Consultation concernsOLGA Senior, 'In my view" dated July 28, what a sad indictment of Ms. Senior's so called 'findings' with regard to the public consultation in respect of fluoride. Sadly, her article suggests a pomposity beyond normal requirements befitting a committee representing the thoughts and wishes of thousands of citizens in our city, and suburbs.
On a more personal level, I have personally not been contacted, either by post, telephone or spoken to personally or attended a meeting by the SHA; and not one of my associates, friends or neighbours have either. When the subject of fluoride has been discussed all have remarked 'no thanks, we take care of our children's health and their teeth'. ALL have said they have not received any invitations or consultations by the above body South Central Strategic Health Authority
Sadly, many people are unable to communicate, do not have a land phone, or computer; do not have registered accommodation/house/flat/room, or indeed the hundreds of students at colleges and university, although it's possible all have a mobile phone. It would be rather imprudent of me to say that there are thousands who do not understand the implications of fluoride but nevertheless have a sound opinion as to wanting their children to have good health checks at school, even school dentistry but, of course, this is not forthcoming. Can I ask the SHA, have they spoken to these parents I would also like to ask Ms Olga Senior, has she ascertained the opinions of parents at work, actually arranged to talk to thousands in factories, offices or stores, or indeed had a 'referendum' with parents? May I refer to the Daily Echo 'postings'. Who are we to question that readers are suggesting 'conspiracy theories', dictatorship, or indeed it may be humour, satrical, sarcasm or bitter, nevertheless the public are conveying their concerns at the way the SHA is conducting its consultation.
J MOORBY, Southampton.
A cautionary tale of too much fluoride..I WOULD like to quote the cautionary warning that came from BBC Regional News for West Midlands on Ceefax (July 30).
"Too much fluoride was put into the water supply after a new dosing system at Severn Trent Water failed, the Watchdog said.
"The Drinking Water Inspectorate said that a fault happened at the pumping station which supplies 29,000 homes between Bridgnorth and Wolverhampton last June.
"Two tests on treated water at the station failed, with one showing fluoride at twice the target level. Severn Trent Water apologised but said the water had still been safe to drink".
It speaks for itself!
C WINDSOR, Southampton.
1 comment:
Olga Senior could do the public a service were she to either make an honest assessment of both sides of the fluoridation issue or else retract her support for the practice.
The 'Environmental Health Criteria 227 - Fluorides' (EHC 227) contains the collective views of an international group of experts and was published under the joint sponsorship of the United Nations Environment Programme, the International Labour Organization and the World Health Organization, and produced within the framework of the Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals.
Section 13 (EHC 227) headed 'Previous evaluations by international bodies' notes 'adult intakes exceeding 5 mg of fluoride per day from all sources probably pose a significant risk of skeletal fluorosis."
EHC 227 10.1.2. notes 'Among 8266 Chinese men and women, the risk of all fractures and hip fractures was examined across a range of fluoride exposures. . . There was an increased risk of overall fracture and hip fracture that became statistically significant at drinking-water levels in excess of 4.32 mg fluoride/litre.'
The NHMRC noted the following in 'The Effectiveness of Water Fluoridation 1991' (p107/140 pdf) ''There are no Australian reports which permits the Working Group to precisely estimate, with confidence, the current intake of fluoride which various aged individuals are ingesting nor the differential amount of fluoride which is being stored in Australian skeletons, in fluoridated and unfluoridated areas.'
The 'Australian Drinking Water Guidelines 2004' notes (p170/355 pdf): 'Virtually all foodstuffs contain traces of fluoride. In particular, high amounts can be found in dried leaves because of natural concentration by the tea plant. Total daily intake from all sources varies considerably, but has been estimated at 0.46 to 5.4 mg, with about 10% coming from unfluoridated drinking water.'
Fluoride residues of up to 125 and 130 parts per million are now permitted on literally hundreds of foods as a result of the US EPA's approval of the use of sulfuryl fluoride as a gas fumigant.
It is absolutely irresponsible to forced people to consume additional fluoride via their water supplies when unknown numbers of people could already be consuming 5.4 mg/F per day while China is monitoring fluoride levels in people in some areas because 'fluorosis often results in yellow teeth, twisted spines, aching joints and deformed leg bones' ('China to monitor endemic arsenic, fluoride poisoning' China View, 10/8/09).
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