More on the Fluoride Debate
I have already blogged on the dangers of fluoride, but more information on this toxic poison is continuing to pour in.
If I ever wondered why my thyroid doesn’t work properly, the mystery seems to be solved with the fluoride pills my dentist insisted to my mom that I take as a child, since we were using well water, and not fluoride treated city water.
In Port Huron, Mich., officials are considering a halt to fluoridation that began in 1974, as residents have argued the treatment poses health risks to newborns and infants, those with thyroid conditions and others. Mayor Pro-Tem Jim Fisher said: “Fluoride is cumulative in your body. … There’s a fairly large body of scientists that believe it’s not good for your health.”
In England, where most public drinking is not artificially fluoridated, Prime Minister Gordon Brown is pushing the practice by municipalities such as Southampton. Pushing back, however, is a strong effort by the country’s Green Party, which says adding the chemical to water supplies removes the people’s freedom to choose. Eric Hyland of the party said: “Fluoride is toxic waste. It is more toxic than lead and marginally less so than arsenic. This is what the government wants to put in your drinking water. It is illegal under the Poisons Act to administer poisonous or noxious substances to anyone, and the Green Party will continue to campaign against it.”
The anti-fluoride activists make their case effectively by telling consumers to read the U.S. government’s own warnings regarding toothpastes and mouthwashes containing fluoride. They include:
- “Keep out of reach of children under 6 years of age.”
- “If you swallow more than used for brushing, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away.”
- “If more than used for brushing is accidentally swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Centre right away.”
- “Never give fluoridated mouthwash or mouth rinses to children under six years of age, as they may swallow it.”
- “Use non-fluoridated toothpaste or no toothpaste for young children.”
While few would argue that topical application of minute amounts of fluoride on teeth would reduce cavities, deliberately ingesting it – even in trace amounts – is risky.
I think that when in doubt, DON’T is a safe rule here till this is solved, don’t you?
Hi Mama!
Ah, toxic chemicals and government…this on the heals of my thimerosal research- don’t even get me started! This post would be huge!! (Anyone who wants to know about that can read the chapters on mercury in Changing the Course of Autism by Brian Jepson)
Anyway, the dentist always applied floride directly to my teeth and then had us spit it out. The one time I swallowed a bunch I threw up about 15 min. later. (Throwing up is also not good for teeth.)
When I took chemistry, the use of fluoride was explained in very sensible terms of the chemical reaction IN CONTACT WITH YOUR TEETH, not in your tummy. (Check out A Beka’s high school chemistry book; I don’t remember the specific name.)
I am not opposed to fluoridated toothpaste for people who can spit it out, but I do not appreciate fluoride in my water, going into my tummy and my baby’s tummy where it does not belong, when I did not ask for it to be there.
Go Britan’s Green Party!