Download Letter to City Hall about Flouride

Jason Cherry
Resident of Ward 3
46 Garfield Avenue, Hamilton
L8M 2S1
905-549-1058
November 7, 2013
To Mayor Bratina and the ward councillors in Hamilton,
Firstly, thank you for taking the time to read my letter. I have heard the news
reports that Ward 9 councillor, Brad Clark would like to offer a referendum to the
citizens of Hamilton on the subject of municipal fluoridation. I fully appreciate the
desire to include the residents of Hamilton in decisions that affect them, however,
this is one of those issues where public opinion should not be the deciding factor.
Municipal fluoridation has been common in North America since 1945 when it
was started in Grand Rapids, Michigan. There has always been opposition to
these programs, just like there has always been opposition to vaccination ever
since the smallpox vaccine was developed by Edward Jenner in 1798. Just like
with vaccination, fluoridation programs have proved to be incredibly safe, quite
effective, and relatively inexpensive.
These are the truths of fluoridation. The science is clear. It’s sad to say, but the
public is often under-informed on matters of science. When the Large Hadron
Collider was coming online in Europe people around the world were panicking
that it would create a devastating black hole. Of course, a basic understanding
of physics would have put that fear to rest. Critics think that vaccines cause
autism, yet we have substantial science that shows that there is no causative link
between the two. It follows that we would have substantial public criticism of
fluoridation efforts in spite of the evidence.
I completely understand how this opposition builds. The critics have many
talking points. Some are based on misapplied science; some stir our emotions
where we lack the scientific understanding; some, unfortunately, are mere
mistruths:

“Fluoride is a chemical!” That’s a scary word to many, but really,
EVERYTHING is a chemical. Water, for example. After all, hydrogen and
oxygen both reside on the periodic table.

“Studies have shown harm from fluoride consumption!” Yes, there are
studies that show harm when extremely high dosages are consumed.
Literally anything is harmful if the dose is high enough. At the
recommended dose of around 1PPM (one milligram per litre) there are no
significant side effects in the general population.

“They’ve banned fluoride in much of Europe!” Well, no. They don’t
fluoridate the water in many parts of Europe, but that’s because water
distribution systems aren’t as widespread so water fluoridation would be
difficult. They supplement other products, like table salt, in the same way
we add iodine to our salt to prevent goiter. Fluoride has not been banned.

“Fluoridation is forced public medication!” It’s a nutrient supplement.
Food staples like milk and bread have nutrient supplements as well. Of
course we should question the need and benefit of each supplement
individually, but simply complaining that we are forced to drink it would
only be valid if it was shown to be harmful or useless.

“Fluoride does not help prevent tooth decay!” This is simply false.
Fluoride is shown to reduce cavities in children who already use
fluoridated tooth paste by up to 40%. That’s four in ten fewer times a child
in Hamilton has to sit under a dentist’s drill.

“Fluoridation is a waste of money!” Generally speaking, fluoridation
programs costs about dollar per year per person. It’s estimated that each
dollar spent saves almost fifty dollars in dental bills. Considering the lack
of widespread dental insurance coverage, fluoridation saves Hamiltonians
a lot of money. Not to mention the pain of tooth decay and the fear of
dental work.
There are many more claims made by opponents of fluoridation. They are based
on fear borne of honest ignorance of the science and it’s based on the
misinformation spread by individuals and organizations who have an ideological
opposition to fluoridation and other science-based public health initiatives. They
go to the public to stir up grass roots opposition because they know that if they
toss around a bunch of studies and claims, people will get scared in spite of the
fact that most people never bother to look at the studies, nor would they be able
to read them anyway. Science is difficult and that’s why we trust the scientists,
the people who have dedicated their lives to study in their fields, and scientific
organizations to parse this information for us.
We wouldn’t put the engineering requirements of a highway overpass up to a
vote, so why are we putting such a complex scientific issue like fluoridation up to
a vote?
I’d like to make one final point. Dental health is not an isolated system in our
bodies. We are finding more and more that poor dental health can lead to
diabetes, heart disease, stroke and premature, low-weight births.
I urge you to follow the science; not the rhetoric. Scientific understanding should
not be trumped by a popular opposition. Please. Do not sacrifice the health of
children and those who can’t afford regular dental treatment. Maintain the
fluoridation program in Hamilton.
Thank you very much,
Jason Cherry
------------------------------------------------------------------------------References (I’m happy to provide specific citations for any claims made in this letter, if desired):
City of Hamilton – Public Health Services
http://www.hamilton.ca/HealthandSocialServices/PublicHealth/DentalServices/fluorideQA.htm
Canadian Dental Association
http://www.cda-adc.ca/en/oral_health/cfyt/dental_care_children/fluoride.asp
Health Canada
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/environ/fluor-eng.php
World Health Organization – Fact Sheet
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs318/en/
Centers for Disease Control – Oral Health
http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/aag/doh.htm
CDC – Recommendations for Using Fluoride to Prevent and Control Dental Caries in the United
States
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5014a1.htm
Quackwatch – Fluoridation: Don’t Let the Poisonmongers Scare You
http://www.quackwatch.com/03HealthPromotion/fluoride.html
Science-Based Medicine - Antifluoridation Bad Science
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/antifluoridation-bad-science/
Fluoride Information Network
http://fluorideinfo.org/index.html