When I was growing up in La Crosse, Wis. back in the sixties, they used to have a public talk forum on one of the radio stations. At that time, the city was discussing fluoridating the water supply. There were large numbers of people pro and con. The con people would publish pictures of people with severely mottled teeth supposedly from having their water fluoridated. The only problem was they were showing pictures of people who were living in areas where the water was naturally fluoridated at many times the ppm that cities put in the water supply.
The con position eventually disintegrated, and the city fluoridated the water. In the fifty years since, there have been no news of serious diseases or higher death rates in La Crosse due to fluoridation. There was a great decrease in the amount of cavities for children. Which was the goal.
Fluoride chemicals added to public water supplies, boosts lead absorption in lab animals’ bones, teeth and blood, report Sawan, et al. (Toxicology 2/2010). Earlier studies already show children’s blood-lead-levels are higher in fluoridated communities, reports Sawan’s research team.
“…exposure to increased amounts of lead and fluoride occurs at about the same age (1-3 years)… Therefore, this is a critical time when systemic exposure to fluoride should be minimized since fluoride may increase lead accumulation,” the researchers caution.
Low-level lead exposure is associated with lower IQ, ADHD and many health and behavior ailments.
Let us tell you a tale of two cities–Tacoma, Washington, and Thurmont, Maryland. Both of them saw significant decline in lead levels only six months after fluoridation was stopped. (In Tacoma, that was due to equipment problems, in Thurmont, it was a temporary ban by the city council.) Tacoma registered a drop of nearly 50% (20); in Thurmont it was 78%. To the best of our knowledge, no other explanations were offered. In Thurmont the ban is now permanent.
Unfortunately, Tacoma returned to fluoridating its drinking water and a battle continues over whether to stop it.
I’d rather the “children” (it’s always for the “children”, you know) get their fluoride from toothpaste or the dentist. Keep it out of the water.
That was 50 years ago when people had brains...