Tuesday, May 26, 2009

John Gormley, whatever happened to your policies?

http://www.greenparty.ie/

en/news/latest_news/greens_in_govt

_would_stop_water_fluoridation


When he was the Chair of the Interparty Study of Fluoridation for the Dept. of Health and Children, John Gormley and the group concensus came out strongly against continuing the policy of Fluoridation in Ireland. Where has this 2007 report been hidden and why has Minister Gormley not pursued the sensible option of halting this ineffective practice of dumping toxic waste into our drinking water? The clock is ticking and this blog will provide some of the answers shortly, before the elections...

"One of the dangerous pollutants in Haulbowline is fluoride, and successive Irish Governments have always covered up the dangers of fluoride (in water fluoridation, pollution from Moneypoint, Aughinish, Haulbowline, Intel Leixlip, and many other industries and practices). The politicians have consistently been appointing pro-fluoridation people to key positions in agencies such as the EPA, Food Safety Authority (which calls fluoride "a nutrient"!), and so on -- and the Greens used to criticize those public appointments, until last year.

Now look at what the Greens have done in relation to fluoride:

1997: “It is time to stop this crazy experiment with our health. It cannot be lawful for a state to poison its own people. We have ample evidence that fluoridation is damaging our health.” -- Trevor Sargent in the Dáil, 6 Feb 1997

2002: Green Party Private Member's Bill in the Dáil to stop fluoridation (see here).
General Election: An end to fluoridation was a non-negotiable condition for the Greens to enter coalition.

2007: "For me it's never been a question about votes on this issue. it's about the truth. I know they [the fluoridators] are lying. If I'm in government fluoridation will go in the first month in office. That's a guarantee." -- John Gormley, 11 Feb 2007, personal e-mail. (On the basis of such assurances, members of the anti-fluoridation movement canvassed for Gormley in his constituency.)

"Greens in Government would stop water fluoridation" -- Green Party press release, 13 March 2007

And since the general election? Not a word from the Greens about fluoridation. They haven't lifted a finger."


"It cannot be lawful for a state to poison its own people. We have ample evidence that fluoridation is damaging our health." -- Trevor Sargent TD, Feb 1997

"If I'm in government fluoridation will go in the first month in office. That's a guarantee." -- John Gormley TD, Feb 2007

"In Government we would immediately ban water fluoridation." -- Green Party health policy,




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ys9q1cvKGk



Fluoridation Ineffective & Harmful, studies show

New York - May 25 - Over 2,470 professionals urge the US Congress to stop water fluoridation until Congressional hearings are conducted, citing scientific evidence that fluoridation, long promoted to fight tooth decay, is ineffective and has serious health risks. See statement: http://www.fluorideaction.org/statement.august.2007.html.

Also, eleven Environmental Protection Agency employee unions representing over 7000 environmental and public health professionals called for a moratorium on drinking water fluoridation programs across the country, and have asked EPA management to recognize fluoride as posing a serious risk of causing cancer in people. (1a)

Last election day, 53 US cities rejected fluoridation joining a growing list of communities saying "No," to fluoridation. (1)

Since the professionals' statement was first issued (Aug 2007), the following occurred:

-- The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, Canada’s leading voice on environmental health issues, released a statement opposing fluoridation. (2)

-- The National Kidney Foundation dropped its fluoridation support replacing it with this caution: “Individuals with CKD [Chronic Kidney Disease] should be notified of the potential risk of fluoride exposure.” (3)

-- Researchers reporting in the Oct 6 2007 British Medical Journal indicate that fluoridation never was proven safe or effective and may be unethical. (4)

-- “A qualitative review of ...studies found a consistent and strong association between the exposure to fluoride and low IQ,” concluded Tang el al., in "Fluoride and Children’s Intelligence: A Meta-analysis” in Biological Trace Element Research (5)

-- Scientific American editors wrote in January 2008, "Some recent studies suggest that over-consumption of fluoride can raise the risks of disorders affecting teeth, bones, the brain and the thyroid gland"

-- Dr. A. K. Susheela, a leading fluoride expert, explains in a video why US physicians overlook fluoride as a possible cause of diseases commonly caused by fluoride. http://tinyurl.com/Susheela

-- A study in the Fall 2008 Journal of Public Health Dentistry reveals that cavity-free teeth have little to do with fluoride intake. Researchers report, "The benefits of fluoride are mostly topical…while fluorosis is clearly more dependent on fluoride intake."

-- Research published in Biological Trace Element Research (April 2009). indicates that blood fluoride levels were significantly higher in patients with osteosarcoma than in control groups. (13) Osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer, occurs mostly in children and young adults

A Tennessee State legislator who is also an MD is urging all Tennessee Water Districts to stop fluoridation, reported a Tennessee newspaper on 11/29/08. At least 30 Tennessee water districts have already complied with his request.(6)

On 1/5/09, the Burlington Board of Health recommended that Burlington cease fluoridation because fluoridation can harm some people. (7)

On 1/6/09, a Canadian town, Drayton, stopped fluoridation, not to save money, but because it was in the best interests of residents, said the Mayor. (8)

On 2/10/2009 Skagit County, WA officials reversed their 2007 fluoridation decision. (9)

On 3/3/2009, Plainfield, Vermont bans fluoridation. (10)

The Arkansas Oral Health Director is accused of giving eight "false or misleading statements" on fluoridation to an Arkansas legislative Committee. (12)

Signers to the FAN statement include:

-- Dr. Arvid Carlsson,winner of the 2000 Nobel Prize for Medicine -- Vyvyan Howard, MD, PhD, President, International Society of Doctors for the Environment -- Ken Cook and Richard Wiles, Environmental Working Group -- Lois Gibbs, Center for Health, Environment, and Justice -- Joseph Mercola, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, who runs the #1 most visited natural health website -- Theo Colborn, PhD, co-author, “Our Stolen Future” -- Sam Epstein, MD, Chairman, Cancer Prevention Coalition -- The current and six past Presidents of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology -- Board of Directors (2007), American Academy of Environmental Medicine -- FIVE Goldman Prize winners - given for excellence in protecting the environment -- Three members of the prestigious 2006 National Research Council (NRC) panel that reported on fluoride’s toxicology -- Three officers in the Union representing professionals at EPA headquarters -- Hundreds of medical, dental, academic, scientific and environmental professionals, worldwide.

Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Arvid Carlsson, says, “Fluoridation is against all principles of modern pharmacology. It's really obsolete.”

An Online Action Petition to Congress in support of the Professionals' Statement is available on FAN's web site, http://congress.fluorideaction.net

Fluoride jeopardizes health - even at low levels deliberately added to public water supplies, according to data presented in a 2006 National Academy of Sciences' (NAS) National Research Council (NRC) report. Fluoride poses risks to the thyroid gland, diabetics, kidney patients, high water drinkers and others and can severely damage children's teeth. (11) At least three panel members advise avoiding fluoridated water.

“The NRC fluoride report dramatically changed scientific understanding of fluoride's health risks," says Paul Connett, PhD, Executive Director, Fluoride Action Network. "Government officials who continue to promote fluoridation must testify under oath as to why they are ignoring the powerful evidence of harm in the NRC report,” he added.

The Professionals’ Statement also references:

-- The new American Dental Association policy recommending infant formula NOT be prepared with fluoridated water. -- The CDC’s concession that the predominant benefit of fluoride is topical not systemic. -- CDC data showing that dental fluorosis, caused by fluoride over-exposure, now impacts one third of American children. -- Major research indicating little difference in decay rates between fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities. -- A Harvard study indicating a possible link between fluoridation and bone cancer.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a DC watchdog, revealed that a Harvard professor concealed the fluoridation/bone cancer connection for three years. EWG President Ken Cook states, “It is time for the US to recognize that fluoridation has serious risks that far outweigh any minor benefits, and unlike many other environmental issues, it's as easy to end as turning off a valve at the water plant.”

Adverse health effects of fluoride: http://www.FluorideAction.Net/health

References:

(1a) http://www.nteu280.org/Issues/Fluoride/Press%20Release.%20Fluoride.htm

(1) http://www.fluoridealert.org/communities.htm

(2) http://www.fluoridealert.org/cape.html

(3) National Kidney Foundation, “Fluoride Intake in Chronic Kidney Disease,” April 15, 2008

http://www.kidney.org/atoz/pdf/Fluoride_Intake_in_CKD.pdf

(4) "Adding fluoride to water supplies," British Medical Journal, KK Cheng, Iain Chalmers, Trevor A. Sheldon, October 6, 2007

(5) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18695947?ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

(6) http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/2840202

(7) http://www.swabvt.org/node/300

(8) http://www.draytonvalleywesternreview.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1373584

(9) http://www.goskagit.com/home/article/commissioners_vote_to_halt_fluoride_program/

(10) http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20090303/NEWS0301/90303100/1009/NEWS01

(11) National Research Council (2003-2006): Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Scientific Review of EPA's Standards http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/epa/nrc/

(12) "State oral health director challenged over comments about fluoridation," March 10, 2009,by Kathryn Lucariello, Carroll County News http://www.carrollconews.com/story/1509198.html

(13) Biological Trace Element Research, “Serum Fluoride and Sialic Acid Levels in Osteosarcoma,” by Sandhu R, Lal H, Kundu ZS, Kharb S, Apr 24, 2009 [Epub ahead of print]

SOURCE: Fluoride Action Network http://www.FluorideAction.Net