FAN Bulletin 949
  
April 3, 2008

Dear Supporter,

Last fall, when the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) implemented a massive expansion of fluoridation throughout Southern California (affecting over 18 million people), they made a mistake by including Malibu among the communities receiving the fluoride.

Ever since MWD’s decision to fluoridate (which was made without any public input) was announced, activists in Malibu and other coastal areas have been doing everything they can to end it. An article in yesterday’s Malibu Times does a nice job at summarizing the concerns of citizens there, including celebrities like Martin Sheen, and scientists like Dr Jeff Bronstein from the UCLA Medical Center.

The article focuses, in particular, on the lack of forthcoming safety data for the chemical (hydrofluorosilicic acid) being used to fluoridate water. According to Rabyn Blake, of the Coastal Citizens for Safe Drinking Water:
“We have asked for product reviews on the toxicology of hydrofluorosilicic acid from the MWD and it is not forthcoming from the manufacturer or the certification agency,” she said.
According to Paul Steinberg, who works in pharmacological research:
“I do clinical trials. Given that they won’t release any studies on long-term toxicological effects of this additive, I am skeptical when we are talking about public health. From my research, I don’t see any real evidence that fluoride, taken systemically, has that great an effect on communal tooth decay, when there is ample evidence that effective fluoride treatment can be provided by other products on the market, like toothpaste.”
According, meanwhile, to Dr. Bronstein, a neurologist from the UCLA Medical Center:
“I was one of those who thought that people who objected to water fluoridation were like fringe nuts who didn’t like vaccinations. But when I started to check modern literature and research, I saw deeper questions… Forty years ago, it was a good idea to fluoridate water. But recent research has raised questions about wholesale water treatment, when you can get adequate fluoride from other sources. As with any public health policy, you have to carefully weigh the relative benefits with the potential real harm.”
Here is the full article.

Paul Connett