30 Sep 2010
Prof Paul Connett speaking in Southampton
For convenience the videos of Prof Paul Connett speaking in Southampton are now on a separate blog page click LINKS or title to see all 10 parts
29 Sep 2010
28 Sep 2010
26 Sep 2010
25 Sep 2010
NEW STUDY REVEALS SHOCKING LEVELS OF GUM DISEASE
NEW STUDY REVEALS SHOCKING LEVELS OF GUM DISEASE
AFTER new research suggesting that more American adults may have gum disease than previously thought, the UK could find itself in a very similar position, says a dental expert.
Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter, issued new fears following a study that suggested the prevalence of periodontal disease in the US may have been underestimated by as much as 50 percent.
Dr Carter said: “The study shows that gum disease is a bigger problem than we previously thought and although this news comes from across the Atlantic it could well apply to us here in the UK as well.
The research was conducted as part of a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) which involved a full–mouth and comprehensive periodontal examination. Over 450 American adults over the age of 35 were tested. ....
450? That is not many against the population of USA. Not many for one State. Was it in one city, a fluoridated city or not? Poor district or rich area? All races? At least they can't claim fluoridation is the answer as the States is mainly fluoridated.
AFTER new research suggesting that more American adults may have gum disease than previously thought, the UK could find itself in a very similar position, says a dental expert.
Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter, issued new fears following a study that suggested the prevalence of periodontal disease in the US may have been underestimated by as much as 50 percent.
Dr Carter said: “The study shows that gum disease is a bigger problem than we previously thought and although this news comes from across the Atlantic it could well apply to us here in the UK as well.
The research was conducted as part of a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) which involved a full–mouth and comprehensive periodontal examination. Over 450 American adults over the age of 35 were tested. ....
450? That is not many against the population of USA. Not many for one State. Was it in one city, a fluoridated city or not? Poor district or rich area? All races? At least they can't claim fluoridation is the answer as the States is mainly fluoridated.
23 Sep 2010
Dublin, 21st September 2010
Press Release
Dublin, 21st September 2010
EU Commission hearing exposes fatal flaws in water fluoridation.
International scientists, health and environmental campaigners have presented detailed evidence of the adverse effects of adding fluoride to drinking water at an EU public hearing held in Brussels. Its effects on bone and tooth enamel, the brain, kidney, thyroid function and the endocrine system regulating the body’s hormones were confirmed by reference to extensive scientific research.
Ireland and the UK are the only EU member states to deliberately fluoridate their citizens. The European Commission’s scientific committee on health and environmental risks (SCHER) is critically reviewing fluoride and fluoridation chemicals following repeated questions from Irish and UK MEPs. The committee’s preliminary opinion has already stated that water fluoridation is ‘a crude and rather ineffective form of systemic fluoride treatment to prevent dental caries without a detectable threshold for dental and bone damage’.
ENDS
Info on +353 86 811 3071
At the hearing all committee members agreed with Prof Vyvyan Howard, a leading international researcher in molecular bioscience based in the University of Ulster, that if regulatory approval for fluoridation chemicals was being sought today based on the data presented to the hearing by SCHER, the chances of obtaining it were extremely remote.
A key concern of those attending the hearing was the overexposure of their populations to fluoride. In Ireland there is an epidemic of dental fluorosis in children as confirmed by the North South Survey of Children’s Oral Health in Ireland 2002, two of whose authors were present at the hearing. This survey revealed a seven-fold increase in dental fluorosis in Irish 15-year-olds from 1984 to 2002. Dental fluorosis, which manifests as mottling or pitting of tooth enamel, is a sign of bodily overload of fluoride.
The committee was also alerted to the fundamental contradictions between the advice from another EU scientific committee, monitoring the safety of cosmetics including toothpaste, and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). While fluoride toothpastes must carry labels warning children under six-years not to swallow it as it contains sodium monofluorophosphate, EFSA recently approved the same substance as a permitted food supplement under the Food Supplements Directive. This was cited as indicative of the serious flaws in most of the advice on fluorides provided to the committee by EFSA.
The public hearing on fluoridation on Sept 17th 2010 attracted delegates from only Ireland and the UK as the sole EU member states permitting water fluoridation. The only other EU nationals in attendance were a leading supplier of fluoride toothpastes in Europe, the Spanish shipper of fluorosilicates to Ireland and an Austrian physicist and son of Europe’s most successful fluoridation opponent, the late Rudolf Ziegelbecker who demonstrated the statistical artefacts behind fluoridation’s supposed benefits.
With five of the seven- member scientific panel themselves coming from member states that do not accept these supposed benefits either, the isolation of the Irish and UK government representatives was self evident.
The Irish government was represented by four members of the Irish Expert Body on Fluorides & Health and the UK by the chairman of the British Fluoridation Society (BFS) and another BFS director and member of the European Association of Dental Public Health. Within the UK only a few areas of England are fluoridated because neither Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man nor Northern Ireland permit it.
The eight campaigners committed to stopping fluoridation including Prof Vyvyan Howard were Dr Paul Connett, Emeritus Professor of Chemistry in the US and executive director of Fluoride Action Network, the National Pure Water Association’s Elizabeth McDonagh and John Graham, Dr Stephen Peckham of Hampshire Against Fluoridation, Austrian physicist Rudolf Ziegelbecker and Robert Pocock of Irish environmental group VOICE.
UK Councils Against Fluoridation(UKCAF) did not attend on the grounds that as a medicinal intervention, fluoridation is a medical issue and as such is not within the remit of a scientific committee. UKCAF has written directly to European Commissioner ultimately responsible for the public hearing John Dalli, demanding immediate enforcement of the relevant medicines directives.
Dr Paul Connett’s soon-to-be-published book The Case against fluoride has just been reviewed by Prof Howard in the open access quarterly research journal Fluoride.
Dublin, 21st September 2010
EU Commission hearing exposes fatal flaws in water fluoridation.
International scientists, health and environmental campaigners have presented detailed evidence of the adverse effects of adding fluoride to drinking water at an EU public hearing held in Brussels. Its effects on bone and tooth enamel, the brain, kidney, thyroid function and the endocrine system regulating the body’s hormones were confirmed by reference to extensive scientific research.
Ireland and the UK are the only EU member states to deliberately fluoridate their citizens. The European Commission’s scientific committee on health and environmental risks (SCHER) is critically reviewing fluoride and fluoridation chemicals following repeated questions from Irish and UK MEPs. The committee’s preliminary opinion has already stated that water fluoridation is ‘a crude and rather ineffective form of systemic fluoride treatment to prevent dental caries without a detectable threshold for dental and bone damage’.
ENDS
Info on +353 86 811 3071
At the hearing all committee members agreed with Prof Vyvyan Howard, a leading international researcher in molecular bioscience based in the University of Ulster, that if regulatory approval for fluoridation chemicals was being sought today based on the data presented to the hearing by SCHER, the chances of obtaining it were extremely remote.
A key concern of those attending the hearing was the overexposure of their populations to fluoride. In Ireland there is an epidemic of dental fluorosis in children as confirmed by the North South Survey of Children’s Oral Health in Ireland 2002, two of whose authors were present at the hearing. This survey revealed a seven-fold increase in dental fluorosis in Irish 15-year-olds from 1984 to 2002. Dental fluorosis, which manifests as mottling or pitting of tooth enamel, is a sign of bodily overload of fluoride.
The committee was also alerted to the fundamental contradictions between the advice from another EU scientific committee, monitoring the safety of cosmetics including toothpaste, and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). While fluoride toothpastes must carry labels warning children under six-years not to swallow it as it contains sodium monofluorophosphate, EFSA recently approved the same substance as a permitted food supplement under the Food Supplements Directive. This was cited as indicative of the serious flaws in most of the advice on fluorides provided to the committee by EFSA.
The public hearing on fluoridation on Sept 17th 2010 attracted delegates from only Ireland and the UK as the sole EU member states permitting water fluoridation. The only other EU nationals in attendance were a leading supplier of fluoride toothpastes in Europe, the Spanish shipper of fluorosilicates to Ireland and an Austrian physicist and son of Europe’s most successful fluoridation opponent, the late Rudolf Ziegelbecker who demonstrated the statistical artefacts behind fluoridation’s supposed benefits.
With five of the seven- member scientific panel themselves coming from member states that do not accept these supposed benefits either, the isolation of the Irish and UK government representatives was self evident.
The Irish government was represented by four members of the Irish Expert Body on Fluorides & Health and the UK by the chairman of the British Fluoridation Society (BFS) and another BFS director and member of the European Association of Dental Public Health. Within the UK only a few areas of England are fluoridated because neither Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man nor Northern Ireland permit it.
The eight campaigners committed to stopping fluoridation including Prof Vyvyan Howard were Dr Paul Connett, Emeritus Professor of Chemistry in the US and executive director of Fluoride Action Network, the National Pure Water Association’s Elizabeth McDonagh and John Graham, Dr Stephen Peckham of Hampshire Against Fluoridation, Austrian physicist Rudolf Ziegelbecker and Robert Pocock of Irish environmental group VOICE.
UK Councils Against Fluoridation(UKCAF) did not attend on the grounds that as a medicinal intervention, fluoridation is a medical issue and as such is not within the remit of a scientific committee. UKCAF has written directly to European Commissioner ultimately responsible for the public hearing John Dalli, demanding immediate enforcement of the relevant medicines directives.
Dr Paul Connett’s soon-to-be-published book The Case against fluoride has just been reviewed by Prof Howard in the open access quarterly research journal Fluoride.
22 Sep 2010
Wales - Gwent schools teach youngsters to clean their teeth
Gwent schools teach youngsters to clean their teeth
7:20am Tuesday 21st September 2010
CHILDREN across Gwent are taking to brushing their teeth in school as part of a Wales-wide project to improve youngsters' dental health.
The Designed To Smile programme targets three-seven year-olds to try to reduce rates of decay that in some parts of Wales are 10 times worse than the best in England.
It involves community dental health teams going into nurseries and primary schools to set up supervised tooth-brushing sessions, supplying toothbrushes and fluoride toothpaste, and offering dental health advice.
Toy animals with wide smiles and bright teeth, and big toothbrushes, are used to get over to the children the importance of brushing their teeth every day.
"In a school environment the children learn from, and copy, one another," said Jane Baker, oral health co-ordinator with Gwent's community dental health team.
"Our teams go into nurseries and schools to work with the children and teachers....
Why can't the City PCT/ SCSHA do that here instead of spending a million on attempting to impose fluoridation on unwilling citizens?
7:20am Tuesday 21st September 2010
CHILDREN across Gwent are taking to brushing their teeth in school as part of a Wales-wide project to improve youngsters' dental health.
The Designed To Smile programme targets three-seven year-olds to try to reduce rates of decay that in some parts of Wales are 10 times worse than the best in England.
It involves community dental health teams going into nurseries and primary schools to set up supervised tooth-brushing sessions, supplying toothbrushes and fluoride toothpaste, and offering dental health advice.
Toy animals with wide smiles and bright teeth, and big toothbrushes, are used to get over to the children the importance of brushing their teeth every day.
"In a school environment the children learn from, and copy, one another," said Jane Baker, oral health co-ordinator with Gwent's community dental health team.
"Our teams go into nurseries and schools to work with the children and teachers....
Why can't the City PCT/ SCSHA do that here instead of spending a million on attempting to impose fluoridation on unwilling citizens?
21 Sep 2010
MOZAMBIQUE - BHP Billiton Plans Six Month Bypass of Smelter Smokestack Scrubbers
MOZAMBIQUE - BHP Billiton Plans Six Month Bypass of Smelter Smokestack Scrubbers
BHP Billiton Plans Six Month Bypass of Smelter Smokestack Scrubbers
Nastasya Tay
MAPUTO, Sep 20 (IPS) - Civil society groups are challenging a six-month authorisation granted aluminium giant BHP Billiton to emit potentially dangerous fumes from its Mozal smelter into the air without treating them first.
In May, the government gave BHP Billiton’s Mozal smelter, located in the town of Matola, 17 kilometres from the capital, the go-ahead to bypass two Fume Treatment Centres (FTCs) at its carbon plant, which re-processes and produces anodes for use in producing aluminium.
Authorisation for the bypass, which Mozal says is required to rebuild and upgrade the FTCs, has been granted for a period of six months, and is due to begin in late October 2010.
Environmental groups opposed
Civil society groups in Maputo and Matola filed a court action Sep. 14 to reverse the government’s decision, which they say is based on insufficient information about the potential impact to human health and the environment around the smelter.
The presence of fluoride in the anode production process means that compounds which pose both short and long-term threats to health are part of the cocktail of fumes during reprocessing. The purpose of the FTCs is to filter the carbon plant's emissions of potentially harmful pollutants, before it is released into the air.
Bypassing the FTCs means that compounds including hydrofluoric acid and sulphur dioxide - which in sufficient quantities can cause hypocalcemia, cardiac and respiratory arrest, and death - will be released into the atmosphere in greater concentrations.................
Don't think they would get away with that in Europe or the USA - I forgot! They do, they want to put it in our water
BHP Billiton Plans Six Month Bypass of Smelter Smokestack Scrubbers
Nastasya Tay
MAPUTO, Sep 20 (IPS) - Civil society groups are challenging a six-month authorisation granted aluminium giant BHP Billiton to emit potentially dangerous fumes from its Mozal smelter into the air without treating them first.
In May, the government gave BHP Billiton’s Mozal smelter, located in the town of Matola, 17 kilometres from the capital, the go-ahead to bypass two Fume Treatment Centres (FTCs) at its carbon plant, which re-processes and produces anodes for use in producing aluminium.
Authorisation for the bypass, which Mozal says is required to rebuild and upgrade the FTCs, has been granted for a period of six months, and is due to begin in late October 2010.
Environmental groups opposed
Civil society groups in Maputo and Matola filed a court action Sep. 14 to reverse the government’s decision, which they say is based on insufficient information about the potential impact to human health and the environment around the smelter.
The presence of fluoride in the anode production process means that compounds which pose both short and long-term threats to health are part of the cocktail of fumes during reprocessing. The purpose of the FTCs is to filter the carbon plant's emissions of potentially harmful pollutants, before it is released into the air.
Bypassing the FTCs means that compounds including hydrofluoric acid and sulphur dioxide - which in sufficient quantities can cause hypocalcemia, cardiac and respiratory arrest, and death - will be released into the atmosphere in greater concentrations.................
Don't think they would get away with that in Europe or the USA - I forgot! They do, they want to put it in our water
20 Sep 2010
What hidden dangers lie in toothpastes?
What hidden dangers lie in toothpastes?
by Angela Mdlalani
19-09-2010
Although we don’t swallow it, not intentionally at least, we do trust toothpaste, don’t we? We rely on it for dazzling smiles.
But the paste we have come to trust as offering us better oral hygiene and preventing tooth decay may be more dangerous than we care to notice.
The Internet is awash with claims that some of the dental hygiene products widely used by families today contain toxins that have, among others, been linked to cancer and blindness.
It is accepted that toothpaste should not be swallowed, hence the need to monitor youngsters when they are brushing their teeth.
Doctor Itumeleng Kalane, a General Dental Practitioner at the Dental Clinic in Gaborone, says that children should not use toothpaste before their second birthday.
Fluorosis, Dr Kalane said, is a researched and documented effect of excessive toothpaste swallowing.
by Angela Mdlalani
19-09-2010
Although we don’t swallow it, not intentionally at least, we do trust toothpaste, don’t we? We rely on it for dazzling smiles.
But the paste we have come to trust as offering us better oral hygiene and preventing tooth decay may be more dangerous than we care to notice.
The Internet is awash with claims that some of the dental hygiene products widely used by families today contain toxins that have, among others, been linked to cancer and blindness.
It is accepted that toothpaste should not be swallowed, hence the need to monitor youngsters when they are brushing their teeth.
Doctor Itumeleng Kalane, a General Dental Practitioner at the Dental Clinic in Gaborone, says that children should not use toothpaste before their second birthday.
Fluorosis, Dr Kalane said, is a researched and documented effect of excessive toothpaste swallowing.
18 Sep 2010
Brussels - EC hearing advances water fluoridation debate
EC hearing advances water fluoridation debate
By Lorraine Heller, 17-Sep-2010
Stakeholders are gathering in Brussels today to discuss a preliminary opinion on the fluoridation of drinking water in a European Commission hearing.
Organised by the EC’s Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks (SCHER) the hearing will provide a ground for the examination of criticisms, comments and concerns to the conclusions already presented in a pre-consultation opinion.
This had followed a request from the EC for SCHER to evaluate any new evidence surrounding the health effects or possible risks that may be linked to adding fluoridating agents to drinking water.
Fluoride in water
Fluoride is not considered to be essential for human growth and development but it is considered to be beneficial in the prevention of dental caries or tooth decay.
However, excessive intake of fluoride thought to lead to flurosis, which can stain or damage teeth.
Public concerns about the negative health effects of an increased consumption of fluoride prompted the EC request the examination from SCHER.
In its preliminary opinion, the committee considered previous opinions delivered by EFSA and SCCP but also reviewed the newest information in the area on risk and benefit of using fluoridated drinking water and intake of fluoride from all sources.
Key findings included:
There is no obvious advantage in favour of water fluoridation compared to topical application which is the most effective method for prevention of tooth decay;
Human exposure to fluorosilicates due to the use of hexafluorosilicic acid or hexafluorosilicate is very low because of their rapid and complete hydrolysis in water forming fluoride ions;
The upper tolerable intake level of fluoride may be exceeded in children under the age of 12 living in areas with fluoridated drinking water;
Fluoride intake from drinking water does not hamper children's neurodevelopment and does not impair IQ at the level occurring in the EU;
Studies do not suggest adverse thyroid, skeletal, reproductive or cancerogenic effects of fluoride at realistic human exposure levels in drinking water;
Exposure of environmental organisms to levels of fluoride as used in fluoridation of drinking water is not expected to lead to unacceptable risks for the environment.
Today’s hearing is expected to complement the internet consultation on SCHER’s preliminary opinion, for which the deadline for submission of comments is 22 September.
By Lorraine Heller, 17-Sep-2010
Stakeholders are gathering in Brussels today to discuss a preliminary opinion on the fluoridation of drinking water in a European Commission hearing.
Organised by the EC’s Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks (SCHER) the hearing will provide a ground for the examination of criticisms, comments and concerns to the conclusions already presented in a pre-consultation opinion.
This had followed a request from the EC for SCHER to evaluate any new evidence surrounding the health effects or possible risks that may be linked to adding fluoridating agents to drinking water.
Fluoride in water
Fluoride is not considered to be essential for human growth and development but it is considered to be beneficial in the prevention of dental caries or tooth decay.
However, excessive intake of fluoride thought to lead to flurosis, which can stain or damage teeth.
Public concerns about the negative health effects of an increased consumption of fluoride prompted the EC request the examination from SCHER.
In its preliminary opinion, the committee considered previous opinions delivered by EFSA and SCCP but also reviewed the newest information in the area on risk and benefit of using fluoridated drinking water and intake of fluoride from all sources.
Key findings included:
There is no obvious advantage in favour of water fluoridation compared to topical application which is the most effective method for prevention of tooth decay;
Human exposure to fluorosilicates due to the use of hexafluorosilicic acid or hexafluorosilicate is very low because of their rapid and complete hydrolysis in water forming fluoride ions;
The upper tolerable intake level of fluoride may be exceeded in children under the age of 12 living in areas with fluoridated drinking water;
Fluoride intake from drinking water does not hamper children's neurodevelopment and does not impair IQ at the level occurring in the EU;
Studies do not suggest adverse thyroid, skeletal, reproductive or cancerogenic effects of fluoride at realistic human exposure levels in drinking water;
Exposure of environmental organisms to levels of fluoride as used in fluoridation of drinking water is not expected to lead to unacceptable risks for the environment.
Today’s hearing is expected to complement the internet consultation on SCHER’s preliminary opinion, for which the deadline for submission of comments is 22 September.
17 Sep 2010
Daily Echo - Did fluoride trigger my coeliac condition?
Did fluoride trigger my coeliac condition?
I WAS diagnosed with coeliac disease at the age of 60 soon after a short stay in Birmingham.
Coeliac disease is a condition where the gluten in some grains such as wheat is attacked by the immune system and in the process damages the gut.
I was surprised by this as it is a condition I would have had from birth and would have expected to have been aware of it, especially as I had been a very fit paratrooper, so suspected that something had kick-started a dormant condition.
I also subsequently discovered that there has been an increase in the number of people diagnosed with the condition in recent years.
At a lecture recently I was informed of some of the dangers of
adding fluoride to the drinking water I discovered that the water in Birmingham has been fluoridated for years and now consider that this may have been the trigger to activate the condition.
Just recently the condition appears to have eased and I do from time to time consume bread and biscuits that I should not, in small quantities, and am so far not showing signs of allergy to this food.
Should my drinking water be fluoridated against my will and my symptoms return, I foresee a very expensive legal action against the Strategic Health Authority, the result of which will see me able to afford bottled water, and a decent Scotch, for the rest of my days.
ALAN KEBBELL,
Southampton.
I WAS diagnosed with coeliac disease at the age of 60 soon after a short stay in Birmingham.
Coeliac disease is a condition where the gluten in some grains such as wheat is attacked by the immune system and in the process damages the gut.
I was surprised by this as it is a condition I would have had from birth and would have expected to have been aware of it, especially as I had been a very fit paratrooper, so suspected that something had kick-started a dormant condition.
I also subsequently discovered that there has been an increase in the number of people diagnosed with the condition in recent years.
At a lecture recently I was informed of some of the dangers of
adding fluoride to the drinking water I discovered that the water in Birmingham has been fluoridated for years and now consider that this may have been the trigger to activate the condition.
Just recently the condition appears to have eased and I do from time to time consume bread and biscuits that I should not, in small quantities, and am so far not showing signs of allergy to this food.
Should my drinking water be fluoridated against my will and my symptoms return, I foresee a very expensive legal action against the Strategic Health Authority, the result of which will see me able to afford bottled water, and a decent Scotch, for the rest of my days.
ALAN KEBBELL,
Southampton.
Australia - Emergency crews work to contain chemical spill
Emergency crews work to contain chemical spill
Updated 6 hours 21 minutes ago
Map: Maffra 3860 Country Fire Authority crews are working to contain a toxic chemical spill outside the water treatment plant at Maffra in Gippsland.
An acid used to add fluoride to the water supply is leaking from a tanker parked outside the plant.
Police have set up road blocks and children at a nearby primary school have been confined to their classrooms.
Ambulances are on stand-by at the scene.
Updated 6 hours 21 minutes ago
Map: Maffra 3860 Country Fire Authority crews are working to contain a toxic chemical spill outside the water treatment plant at Maffra in Gippsland.
An acid used to add fluoride to the water supply is leaking from a tanker parked outside the plant.
Police have set up road blocks and children at a nearby primary school have been confined to their classrooms.
Ambulances are on stand-by at the scene.
15 Sep 2010
Ireland - New bid to cut tooth decay in children
New bid to cut tooth decay in children
By Fiona Dillon
Monday September 13 2010
A NEW Irish research project hopes to address the alarmingly high rate of tooth decay among pre-schoolers.
It has emerged that more than one in five children in the greater Dublin area who needed to have a tooth extracted under general anaesthetic were aged four and under.
A new Irish research project, supported by funding from the Health Research Board (HRB), is set to develop a practical intervention to increase tooth brushing and reduce the high incidence of tooth decay and extraction in this age group.
In the greater Dublin area, 2,294 children underwent general anaesthetic for dental extractions in 2008 -- 22pc were aged four or less.
The goal of the new project is "to develop an intervention designed to increase the frequency of toothbrushing among disadvantaged children from age two years in Ireland."
It is believed that targeting this group will have a major impact on the overall burden of tooth decay in the population as the vast majority of the disease is found among the less well off.
- Fiona Dillon
Ireland is the only country that requires fluoridation:NYSCOF
By Fiona Dillon
Monday September 13 2010
A NEW Irish research project hopes to address the alarmingly high rate of tooth decay among pre-schoolers.
It has emerged that more than one in five children in the greater Dublin area who needed to have a tooth extracted under general anaesthetic were aged four and under.
A new Irish research project, supported by funding from the Health Research Board (HRB), is set to develop a practical intervention to increase tooth brushing and reduce the high incidence of tooth decay and extraction in this age group.
In the greater Dublin area, 2,294 children underwent general anaesthetic for dental extractions in 2008 -- 22pc were aged four or less.
The goal of the new project is "to develop an intervention designed to increase the frequency of toothbrushing among disadvantaged children from age two years in Ireland."
It is believed that targeting this group will have a major impact on the overall burden of tooth decay in the population as the vast majority of the disease is found among the less well off.
- Fiona Dillon
Ireland is the only country that requires fluoridation:NYSCOF
14 Sep 2010
Dail Echo - Its politics not science
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Its politics not science
THE case for fluoride is based on politics not science, a US chemistry professor told campaigners trying to stop health chiefs adding it to the tap water of 200,000 homes.
Paul Connett, founder of the Fluoride Action Network, threw his support behind Hampshire Against Fluoridation when he spoke to members on Saturday at Southampton Solent University. He used the event to launch his new book, The Case Against Fluoride: how hazardous waste ended up in our drinking water and the bad science and powerful politics that keep it there.
Prof Connett also praised the Daily Echo's coverage of plans by South Central Health Authority, which it claims will improve children's teeth in Southampton, Eastleigh, Totton and Netley
He said: "The Daily Echo's wonderful coverage on the subject is being read across the world and it has helped educate politicians and the public. That's why I chose to launch the book here."
From the Lymington Times
Its politics not science
THE case for fluoride is based on politics not science, a US chemistry professor told campaigners trying to stop health chiefs adding it to the tap water of 200,000 homes.
Paul Connett, founder of the Fluoride Action Network, threw his support behind Hampshire Against Fluoridation when he spoke to members on Saturday at Southampton Solent University. He used the event to launch his new book, The Case Against Fluoride: how hazardous waste ended up in our drinking water and the bad science and powerful politics that keep it there.
Prof Connett also praised the Daily Echo's coverage of plans by South Central Health Authority, which it claims will improve children's teeth in Southampton, Eastleigh, Totton and Netley
He said: "The Daily Echo's wonderful coverage on the subject is being read across the world and it has helped educate politicians and the public. That's why I chose to launch the book here."
From the Lymington Times
13 Sep 2010
Meeting with Paul
Thank you to everyone who helped make yesterday so successful. There were about 100 people there I think. Paul is an excellent speaker. We had some good offers of help and a possible new committee member. We also had a lovely evening and the food was excellent.
Thanks particularly to those of you who printed off flyers and leaflets and organised delivery. Thanks Bill for mobilising the wider email list and Stuart for the Facebook advertising. Thanks to Mark for filming the event - would it be possible to get some stills to use in the next newsletter please?
We will try and get a newsletter out after next week's meeting in Brussels.
Stephen Peckham Chairman HAF
25% Pre-Publication Offer
Thanks particularly to those of you who printed off flyers and leaflets and organised delivery. Thanks Bill for mobilising the wider email list and Stuart for the Facebook advertising. Thanks to Mark for filming the event - would it be possible to get some stills to use in the next newsletter please?
We will try and get a newsletter out after next week's meeting in Brussels.
Stephen Peckham Chairman HAF
Chelsea Green Publishing
P.O Box 428, Suite 120,
White River Jet., Vermont 05001
P.O Box 428, Suite 120,
White River Jet., Vermont 05001
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Finally! The Real Facts About Fluoride
The Case Against Fluoride is a scientific repudiation of 60 years of
government supported medication of U.S. citizens without their
knowledge. The authors conclude that fluoridated water not only
fails to protect your teeth, but also threatens your health.
government supported medication of U.S. citizens without their
knowledge. The authors conclude that fluoridated water not only
fails to protect your teeth, but also threatens your health.
Alfred North Whitehead said the scientific method means
leaving 'options open for revision. 'An ancient Roman adage
says that 'whatever touches all must be approved by all.' These
characterizations of science and democracy are the reasons for
reading this book. Especially if you and your family are drinking
administratively mandated fluoridated water.
— Ralph Nader
leaving 'options open for revision. 'An ancient Roman adage
says that 'whatever touches all must be approved by all.' These
characterizations of science and democracy are the reasons for
reading this book. Especially if you and your family are drinking
administratively mandated fluoridated water.
— Ralph Nader
Order your copy today at: http://www.chelseagreen.com
Save 25% by entering the coupon code* TCAF at checkout. You can also call to order at: 1 800-639-4099
Save 25% by entering the coupon code* TCAF at checkout. You can also call to order at: 1 800-639-4099
Offer expires Oct 31st, 2010.
USA - 18 water systems in state stopped adding fluoride
18 water systems in state stopped adding fluoride
By Markeshia Ricks • September 12, 2010
But money woes and a tight economy could be making it harder for some water systems in the state to provide the service that has proven to help prevent tooth decay across the country.
Sherry Goode, interim director for oral health with the state Department of Public Health, said most Alabamians -- nearly 83 percent -- enjoy the benefits of fluoridated water whether they know it or not. Though fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that could be found in water, when added to water at certain levels, Goode said that it provides significant protection against tooth decay.
But in the past decade, Goode said, 27 water systems have discontinued the service. Of those 27, nine water systems have started back, but 18 have not.
Goode said that unlike some states that mandate by legislation that public water systems add fluoride to their water, Alabama does not.
"Water systems may decide to discontinue fluoridating, which is a concern for the department and the communities."
A big concern
In fact it was so much of a concern that the state's top doctor, Don Williamson, expressed his concern to the State Committee on Public Health.
He told the members of the committee that the state might be "losing the battle on fluoridation."................
I hope they are.
By Markeshia Ricks • September 12, 2010
But money woes and a tight economy could be making it harder for some water systems in the state to provide the service that has proven to help prevent tooth decay across the country.
Sherry Goode, interim director for oral health with the state Department of Public Health, said most Alabamians -- nearly 83 percent -- enjoy the benefits of fluoridated water whether they know it or not. Though fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that could be found in water, when added to water at certain levels, Goode said that it provides significant protection against tooth decay.
But in the past decade, Goode said, 27 water systems have discontinued the service. Of those 27, nine water systems have started back, but 18 have not.
Goode said that unlike some states that mandate by legislation that public water systems add fluoride to their water, Alabama does not.
"Water systems may decide to discontinue fluoridating, which is a concern for the department and the communities."
A big concern
In fact it was so much of a concern that the state's top doctor, Don Williamson, expressed his concern to the State Committee on Public Health.
He told the members of the committee that the state might be "losing the battle on fluoridation."................
I hope they are.
12 Sep 2010
How you're wrecking your kids' milk teeth
How you're wrecking your kids' milk teeth
By Octavia Walker 12/09/2010
Even if you have the best healthy intentions for your children, you could unwittingly be putting their delicate baby teeth at risk. We talk to some of the UK’s top experts about some of the more surprising causes of decay…....
Some useful advice bar this:
What to brush with: Use a child’s toothbrush (small enough to get to the back teeth) and a fluoride toothpaste. Yes, fluoride is essential, according to Nigel. ‘It first came into UK toothpastes in the early 70s and was responsible for reducing decay levels by 30-40%. It’s hugely protective.’ Children under three need a smear of toothpaste containing fluoride. After that, a pea-sized amount will do.
Babies are not able to spit it out
By Octavia Walker 12/09/2010
Even if you have the best healthy intentions for your children, you could unwittingly be putting their delicate baby teeth at risk. We talk to some of the UK’s top experts about some of the more surprising causes of decay…....
Some useful advice bar this:
What to brush with: Use a child’s toothbrush (small enough to get to the back teeth) and a fluoride toothpaste. Yes, fluoride is essential, according to Nigel. ‘It first came into UK toothpastes in the early 70s and was responsible for reducing decay levels by 30-40%. It’s hugely protective.’ Children under three need a smear of toothpaste containing fluoride. After that, a pea-sized amount will do.
Babies are not able to spit it out
9 Sep 2010
The Case Against
Water Fluoridation
A new look at the scientific evidence
A public talk and question time with one of
the world’s leading experts on fluoridation:
Professor Paul Connett PhD
Director of the Fluoride Action Network
Emeritus Professor of Chemistry
St Lawrence University, New York
www.FluorideAlert.org
Saturday 11th September
2 - 4pm
Solent University Conference Centre
Sir James Matthews Building
Above Bar St, Southampton
(next to Blackwell’s Bookshop)
Free Admission
All Welcome
Hampshire Against Fluoridation
Water Fluoridation
A new look at the scientific evidence
A public talk and question time with one of
the world’s leading experts on fluoridation:
Professor Paul Connett PhD
Director of the Fluoride Action Network
Emeritus Professor of Chemistry
St Lawrence University, New York
www.FluorideAlert.org
Saturday 11th September
2 - 4pm
Solent University Conference Centre
Sir James Matthews Building
Above Bar St, Southampton
(next to Blackwell’s Bookshop)
Free Admission
All Welcome
Hampshire Against Fluoridation
Green Party initiative could put an end to water fluoridation in Canada
Green Party initiative could put an end to water fluoridation in Canada
Wednesday, September 08, 2010 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
NaturalNews) The Green Party of Canada recently passed a resolution within its ranks that seeks to end water fluoridation in Canada. The party plans to introduce and support legislation that will outlaw fluoridation in Canada at the federal level, effectively overriding any and all local mandates that say otherwise.
Much of North America's water is fluoridated, meaning that water utilities add hexafluorosilicic acid, sodium silicofluoride or sodium fluoride to local water supplies. These toxic substances are said to prevent tooth decay, but many medical and dental professionals disagree, citing fluoride's many harmful effects on the body and teeth.
Unlike the element fluorine which can occur naturally in water, the artificial fluoride added to drinking water is a toxic byproduct of the phosphate mining industry. Aluminum factories, for instance, create fluoride waste that is commonly used to fluoridate water.
In addition to being a dangerous poison, the Green Party initiative cites the fact that fluoride is not removed by sewage treatment plants, and that much of it ends up in lakes and rivers. The Great Lakes contain as much as ten times the maximum safe levels established by the Canadian Water Quality Guideline standards for aquatic life, for instance.
Artificial water fluoridation is technically illegal since fluoride is a toxic chemical. At best, it is an unapproved drug by which governments are unlawfully medicating the public. At worst, it is a toxic poison that is wreaking havoc on public health.
Perhaps the most damning indictment of fluoride is the fact that cavity rates are generally the same among areas that fluoridate and areas that do not fluoridate. So the purported benefits of water fluoridation are entirely unsubstantiated based on scientific evidence.
It is also generally known that too much fluoride causes dental fluorosis, a condition in which tooth enamel becomes mottled, and brown and white stains form. In extreme cases, dental fluorosis literally rots the teeth.
It remains to be seen whether or not the Green Party of the U.S.--or any other party, for that matter--decides to take on water fluoridation with similar legislation...........
Wednesday, September 08, 2010 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
NaturalNews) The Green Party of Canada recently passed a resolution within its ranks that seeks to end water fluoridation in Canada. The party plans to introduce and support legislation that will outlaw fluoridation in Canada at the federal level, effectively overriding any and all local mandates that say otherwise.
Much of North America's water is fluoridated, meaning that water utilities add hexafluorosilicic acid, sodium silicofluoride or sodium fluoride to local water supplies. These toxic substances are said to prevent tooth decay, but many medical and dental professionals disagree, citing fluoride's many harmful effects on the body and teeth.
Unlike the element fluorine which can occur naturally in water, the artificial fluoride added to drinking water is a toxic byproduct of the phosphate mining industry. Aluminum factories, for instance, create fluoride waste that is commonly used to fluoridate water.
In addition to being a dangerous poison, the Green Party initiative cites the fact that fluoride is not removed by sewage treatment plants, and that much of it ends up in lakes and rivers. The Great Lakes contain as much as ten times the maximum safe levels established by the Canadian Water Quality Guideline standards for aquatic life, for instance.
Artificial water fluoridation is technically illegal since fluoride is a toxic chemical. At best, it is an unapproved drug by which governments are unlawfully medicating the public. At worst, it is a toxic poison that is wreaking havoc on public health.
Perhaps the most damning indictment of fluoride is the fact that cavity rates are generally the same among areas that fluoridate and areas that do not fluoridate. So the purported benefits of water fluoridation are entirely unsubstantiated based on scientific evidence.
It is also generally known that too much fluoride causes dental fluorosis, a condition in which tooth enamel becomes mottled, and brown and white stains form. In extreme cases, dental fluorosis literally rots the teeth.
It remains to be seen whether or not the Green Party of the U.S.--or any other party, for that matter--decides to take on water fluoridation with similar legislation...........
8 Sep 2010
Daily Echo - Brush without fluoride
Brush without fluoride
A READER asked about where to get fluoride free toothpaste (Letters, September 1). An easy answer is at a Health Food shop, although mainstream outlets sometimes stock it.
Despite having been a strong and active opponent of water fluoridation, there is a good argument to say that fluoride does work on the surface of the teeth. This is because fluoride is a nasty toxic chemical and it helps to kill the bugs on the teeth that cause tooth decay However, having researched the damage fluoride can do to the rest of the body, I made the decision not to have fluoride in my toothpaste and in my mouth a couple of years ago. Fluoridated toothpaste is especially dangerous for your children who tend to eat their toothpaste. Even for adults, • putting it in your mouth inevitably means that you ingest a significant amount of fluoride.
I used to regularly suffer from mouth ulcers but I have not had one since I stopped using fluoridated toothpaste. Apparently this is a known benefit of non-fluoridated toothpaste, but not widely advertised. And my teeth are as good as they ever were, despite my misspent youth when I drank too many sugary drinks!
JHNSPOTTISWOODE,
• I have been buying fluoride free toothpaste for years from Holland & Barrett in Shirley, Southampton. Mine is called Kingfisher Fennel.
DAVID HONEYCOMBE, Southampton.
• There are various non-fluoride brands of toothpaste available from Holland and Barrett in Shirley or Sunnyfields Organic farm in Jacobs Gutter Lane. I have also been told that Boots stock a brand called "Smile".
MRS PLACE, Southampton.
• All toothpaste for babies is non fluoride as is Toms of Maine and Parodontax.
MARIE BIRKETT, Southampton.
A READER asked about where to get fluoride free toothpaste (Letters, September 1). An easy answer is at a Health Food shop, although mainstream outlets sometimes stock it.
Despite having been a strong and active opponent of water fluoridation, there is a good argument to say that fluoride does work on the surface of the teeth. This is because fluoride is a nasty toxic chemical and it helps to kill the bugs on the teeth that cause tooth decay However, having researched the damage fluoride can do to the rest of the body, I made the decision not to have fluoride in my toothpaste and in my mouth a couple of years ago. Fluoridated toothpaste is especially dangerous for your children who tend to eat their toothpaste. Even for adults, • putting it in your mouth inevitably means that you ingest a significant amount of fluoride.
I used to regularly suffer from mouth ulcers but I have not had one since I stopped using fluoridated toothpaste. Apparently this is a known benefit of non-fluoridated toothpaste, but not widely advertised. And my teeth are as good as they ever were, despite my misspent youth when I drank too many sugary drinks!
JHNSPOTTISWOODE,
• I have been buying fluoride free toothpaste for years from Holland & Barrett in Shirley, Southampton. Mine is called Kingfisher Fennel.
DAVID HONEYCOMBE, Southampton.
• There are various non-fluoride brands of toothpaste available from Holland and Barrett in Shirley or Sunnyfields Organic farm in Jacobs Gutter Lane. I have also been told that Boots stock a brand called "Smile".
MRS PLACE, Southampton.
• All toothpaste for babies is non fluoride as is Toms of Maine and Parodontax.
MARIE BIRKETT, Southampton.
BPA Exposure from Dental Sealants
BPA Exposure from Dental Sealants
Kids may be exposed to small amounts of bisphenol-A (BPA) from dental sealants, say researchers. CNN reports that tens of millions of U.S. children are exposed to the toxic chemical and endocrine disruptor called BPA when they receive dental sealants. The study, published in Pediatrics, claims that the sealants, which are recommended to prevent tooth and gum decay, have derivatives of BPA that metabolize with saliva to form actual BPA. The BPA exposure lasts for up to three hours after the dental sealant is applied. The lead author of the paper, Dr. Abby Fleisch of Children’s Hospital in Boston, indicates it's unclear how much BPA kids typically absorb from the dental sealants. Overall, the researchers believe that the benefits of the sealants outweigh the risks.
Poison with fluoride now BPA why not treat the cause of not only dental decay but many other illnesses far too much sugar in the diet.
Kids may be exposed to small amounts of bisphenol-A (BPA) from dental sealants, say researchers. CNN reports that tens of millions of U.S. children are exposed to the toxic chemical and endocrine disruptor called BPA when they receive dental sealants. The study, published in Pediatrics, claims that the sealants, which are recommended to prevent tooth and gum decay, have derivatives of BPA that metabolize with saliva to form actual BPA. The BPA exposure lasts for up to three hours after the dental sealant is applied. The lead author of the paper, Dr. Abby Fleisch of Children’s Hospital in Boston, indicates it's unclear how much BPA kids typically absorb from the dental sealants. Overall, the researchers believe that the benefits of the sealants outweigh the risks.
Poison with fluoride now BPA why not treat the cause of not only dental decay but many other illnesses far too much sugar in the diet.
7 Sep 2010
6 Sep 2010
Fluoride Linked to Premature Births, Low-Birth Weight, Anemia
Submitted by Deborah Mitchell on 2010-09-05
The fluoride in your drinking water and various commodities may contribute to premature births, lower birth weights, and anemia in pregnant women, according to a study published in Current Science. This report is the first evaluation of fluoride as an additional risk factor for low-birth-weight infants and anemia in pregnancy.
Fluoride
The additional of fluoride has been legislated into most water supplies in the United States, reportedly to help prevent tooth decay, but this has been the subject of debate for many years. According to the New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, the practice of fluoridating tap water is not supported by valid science.
While tooth decay is increasing among children in the United States, it has declined in the United Kingdom by 11 to 15 percent, according to recent surveys. Only 10 percent of water is fluoridated in the United Kingdom, and children’s toothpaste is low-fluoride. Fluoride toothpaste in the United States contains twice the dosage. In countries such as Sweden, Finland, and Holland, tooth decay rates have declined by 72to 92 percent over the past two decades, and their water is not fluoridated.
The fluoride in your drinking water and various commodities may contribute to premature births, lower birth weights, and anemia in pregnant women, according to a study published in Current Science. This report is the first evaluation of fluoride as an additional risk factor for low-birth-weight infants and anemia in pregnancy.
Fluoride
The additional of fluoride has been legislated into most water supplies in the United States, reportedly to help prevent tooth decay, but this has been the subject of debate for many years. According to the New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, the practice of fluoridating tap water is not supported by valid science.
While tooth decay is increasing among children in the United States, it has declined in the United Kingdom by 11 to 15 percent, according to recent surveys. Only 10 percent of water is fluoridated in the United Kingdom, and children’s toothpaste is low-fluoride. Fluoride toothpaste in the United States contains twice the dosage. In countries such as Sweden, Finland, and Holland, tooth decay rates have declined by 72to 92 percent over the past two decades, and their water is not fluoridated.
Daily Echo - It's high time for health quango to go
It's high time for health quango to go
I HAVE sent a copy of the Daily Echo exclusive on fluoride by staff reporter, John Reeve, to Chancellor, George Osborne, and Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley CBE beseeching them to rid us of this pesky quango South Central Strategic Health Authority, (SCTHA), as an urgent cost-cutting measure.
It is, even now, preparing to use a substantial sum of taxpayers' cash on a legal battle
against the will of the public who do not want their pure English water contaminated with fluoride.
If the SCTHA feel so strongly about the issue, they should demonstrate it by using their own money. After all, it is David Cameron's desire to give power back to the people and, unlike Labour spin, by so doing he would demonstrate he means what he says.
PHILIP PEARCE-SMITH MBE, Holbuiy.
I HAVE sent a copy of the Daily Echo exclusive on fluoride by staff reporter, John Reeve, to Chancellor, George Osborne, and Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley CBE beseeching them to rid us of this pesky quango South Central Strategic Health Authority, (SCTHA), as an urgent cost-cutting measure.
It is, even now, preparing to use a substantial sum of taxpayers' cash on a legal battle
against the will of the public who do not want their pure English water contaminated with fluoride.
If the SCTHA feel so strongly about the issue, they should demonstrate it by using their own money. After all, it is David Cameron's desire to give power back to the people and, unlike Labour spin, by so doing he would demonstrate he means what he says.
PHILIP PEARCE-SMITH MBE, Holbuiy.
5 Sep 2010
Snacks have more sugar than donuts
Snacks have more sugar than donuts By Daniel Jones and Clare Kane, 05/09/2010
POPULAR snacks aimed at babies and toddlers contain TWICE the sugar in donuts.
HEALTH FOOD? jam donut
Top-selling Farley's Rusks are so stuffed with it they provide HALF a youngster's daily allowance in just three biscuits.
Other foods including baby porridge contain more than vanilla ice cream and rich tea biscuits.
Most would get a red warning light for high sugar levels using guidelines from the Government's Food Standards Agency.
Rusks, now made by Heinz, are a shocking 29 per cent sugar. Each 17g biscuit contains 4.9g of sugar - more than a teaspoon.
Asda Mini Ring Sugared Donuts have just 15.8 per cent sugar. Experts say toddlers should have no more than around 30g of sugar a day in a healthy diet.
Tooth decay and obesity in children, linked to heart disease and diabetes in later life, are blamed on high sugar consumption.
Our researchers checked the content of popular baby snacks, part of a baby food market worth an estimated £315million a year.
Our graphic (left) shows how many teaspoons of sugar we found in popular snacks. Many contained more than 15g per 100g, which is above recommended levels. Food must have less than 5g per 100g to be classed low in sugar.
Nutritionist Helen Bond said: "Added sugar like that found in children's snacks serves one purpose - to provide calories.
"As we all know, kids eating too many calories and not exercising enough is the reason for the growing obesity problem among UK children.
"It is better for children to get their sweet fix from sugar found naturally in food such as fruit and milk, which has added goodness."
The FSA has no official guideline figures for sugar intake but experts say just ten per cent of calories should come from added sugars.
A Heinz spokesman said: "Reduced sugar rusks providing 30 per cent less sugar than Farley's Original Rusks are also available, including a wholemeal variety.
"The level of added sugars in these recipes is kept to a minimum consistent with the need to provide a biscuit-like texture which also dissolves easily to avoid choking.
"In this respect Farley's Rusks are very different from typical biscuits. They also contain very little fat - less than 2g per Rusk - and, in keeping with the special nutritional needs of infants, contain no added salt."
Instead of spending millions on fluoridation why not use it to fix the real problem or would that upset too many manufacturers?
3 Sep 2010
India - Study Links Fluoride to Pre-term Birth and Anemia in Pregnancy
Study Links Fluoride to Pre-term Birth and Anemia in Pregnancy
NEW YORK, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Fluoride avoidance reduced anemia in pregnant women, decreased pre-term births and enhanced babies' birth-weight, concludes leading fluoride expert, AK Susheela and colleagues, in a study published in Current Science (May 2010). http://www.fluorideandfluorosis.com/Anemia/Current%20Science%20Reprint.pdf
Susheela's team explains that anemia in pregnancy, which can lead to maternal and infant mortality, continues to plague many countries despite nutritional counseling and maternal iron and folic acid supplementation. This is the first examination of fluoride as an additional risk factor for anemia and low-birth-weight babies..........
NEW YORK, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Fluoride avoidance reduced anemia in pregnant women, decreased pre-term births and enhanced babies' birth-weight, concludes leading fluoride expert, AK Susheela and colleagues, in a study published in Current Science (May 2010). http://www.fluorideandfluorosis.com/Anemia/Current%20Science%20Reprint.pdf
Susheela's team explains that anemia in pregnancy, which can lead to maternal and infant mortality, continues to plague many countries despite nutritional counseling and maternal iron and folic acid supplementation. This is the first examination of fluoride as an additional risk factor for anemia and low-birth-weight babies..........
Lymington Times - High Court fluoride battle delayed to 2111
High Court fluoride battle delayed to 2111
THE start of the legal battle over a scheme to add fluoride to the water of 8,000 people in Totton has been pushed back to next year.
If all goes as planned, anti-fluoride campaigners will now face NHS chiefs in the High Court on Thursday January 20th to argue in a judicial review against the controversial chemical.
The plan affects 190,000 people around Southampton, including Totton because of the layout of the pipes. Fluoridation was proposed to combat child tooth decay and approved by South Central Strategic Health Authority (SHA) last year.
The case is being brought by city resident Geraldine Milner who accused the SHA of failing to have regard to government policy, and also not properly considering the arguments against fluoridation.
That second claim was rejected by a judge, but an appeal was scheduled in November to try to overturn that decision. It will now be bound up into a single hearing starting in January.
The SHA, which has put aside £400,000 to fight the case, objected to the move, but it was welcomed as "sensible" by Leigh Day and Co, acting on Ms Milner's behalf.
Lawyer Sean Humber said: "We remain confident that there are really good legal arguments in favour of our client and that the process was
flawed."
A spokesman for the SHA said: "The decision made by South Central Strategic Health Authority in 2009 was carried out in accordance with the relevant legislation laid down by parliament.
"The judicial review of the decision, which is due to be heard in January 2011, will be determined by existing legislation."
Opponents fear dangerous side effects, resent "forced medication" and want a referendum, but the SHA say their fears are overblown.
A 15,000-name petition was submitted against the plan and during consultation 72% of 10,000 respondents were against — although a Mori telephone poll for the SHA showed only 38% opposed against 32% in support.
ANTI-FLUORIDE SCIENTIST TO SPEAK AT MEETING
THE campaigners are holding a public talk by a scientist opponent.
Professor Paul Connett, director of the Fluoride Action Network, will answer questions at a free meeting organised by Hampshire Against Fluoridation which is fighting the NHS plans.
It will be on Saturday September llth from 2pm-4pm at Solent University Conference Centre, Above Bar Street, Southampton.
THE start of the legal battle over a scheme to add fluoride to the water of 8,000 people in Totton has been pushed back to next year.
If all goes as planned, anti-fluoride campaigners will now face NHS chiefs in the High Court on Thursday January 20th to argue in a judicial review against the controversial chemical.
The plan affects 190,000 people around Southampton, including Totton because of the layout of the pipes. Fluoridation was proposed to combat child tooth decay and approved by South Central Strategic Health Authority (SHA) last year.
The case is being brought by city resident Geraldine Milner who accused the SHA of failing to have regard to government policy, and also not properly considering the arguments against fluoridation.
That second claim was rejected by a judge, but an appeal was scheduled in November to try to overturn that decision. It will now be bound up into a single hearing starting in January.
The SHA, which has put aside £400,000 to fight the case, objected to the move, but it was welcomed as "sensible" by Leigh Day and Co, acting on Ms Milner's behalf.
Lawyer Sean Humber said: "We remain confident that there are really good legal arguments in favour of our client and that the process was
flawed."
A spokesman for the SHA said: "The decision made by South Central Strategic Health Authority in 2009 was carried out in accordance with the relevant legislation laid down by parliament.
"The judicial review of the decision, which is due to be heard in January 2011, will be determined by existing legislation."
Opponents fear dangerous side effects, resent "forced medication" and want a referendum, but the SHA say their fears are overblown.
A 15,000-name petition was submitted against the plan and during consultation 72% of 10,000 respondents were against — although a Mori telephone poll for the SHA showed only 38% opposed against 32% in support.
ANTI-FLUORIDE SCIENTIST TO SPEAK AT MEETING
THE campaigners are holding a public talk by a scientist opponent.
Professor Paul Connett, director of the Fluoride Action Network, will answer questions at a free meeting organised by Hampshire Against Fluoridation which is fighting the NHS plans.
It will be on Saturday September llth from 2pm-4pm at Solent University Conference Centre, Above Bar Street, Southampton.
2 Sep 2010
FAN Bulletin 2029: Campaign Updates
Fluoride Action Network
http://fluoridealert.org/
FAN Bulletin 2029: Campaign Updates
September 1, 2010
You haven't heard from us since the FAN conference because Ellen and I snatched two weeks vacation on the NJ shore. This came as a very welcome break after an intense few months that involved completing the book, organizing the FAN conference, interviewing candidates for FAN's campaign manager, and more. Standby for an exciting announcement tomorrow!
Point persons for each state. The campaign manager's task will be greatly helped by the number of people who have already volunteered to be the point person for their state. We have given an updated list of these below. If you are interested in helping to get fluoridation out of a town in one of these listed states please contact the person identified below. The names will be handed over to the campaign manager.
In about a year's time we hope to help bring many of these state leaders/coordinators as well as the most effective individual activists to the Washington, DC area (as we just did in Canton, NY) to further network, inspire and empower. So while we want to see victories at the local level we mustn't lose sight of the need to focus some of this collective education and energy into achieving a far greater pressure on the federal agencies, which could end this ridiculous practice tomorrow if they had the scientific integrity to do so. In this respect, a very important article appeared recently in the New York Times - see http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/08/27/27greenwire-scientists-grow-disillusioned-waiting-for-clea-91109.html
Some exciting news from the UK. The new coalition government has announced that they are disbanding the Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs) in 2012 -see http://www2.fluoridealert.org/Alert/United-Kingdom/England/Southampton-Fluoride-plans-could-be-scrapped
These are the unelected bodies, which under the 2003 Water Act, were supposed to make the final decision on water fluoridation. The first SHA that attempted to do this in Southampton made a complete mess up of the so-called "public consultation" process. Even though 72% of the people polled said that they didn't want fluoridation the board voted unanimously to go ahead anyway. This arrogance even upset local politicians who had been in favor of fluoridation. It has been widely assumed that once the SHA's decision has been upheld on appeal, it would trigger similar "public consultations" throughout the country. Now this will not happen. The decision to fluoridate will almost certainly go back into the hands of local decision makers. There are of course dangers in this, but even so having some kind of recourse to a democratic process gives citizens a fighting chance to keep fluoridation out of their communities.
Australia and New Zealand. One only has to compare the Australian and New Zealand experiences with respect to fluoridation to see the importance of democracy. The governments of both countries are very pro-fluoridation and their health departments churn out the same old tired mantra of "safe and effective" even though they do virtually no health studies of their own! The big difference is that communities in New Zealand do have a say in the matter. In Australia there is absolutely no pretence at democracy and the state health departments are simply forcing this practice on communities without giving them any chance to vote. With fluoridation, Australia epitomizes the arrogance of power. Health officials act like tinpot dictators. They have little first-hand knowledge of the issue but are willing to force it on millions of people. They will not debate the issue in public and won't even answer serious questions put to them by opponents with strong scientific credentials. ........................
http://fluoridealert.org/
FAN Bulletin 2029: Campaign Updates
September 1, 2010
You haven't heard from us since the FAN conference because Ellen and I snatched two weeks vacation on the NJ shore. This came as a very welcome break after an intense few months that involved completing the book, organizing the FAN conference, interviewing candidates for FAN's campaign manager, and more. Standby for an exciting announcement tomorrow!
Point persons for each state. The campaign manager's task will be greatly helped by the number of people who have already volunteered to be the point person for their state. We have given an updated list of these below. If you are interested in helping to get fluoridation out of a town in one of these listed states please contact the person identified below. The names will be handed over to the campaign manager.
In about a year's time we hope to help bring many of these state leaders/coordinators as well as the most effective individual activists to the Washington, DC area (as we just did in Canton, NY) to further network, inspire and empower. So while we want to see victories at the local level we mustn't lose sight of the need to focus some of this collective education and energy into achieving a far greater pressure on the federal agencies, which could end this ridiculous practice tomorrow if they had the scientific integrity to do so. In this respect, a very important article appeared recently in the New York Times - see http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/08/27/27greenwire-scientists-grow-disillusioned-waiting-for-clea-91109.html
Some exciting news from the UK. The new coalition government has announced that they are disbanding the Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs) in 2012 -see http://www2.fluoridealert.org/Alert/United-Kingdom/England/Southampton-Fluoride-plans-could-be-scrapped
These are the unelected bodies, which under the 2003 Water Act, were supposed to make the final decision on water fluoridation. The first SHA that attempted to do this in Southampton made a complete mess up of the so-called "public consultation" process. Even though 72% of the people polled said that they didn't want fluoridation the board voted unanimously to go ahead anyway. This arrogance even upset local politicians who had been in favor of fluoridation. It has been widely assumed that once the SHA's decision has been upheld on appeal, it would trigger similar "public consultations" throughout the country. Now this will not happen. The decision to fluoridate will almost certainly go back into the hands of local decision makers. There are of course dangers in this, but even so having some kind of recourse to a democratic process gives citizens a fighting chance to keep fluoridation out of their communities.
Australia and New Zealand. One only has to compare the Australian and New Zealand experiences with respect to fluoridation to see the importance of democracy. The governments of both countries are very pro-fluoridation and their health departments churn out the same old tired mantra of "safe and effective" even though they do virtually no health studies of their own! The big difference is that communities in New Zealand do have a say in the matter. In Australia there is absolutely no pretence at democracy and the state health departments are simply forcing this practice on communities without giving them any chance to vote. With fluoridation, Australia epitomizes the arrogance of power. Health officials act like tinpot dictators. They have little first-hand knowledge of the issue but are willing to force it on millions of people. They will not debate the issue in public and won't even answer serious questions put to them by opponents with strong scientific credentials. ........................
1 Sep 2010
Daily Echo Letters - SHA going to courts is shocking waste of money
SHA going to courts is shocking waste of money
THE game must surely be up for the Strategic Health Authority Having tried to persuade the public to accept fluoride in our tap water, it failed miserably.
It then ignored the views of the local parish councils, New Forest District Council, Eastleigh Borough Council, Southampton City Council and even Hampshire County Council (following an excellent piece of scrutiny work, taking evidence from experts on both sides).
I suppose it was then predictable that the views of all local MPs would also be ignored. However, even I was shocked by its willingness to squander over £400,000 of our money trying to defend its unpopular decision through the courts.
Even if it should succeed here, it would still have to face a joint complaint made by myself and my local MP, Dr Julian Lewis, to the Parliamentary and Health Ombudsman.
Three cheers for the new coalition Government if it decides to transfer the decision back to locally elected and accountable councillors, like myself.
Democracy will have been restored.
CUR DAVID HARRISON,
New Forest Liberal Democrats,Totton.
Non-fluoride paste appeal
COULD I, through your newspaper, ask your readers if they know where I can buy non-fluoride toothpaste, because Boots no longer stock it for sale, or I can't clean my teeth with toothpaste. MRS P H CREASOR, Totton.
THE game must surely be up for the Strategic Health Authority Having tried to persuade the public to accept fluoride in our tap water, it failed miserably.
It then ignored the views of the local parish councils, New Forest District Council, Eastleigh Borough Council, Southampton City Council and even Hampshire County Council (following an excellent piece of scrutiny work, taking evidence from experts on both sides).
I suppose it was then predictable that the views of all local MPs would also be ignored. However, even I was shocked by its willingness to squander over £400,000 of our money trying to defend its unpopular decision through the courts.
Even if it should succeed here, it would still have to face a joint complaint made by myself and my local MP, Dr Julian Lewis, to the Parliamentary and Health Ombudsman.
Three cheers for the new coalition Government if it decides to transfer the decision back to locally elected and accountable councillors, like myself.
Democracy will have been restored.
CUR DAVID HARRISON,
New Forest Liberal Democrats,Totton.
Non-fluoride paste appeal
COULD I, through your newspaper, ask your readers if they know where I can buy non-fluoride toothpaste, because Boots no longer stock it for sale, or I can't clean my teeth with toothpaste. MRS P H CREASOR, Totton.
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