US Government says ingestible fluoride NOT safe for most children
Andrew Johnstone’s opinion piece (Waikato Times, 30 November) is high on opinion and light on facts. For starters, without any doubt Europe has rejected water fluoridation. Not one country in continental Europe currently fluoridates their water supply. The Basque region in Spain quietly ceased fluoridation in 2024 and Serbia ceased in 2003. Water fluoridation has been ceased in most European Countries for years, in some cases decades, showing how behind the times New Zealand is. There has been a variety of reasons to cease or not start at all, for example in France, “Fluoride chemicals are not included in the list [of ‘chemicals for drinking water treatment’]. This is due to ethical as well as medical considerations.” Louis Sanchez, Directeur de la Protection de l’Environment, August 25, 2000 and, “In Germany …the argument against a general permission of fluoridation of drinking water is the problematic nature of compulsory medication.” Gerda Hankel-Khan, Embassy of Federal Republic of Germany, 16 September 1999. The explanations for the remainder of European countries can be found at https://fluoridealert.org/content/europe-statements/. There is some salt and milk fluoridation in a minority of European countries but at least that provides for some form of choice. To claim that water fluoridation hasn’t been roundly rejected in Europe is in the realm of the deluded. Only 4% of the World fluoridates their water supplies. New Zealand is in the tiny minority that fluoridates of 195 countries in the World. We are an outlier regarding water fluoridation.
Andrew goes on to point out that Fluoride is found naturally in the earth’s crust. Being naturally in the soil, and ground water as a result, provides no comfort whatsoever. Arsenic is naturally occurring and is considered a toxin. In fact, geologically, New Zealand is fortunate, to have soil that is relatively low in fluoride. The average level of fluoride in water, generally being around 0.1 – 0.2ppm.
He goes on to point out that fluoride is in several foods and most notably tea. The key point here is that we are being over exposed to fluoride from multiple different sources. The US EPA has identified that the main source of fluoride that the average person consumes is from water fluoridation. So, while we need to take into account all sources of fluoride to consider overexposure, our main concern is to stop water fluoridation so that we are reducing the greatest source of fluoride. Being a high tea drinking nation, we are being exposed to too much fluoride. Research on New Zealand’s tea consumption can be found here: http://fluoridefree.org.nz/tea-drinkers-at-greater-risk-from-fluoride-harm/
Andrew is correct in saying that there has always been opposition to fluoridation. The earliest of those opposed to fluoridation were the biochemists who understood that fluoride interfered with human biology.
Andrew criticises Fluoride Free NZ’s website without giving any examples of the supposed points that he makes leaving readers to just accept his layperson’s view. The fact is that the Fluoride Free NZ (www.fluoridefree.org.nz) has the most up to date research and information on fluoridation in New Zealand. The site keeps abreast of the latest science such as the just finalised National Toxicology Program (NTP) neurotoxicity review, the Cochrane Collaboration review on effectiveness and the US Federal Court Ruling. In September 2024, the US Federal Court found “that fluoridation of water at 0.7 milligrams per liter (“mg/L”) poses an unreasonable risk of reduced IQ in children”. The site also has updates on all the local campaigns throughout the country.
The Cambridge Water Fluoridation protestors are rightly concerned about fluoride’s effects on the developing brain, based on the latest scientific research. Andrew is very confused about the latest research on fluoride and IQ. He references only one study and says there is a reduction of 1 or 2 IQ points, which he seems to think that that is all there is to know on the subject. However, the recently published NTP fluoride neurotoxicity review, found in a meta-analysis that 52 of 55 Fluoride human IQ studies (High- and Low-quality) showed an average lowering of 7 IQ points. The NTP Review identified that 18 of the 19 high quality studies showed a lowering of IQ. According to the NTP, the highest quality studies, of the high-quality studies, were the National Institutes of Health funded, Canadian and Mexican cohort studies. An aggregate of those studies found a reduction of IQ of 5 IQ points at 1ppm. In New Zealand, Councils are directed to fluoridate between 0.7 – 1ppm.
Recently, the Surgeon General of Florida issued a new advisory on fluoridation, which was that Florida Water Boards should cease fluoridation due to the ‘neurotoxic’ and ‘neuropsychiatric’ effects of fluoride. In his press statement, the Surgeon General said, that continuing to advocate for fluoridation was ‘Public Health Malpractice’ and that a reduction of half a standard deviation or a 7 IQ point reduction was ‘profound’. Lead was defended by the Ministry of Health as being totally safe, right up until it was deemed unsafe in 1996 and ordered to be removed from petrol and paint. New Zealand were decades behind other countries to ban neurotoxic Lead. Lead was eventually found to lower IQ by 4.25 IQ points across the New Zealand population (Reuben 2017), and no one questions whether Lead is a neurotoxin or not.
The Dunedin, Broadbent study, which Andrew mentions, is considered a low-quality study by the National Toxicology Program review. At this point in Andrew’s opinion piece, it was clear that he is not current on the latest science and really has no idea of what he is talking about.
To assist Andrew and others in the community with an understanding of how harmful fluoridation is, Fluoride Free NZ would like to invite the Waikato and Waipa community to hear the Fluoride Action Network’s US Lawyer Michael Connett speak in Cambridge, on the 5th of February 2025.
He will speak on his successful win against the US EPA and the harms of fluoridation.
Details will be advertised on New Zealand’s leading fluoridation website: http://fluoridefree.org.nz/michael-connett/
By Kane Titchener
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