we talked about it.”

Fluoride fracas afoot in Erie - Daily Camera (Boulder, CO), November 27, 2007.

    … The Canton, N.Y.-based Fluoride Action Network claims that ingesting fluoride yields little dental benefit and may result in a litany of health problems, including bone fracture, bone cancer, joint pain, reduced thyroid activity and IQ deficits. Michael Connett, a spokesman for the organization, said most of Western Europe has rejected fluoridation but has no worse a rate of tooth decay than the United States…

Fort Worth stops adding fluoride to water due to shortage - Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Texas), November 20, 2007.

    Partly as a result, the Fluoride Action Network in August released a statement signed by more than 600 professionals — including more than 100 dentists — calling for an end to water fluoridation. The coalition, composed of health professionals and scientists, said that fluoride in toothpaste has proven effective in preventing tooth decay but argued that it “makes no sense to drink it and expose the rest of the body to the long-term risks of fluoride ingestion.”

The Pros and Cons of Fluoride - ABC South West Victoria (Australia), November 16, 2007.

    Meanwhile, the Department of Human Services have taken out newspaper ads to spread their pro-fluoride message, and the Chief Health Officer with the DHS, Dr John Carnie, has also visited Warrnambool to talk to members of the media. At the same time he was here, Dr Paul Connett, the Executive Director of the Fluoride Action Network, was in town speaking at a public event. The two didn’t meet, but Dr Connett did appear on the breakfast program to put forward some of his ideas.

Fluoride no longer in water from Falher plant - Smoky River Express (Alberta, Canada), October 31, 2007

    When researching on the internet, Gervais found an information sheet dated Aug. 9, 2007 by the Fluoride Action Network - Calling for an End to Water Fluoridation, signed by 600 professionals from 39 different countries including 50 professionals from Canada and 10 from Alberta. Extensive research by this network indicates that fluoride has more adverse affects including Alzheimer’s disease, osteosarcoma (a frequently fatal bone cancer), increased risk of bone fractures, decreased thyroid function, lowered IQ, arthritic-like conditions, and dental fluorisis.

It’s a gamble, says US professor - Warrnambool Standard (Australia), October 24, 2007

    Fluoridation is a gamble with an inadequate margin for safety, according to one of the world’s leading fluoride opponents. Dr Paul Connett, the executive director of the Fluoride Action Network and professor of chemistry at St Lawrence University in New York, addressed about 120 invited guests last night at the Warrnambool Fluoride Action Group meeting.

Fluoride leaves a bitter taste with prominent New Yorker - The Macleay Argus (Australia). October 24, 2007.

    ”… Prof Connett, who was in Kempsey last week as part of a speaking tour taking in Victoria, NSW and Queensland, retired last year from the chair of Professor of Chemistry at St Lawrence University, in the State of New York… The professor, a director of the Fluoride Action Network, an international grouping of scientists and others opposed to the fluoridation of drinking water supplies, has a blunt message…”

As EPA talks fail, activists will urge Congress to tighten fluoride limits - InsideEPA. August 29, 2007.

    Environmentalists and health experts are planning to step up an anti-fluoride campaign by urging Congress to draft legislation tightening EPA’s contaminant limits for fluoride in drinking water after their private talks with EPA late last year failed to yield an agreement on stricter standards… While it remains unclear whether the anti-fluoride plan, in the form of an e-mail campaign initiated by the Fluoride Action Network, will gain any traction among lawmakers, sources involved in it say the effort is necessary after the negotiations with EPA broke down in December 2006…”

Village ends use of fluoride - Daily Gazette (NY)- August 11, 2007.

    ”After 54 years of drinking water with fluoride added, Cobleskill village residents who believe in its dental benefits will now have to rely on toothpaste and other products… On Friday, the Albany-based Citizens Environmental Coalition issued a statement supporting a plea by 600 health and science professionals urging Congress to stop water fluoridation until congressional hearings are conducted. The coalition said Fluoride Action Network Director Paul Connett is planning an online petition drive based on what the coalition called ‘new scientific evidence that fluoridation, long promoted to fight tooth decay, is ineffective and has serious health risks.” Data from Connett, a St. Lawrence University chemist, is part of what helped persuade Cobleskill officials to stop fluoridation.

KU prof among hundreds demanding hearings on fluoride - Lawrence Journal-World, August 11, 2007.

    ”… The group issued a statement that cites a 2006 report by the National Research Council on fluoride toxicology. ‘The NRC report dramatically changed scientific understanding of fluoride’s health risks,’ said Paul Connett, executive director of the Fluoride Action Network…”

Supply woes forced Ottawa to shut off fluoride to water - The Ottawa Citizen. August 11, 2007.

    ”… ‘It’s an excellent thing for them to be short of this chemical,’ said Paul Connett, executive director of the U.S.-based Fluoride Action Network. ‘If having a shortage of it makes them question the practice, that would be very, very good.’ The Fluoride Action Network released a statement this week signed by more than 600 professionals — including more than 100 dentists — calling for an end to water fluoridation. ‘It makes as much sense as swallowing sunblock,’ said Mr. Connett…”

Cities feel bite from shortage of fluoride - The Gazette (Montreal). August 11, 2007.

    ” ‘It’s an excellent thing for them to be short of this chemical,’ said Paul Connett, executive director of the U.S.-based Fluoride Action Network. ‘If having a shortage of it makes them question the practice, that would be very, very good.’ … According to Health Canada, many studies show fluoridated water greatly reduces the number of cavities in children’s teeth. However, the practice has long had its detractors. The Fluoride Action Network released a statement this week signed by more than 600 professionals - including over 100 dentists - calling for an end to water fluoridation.”

Congress Will Hear Protests from Health Professionals Over Fluoride - The People’s Media Company. August 9, 2007.

    ”… The protesting group is gaining national attention because of the support it has received from prominent health care and other professionals… Director of the Fluoride Action Network (FAN), Paul Connett, said, ‘The NRC report dramatically changed scientific understanding of fluoride’s health risks.” He added, “Government officials who continue to promote fluoridation must testify under oath as to why they are ignoring the powerful evidence of harm in the NRC report.’”

Health experts bare teeth on fluoride - The Politico, August 9, 2007

    ”… In a strong statement Thursday, the health professionals called upon lawmakers to stop fluoridation in communities across the nation until their safety concerns are reviewed at congressional hearings. The group, the Fluoride Action Network cited fresh scientific evidence that fluoridation, long promoted to fight tooth decay, is ineffective and carries serious health risks… The problem, according to the Fluoride Action Network, is that the very water that is treated for dental purposes is also used in the preparation of many food products — from baby formula and cereal to juices, sodas, wines, beers and even fresh produce. These scientists hold that since most toothpastes also contain added fluoride, many people are ingesting far more fluoride than they should….”

Environmental Activists Want Congressional Hearings on Fluoride - CNSNews.com. August 9, 2007

    ”A group called the Fluoride Action Network is urging Congress to stop the long-time practice of putting fluoride in the nation’s drinking water. It is urging lawmakers to hold hearings on the subject. The Fluoride Action Network, which claims to represent over 600 “professionals,” cites “new scientific evidence that fluoridation, long promoted to fight tooth decay, is ineffective and has serious health risks…”

Earth Talk: A green Q&A column from the editors of E/The Environmental Magazine - June 28, 2007

    ”Dear EarthTalk: Why do some people complain about fluoride in drinking water and toothpaste? … The problem, says Fluoride Action Network (FAN), which is opposed to fluoridation, is that the very water supplies that are treated for dental purposes are also used in the making of many common food products—from baby formula and cereal to juices, sodas, wines, beers and even fresh produce. And with most toothpastes also adding fluoride, many people are ingesting far more fluoride than they should….”

A nomination by FAN’s Pesticide Project is selected for a 2007 “Dirty Dozen Award” given to the worst polluters and bad actors in New York state - Watertown Daily Times (New York), May 29, 2007

    ”Fluoride Action Network Pesticides Project, Canton, nominated one of the “Dirty Dozen” awards announced this week by Citizens’ Environmental Coalition, Albany, a non-profit organization that advocates for pollution prevention and environmental justice…”

Anti-fluoridation camp opens wide in Yarmouth - Cape Cod Times (Massachusetts, USA), May 8, 2007

    ”… the board last night heard from an opponent; Paul Connett, a professor emeritus of chemistry at St. Lawrence University in New York and executive director of the Fluoride Action Network… Fluoridation is unethical, dangerous and unnecessary, Connett said. The one part-per-million concentration recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and supported by the American Dental Association may be too much, he said… “I urge Yarmouth to wait until the EPA water division has determined a new” maximum contaminant level goal.

Fluoride debated in Cadillac - Cadillac News (Michigan, USA), April 12, 2007

    ”The benefits of water fluoridation has been exaggerated by its proponents, while its long-term health risks have yet to be adequately addressed,” said Michael Connett, research director for the Fluoride Action Network.

Fluoride Debate Heats Up In Oregon House - Oregon Public Broadcasting, April 4, 2007

    ”Paul Connett is director of the Fluoride Action Network. He says fluoride can prevent tooth decay. But it’s safer when it comes out of a toothpaste tube, not out of your faucet.”

Need for fluoride questioned - Bar Harbor Times (Maine, USA), February 25, 2007

    ”A presentation by Michael Connett, the project director for Fluoride Action Network, during the public meeting portion of Tuesday night’s selectmen’s meeting stated that cases of fluorosis - an overexposure to fluoride - have increased five-fold in the past fifty years, now affecting about a third of the U.S. population. He said the condition is even common in non-fluoridated communities, given the prevalence of fluoride in other products.”

Fluoride: Friend or Foe? - WKRG News (Alabama, USA), February 15, 2007

    ”A video entitled DRINKING WATER, “LET THE TRUTH BE TOLD”, has the attention of water board members. In the video you’ll find information also put out by the Fluoride Action Network, a group against fluoridated drinking water.”

Shortage forces halt to fluoride in water - Palm Beach Post (Florida, USA), January 30, 2007
    ”Palm Beach County health officials have maintained that fluoride is safe. Opponents argue that it is still unclear how fluoride affects the entire body. Doses of fluoride cannot be regulated because people drink varying amounts of water, they say. Naomi Flack, a member of the steering committee for the South Florida Citizens for Safe Drinking Water and the advisory board of the Fluoride Action Network, said it’s time for commissioners to reconsider their decision. “I think it’s very fortunate for those people in the county who will again be getting unfluoridated water,” Flack said. “I think it’s time for the county to bring the issue up again.”

Use of fluoride in water supply raises questions - Carroll County Times (Maryland, USA), January 22, 2007

    ”After talking with the caller, who turned out to be a city resident concerned about the safety of putting fluoride in drinking water, Grossnickle began to question public water fluoridation himself. He visited the Web site of the Fluoride Action Network, an international coalition aimed at broadening public awareness about negative health effects of fluoride exposure, and grew more concerned.”

Citizens of Skagit County asked to say no to fluoridation by fiat - Seattle Post-Intelligencer (USA), January 16, 2007

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

Alert: Could everything you’ve ever been told about fluoride be wrong? - Vegetarian Times (USA), January 2007

    ”‘Many Americans get too much fluoride and these studies show that,’ says Michael Connett, project director for the Vermont-based Fluoride Action Network (FAN). What’s more, concern over the mineral additive has been growing since the EPA reported in its January 2006 human health risk assessment that Americans are consuming significant amounts of fluoride in the form of sulfuryl fluoride, which is used as a pesticide in facilities storing grains, dried fruit, and nuts.”