Federal health officials Monday changed the recommended amount of fluoride in drinking water for the first time since 1962, cutting by almost half the maximum amount of fluoride that should be added to drinking supplies.
The Department of Health and Human Services recommended 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water instead of the long-standing range of 0.7 to 1.2 milligrams.
"The change is recommended because now Americans have access to more sources of fluoride, such as toothpaste and mouth rinses, than they did when fluoridation was first introduced in the United States," Dr. Boris Lushniak, the deputy surgeon general, told reporters during a conference call.
As a result, many Americans are getting too much fluoride, which is causing a big increase in a condition known as fluorosis that causes very faint white marks on people's teeth.
"The new recommended level will maintain the protective decay prevention benefits of water fluoridation and reduce the occurrence of dental fluorosis," Lushniak says.
But opponents of fluoridation and even some scientists maintain the new standard doesn't go nearly far enough. They say there's evidence that overexposure to fluoride might increase the risk for other health issues, including possibly thyroid problems, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and even lower IQs.
"Due to the importance of having the best possible brains in the future, I think that that would suggest that we be careful about the amount of fluoride that we deliver to the population in drinking water," says Dr. Philippe Grandjean at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Because fluoride is so readily available, critics argue people should be able to decide for themselves whether to use fluoride and how they get it.
"In our view it's high time for the United States to start following the approach taken by most of the Western world and stop fluoridating its water," says Michael Connett of the group Fluoride Action Network.
"It makes far more sense for those people who want to use fluoride to brush it on their teeth, spit it out and that way you apply fluoride to the only tissue in the body that stands to benefit," he says. "And you don't expose every other tissue in the body."
But the decision was welcomed by groups such as the American Dental Association. Federal health officials dismiss concerns that fluoride might cause other health problems.
"The only documented risk of water fluoridation is fluorosis, and it is primarily a cosmetic risk," says Barbara Gooch, a dentist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Fluorosis in the milder form is not a health risk."
Fluoride has been a big lie right from the start. The EPA scientists recommended ending fluoridation many years ago when head toxicologist William Marcus showed that fluoride was carcinogenic and mutagenic. William Marcus was fired for bringing this information forward. Please support the citiizen petitions at up coming town meeting.
ReplyDeleteThis foolish response by the federal government is outrageous !!!!! Its another lie in propaganda for dumb . you dumb bells listen up ,, The post poisoning of the pub]lic has been restricted , WOW will you listen ? THERE now Fluoride ISSUE must be lower cause its in been in toothpaste for over 60 years and NOW????? NOW feds want lower it cause half the world is eliminating it form there public water supple BUT noT OUR TOWN WATER Feds want to lower the standard because the proof we shown you all proof peter told you is truth .... well town water question what do you say to this > TOWN WATER ______________ nothing ??? will you continuing to past levels or act as your leader has said > NO or does this wind blow new vision of truth to public , THAT YOU ARE POISONING EVERY ONE by the water supple BING GO > BY the way, i buy non fluoride toothpaste now should the government know ?I mean i,m not getting my count .. if you know what i mean the daily amount said OH NO just made it public >> OH NO MR BILL
ReplyDelete,what an excuse to lower the amount because GOD knows its in other products ?????? WHAT .they forgot soda .. the reasoning is again a propaganda lie ..... they LIed to attack your pineapple which is so effected you can't think all for consume control and profit by corporation needs ... Good god send them the devil , please ... they have families
That big de -crease water department 0.8 - 1.2 M to 0.1 -0-5 M as standard < this means never listen to public agents they healthcare is too poison you
ReplyDeletepeter F you was correct and now will the water department stop ? is question 0.8 -1.2 down to 0.1 - 0,5 is big gap almost useless to put it in water I say ? good work so nay sayer its almost time to take legal action peter F
ReplyDeleteI do hope this will be the year that town meeting wakes up to the fact that we are poisoning ourselves. We need to ask the big question "is it possible fluoridation has been a big lie?" We need to put our big boy pants on and say no to this barbaric practice.
ReplyDelete