FAN Bulletin 1082

July 19, 2009,

As far as the willingness of a handful of countries to force fluoridation on its citizens, I find Australia the most frustrating and depressing. However, I have also been very impressed with the spirit of the individuals who are fighting back against the odds ? odds not helped by a hugely indifferent media, an academic community which just doesn’t want to get involved, and a largely apathetic public. Apathy rules in Oz. Most people have a very comfortable life there ? and probably don’t want to be worried about the possibility that what they are drinking every day may be robbing a few IQ points from their kids, lowering their own thyroid function or damaging their bones. Doesn’t everyone have those aches and pains? Don’t we all get very tired at times? Best not to know. If you don’t know, you don’t worry.

Meanwhile, the philosophy of the state governments, which push this practice on their citizens, is “if you don’t look you don’t find.” Despite the fact that Australia has been fluoridating the water of most of their major cities since the 1960’s, their health agencies have steadfastly avoided doing any studies to check to see if there are any health problems. Instead, they have relied on the tame “research” of the literature by their rubber stamp federal government agency called the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). The latest scientific travesty from this pathetic entity was their claim, in their 2007 report, that the findings in the US National Research Council, Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Review of EPA’s Standards (NRC, 2006) was not relevant to Australia. Such embarrassing conclusions are gobbled up by state officials determined ? for whatever reason - to keep this practice going at all costs. Even when the rubber stamp NHMRC suggested ? in 1991 - that governments should be tracking the level of fluoride in people’s bones and checking the numerous anecdotal reports of people claiming that they were very sensitive to fluoride, neither the federal health agency nor the state health agencies have done either ? and that’s after 18 years!

Instead of putting money into basic health research on this issue, the state agencies continue to put thousands of Australian dollars into PR firms to produce expensive glossy brochures answering their own self-serving questions. When I asked the Chief Health Officer of Victoria, soon after one of these brochures had appeared, if he would respond to my “50 Reasons to Oppose Fluoridation” he responded that “Neither I, nor my staff, have any intention of doing so!”

When I asked him, “Why, if swallowing fluoride was good for teeth, was the level so low in mothers milk (0.004 ppm)” he responded, “So, Mother Nature has dealt some children a poor deal.”

Perhaps the most upsetting thing about Australia’s pursuit of this practice is the point blank refusal of those who most confidently espouse its benefits and safety, to debate the issue with me in public, even though I have toured Australia three times and on each occasion local activists have challenged health and dental officials to do so. This gutlessness is in such sharp contrast to the world famous boldness of their renowned sportsmen. For courage, integrity and determination one has to look at the opponents of fluoridation. They represent the best of Australia. Here is some of their fight back against mandatory fluoridation and a way all our readers may be able to help their efforts.

Australian fight back

1) The Barwon Association for Freedom from Fluoridation (BAFF) is organizing a “Rally to Stop Fluoridation” outside Parliament House in Melbourne, on Wednesday, 29th July. We hope as many people as possible in communities in Victoria (and even from outside the state) will get to this rally. Below David McRae explains why it is so important. How you can help. For those outside Victoria and outside Australia, please send a short message of support to David so at the rally he can read out messages of solidarity from around the country and around world. David’s email is djmcrae@ncable.net.au

2) Gillian Blair has sent in an appeal to the Victorian state Ombudsman to investigate this issue (see letter below). In her letter she puts the foolishness and injustice of this practice very concisely. How you can help. Please send an email to Gillian (perhaps addressed to the Ombudsman) in support of her efforts. It would be helpful for the Ombudsman to know that his action (or inaction) is being keenly watched around the world. Gillian’s email address is gillianb9@westvic.com.au

3) Wayne Evans has committed civil disobedience for the second time to draw attention to the forced fluoridation of Coffs Harbor in New South Wales and for the second time his action has earned front page coverage of the issue. See Wayne’s explanation below why he is putting himself on the line for this issue. How you can help. Please email him with your moral support and suggestions. Wayne’s email address is pev53897@bigpond.net.au

4) According to David McRae, some people in Geelong are withholding payment of part of their water bill to protest the poisoning of their water. David explains:

“A number of people are reporting that they are withholding the ‘Water Volume’ component of their bill, and informing Barwon Water of exactly why they are unwilling to pay for “poisoned water”. So far a number of the people have had further letters from Barwon Water telling them to pay up “with the introduction of water fluoridation you are still required to pay bills as normal” or some such.

Several have had calls or letters from debt collecting agency PROBE, that claims to act for Barwon Water. Other advice has told us that if PROBE has no contract to do business with you, you have no obligation to even enter into any discussion or written communication with them.

It will be most interesting to see how far Barwon Water will go with heavying the non-bill payers. Will they restrict their water flow? Will they take them to court? A court case that involved a hearing on whether the water is “poisoned” or not, as consumers claim, is just what Australia needs.”

Paul Connett

1) David McRae’s appeal for people to attend the ‘Stop Fluoridation Rally in Melbourne’, outside Parliament House, Wednesday, July 29

Please think about coming, and working hard between now and then to get as many people as you know to come as well ? whether it be from Barwon Water region, from Melbourne, or anywhere else in Victoria.The full information on the rally details is posted on the homepage of Geelong’s BAFF website www.baff.org.au

Why is this Rally important, and the time to do it. Our local protests in Geelong - demonstrating both citizen and scientific opposition to fluoridation - is hardly making it into statewide or nationwide media. It is time it did. Most protests at Parliament House get noticed and get at least a little segment on evening news bulletins. It is our job to make sure our messages for the media, and the Parliament are very clear, simple, unmistakable and powerful. We need both to seek out the right sources for further information.

And it is our job to get as many people as we can there. If you can’t put in a full 3 hours + travel, please come for one hour. Probably one hour in the 12 to 2 timeslot would be best. I know that on a Wednesday most people are at work or minding kids etc. Is there anything you can do to get out of those jobs on this day? Bringing kids of course, if possible, is the greatest visual image we can have. Kids are the ones most harmed by the excess of fluoride you get by using fluoridated water to drink, cook or bathe in.

BAFF is doing everything possible to get people from other affected cities to come. A Castlemaine person just said she has six friends coming and is posting flyers around her town! They got fluoridated despite widespread protest, last year. Just like Geelong and the Surf Coast. No consultation, no listening to local wishes. We have made some good contact with Melbourne people and will try to get many of these to come (Melbourne has been fluoridated for many years, and unfortunately, because of lack of media attention, it is not perceived by many to be a major issue, PC).

A few people have suggested we should not have this rally because we may only get 50 or 100 people and Brumby (Victorian premier, PC) and the authorities will laugh. The BAFF planning group understands that view - but disagrees. Let’s make it work by pulling out all stops and phoning, emailing, visiting, doing whatever it takes to get your friends and family to come. Be there. It is just half a day out of our lives to start a “ball rolling” an “express train that can’t be stopped” that will give us clean water (cleaner water, anyway) for ever. Even 100 people (lets hope it is 200 or 300) can get us some media coverage, and this will help us get more Melbourne people involved next time. The rally will also help us make new contacts and allies in Melbourne. Then the next rally can double in size, and the one after double that.

Melbourne opposition to fluoridation is the sleeping giant (no offence to long-time Melbourne campaigners). That is the way to see this rally. It is the seed that MUST BE PLANTED NOW. The next state election is late 2010. That is not far away. This and other rallies and events, and associated floods of letters to the Premier and local MPs, can help to make this a big issue by the next election.

Don’t forget ? the DHS (Department of Human Services) now knows that some people are getting serious side-effects from fluoridation; they know that their claims of “completely safe” are utterly false; the dam wall they have tried to construct against the scientific and medical truth is cracking and about to crumble. This rally can prepare the Melbourne media for when the dam breaks.

2) Gillian Blair’s letter to the State Ombudsman

As the public officer of the Warrnambool Fluoride Action Group, I am writing to inform you that many people in Warrnambool are concerned about forcible fluoridation.

We are asking for a moratorium on fluoridation and an independent study by medical scientists and toxicologists of the evidence from overseas that shows harm to the bones, brain, thyroid gland, kidneys, and even the teeth.

The fluoride being put into the water supplies is a waste product from the scrubbers of the chimneys of the fertilizer factory (Pivot).

Many overseas studies conducted by medical scientists show that fluoride is a danger to people with kidney disease, those suffering from diabetes, babies drinking milk formula made up with tap water, and many others in the community. I am one of the statistics.

Fluoride has never been assessed for safety and efficacy, despite a recommendation by the NHMRC over 14 years ago.

As there is a lot of evidence for harm from fluoridation, if fluoride were a genuine medicinal substance it would have been taken off the market long ago.

To make matters worse, the diluted fluoride waste liquor is polluted with the heavy metals cadmium, mercury, lead, arsenic, and radionucleides.

Over 2,500 medical scientists, dental professionals and medical practitioners are now asking that fluoridation be stopped, as it was instigated on the basis of poor science now disproved.

The Health Department is refusing to look at the evidence for harm and will not admit that a mistake was made when fluoridation was rushed into water supplies without any evidence of safety. This happened when Menzies was Prime Minister, and was much against the will of many medical practitioners, such as Sir Weary Dunlop.

In Warrnambool 21 medical practitioners recently put their names to a letter saying that the benefits of fluoride are in doubt and that they do not support fluoridation. Some of these medical practitioners as well as a member of the dental profession would be happy to talk with you. I am therefore requesting that you respond positively to this request.

Wannon Water refuses to deal with people who have been told that they must not drink fluoridated water because of kidney problems, and says that this is a State Government issue. The State Government refuses to deal with or help people whose health may be affected by fluoridation.

The people of Warrnambool are seeking three actions to remedy the situation:

1) A halt to the fluoridation of our water supplies until fluoride meets the standards of other medical substances by a study of its safety and efficacy.
2) A study of the evidence for harm from fluoridation shown by overseas studies. This study should be conducted by an independent, bona fide, group of toxicologists and medical scientists, who will review the evidence for harm in numerous studies from overseas.
3) A meeting between yourself and several medical and dental professionals who would like to put the case for a moratorium and a study on fluoridation.

NOTE: Most countries in the world have banned the addition of fluoride to water supplies, and these countries have experienced the same improvement in dentition - or better - than fluoridated communities.

I look forward to your response,

Yours sincerely,

Gillian Blair
(Public Officer),
Warrnambool Fluoride Action Group

3) A message from Wayne Evans explaining his civil disobediance

Here is what happened at the Coffs Harbour Local Court (23rd March 2009)

As you would be aware I undertook a civil disobedience protest against the fluoridation of the Coffs Harbour Public Water Supply by chaining myself to the office of the NSW Premier & Cabinet in Coffs Harbour on 25th February 2009.

Yesterday I attended the Coffs Harbour Local Court where I was ordered to pay $70 court costs but had no conviction recorded against me for my actions.

I pleaded guilty with an explanation which went like this.

I was protesting against an unjust law, namely the NSW Fluoridation of Public Water Supplies Act 1957.

I was also protesting against a breach of Human Rights in relation to COMMONWEALTH HUMAN RIGHTS AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION ACT 1986 - SCHEDULE 3 Declaration of the Rights of the Child, Principle 2 which dictates that my children have the human right “to develop physically in a healthy and normal manner and, in the enactment of laws for this purpose, the best interests of the child shall be the paramount consideration.” Furthermore, under SECTION 50 Article 7 of the same ACT, “no one shall be subjected without his free consent to medical or scientific experimentation”

Furthermore I stated I believed fluoridation went against the Ecologically Sustainable Development Precautionary Principle and Intergenerational Equity, recognised by NSW Courts and aspired to by water authorities such as Sydney Water. ESD Principles were raised in the UN Charter of Human Rights in 1987 via the Brundtland Report also called Our Common Future.

Outside the Court Sylvia Turner and a few other good people held up banners and posters including some blown up images from Doug Cross (thanks again Doug) showing dental fluorosis.

They were photographed and the images went into today’s local paper - the story ran on the front page as well as page 3.

In my humble opinion I think that to stop fluoridation throughout Australia we need articles enshrined within an Australian Bill of Human Rights, relating to ESD Principles as well as mass medication and forced medication and this Bill of Human Rights should have supremacy over acts of Parliament.

To that end I have begun a web site www.democracycentral.org.au which has a message of support from Jack Thompson about ESD Principles and also explains what ESD Principles are.