- 12 reasons to reject fluoride
by Dennis Stevenson
After discovering the suppressed evidence that fluoridation can cause tooth decay, death and environmental pollution as well as being an assault to our freedoms, people usually ask, “But why would they do it?” The answer is a remarkable story of greed, power and fear!
For over 100 years, the scientific and medical communities have understood the poisonous nature of fluoride. In the 1930’s and 40’s, giant U.S. companies, such as ALCOA [Aluminium Company Of America], Reynolds Aluminium and others, were sued for millions of dollars due to toxic fluoride
waste belching from their factory smokestacks, destroying crops and livestock. ALCOA’s owners, the Mellon family, figured that if people could be persuaded that fluoride was not poisonous but was
good for teeth, profits could be protected. So, to promote the idea of water fluoridation, they hired the brilliant ‘father of propaganda’, Edward L. Bernays. Joined later by other fluoride polluting industries (e.g. nuclear) and the multi-billion dollar sugar, toothpaste, confectionary and soft drink industries, they became strong financial supporters of dental associations that promoted fluoridation. One such support group is the Dental Health Education & Research Foundation, founded in Australia in 1962. DHERF’s Governors, members and donors included key representatives from Coca-Cola, CSR, Kellogg’s, Colgate, Palmolive, Wrigley’s, Arnotts, Scanlens Sweets and Cadbury, Schweppes. DHERF’s 1979 ‘Honour Roll of Contributors’ thanked seven of these businesses for donations, much being used to promote fluoridation.
Many of fluoridation’s supporters claim it is ‘safe and effective’. They say this is proven scientifically. I’ve had many public debates against doctors, dentists and scientists in Australia and New Zealand. We at least had one thing in common; none of us had ever done any original research on fluoridation. They, like myself, use research studies done by others. So investigative skills, analytical thought and the courage to reveal the truth become paramount. Here, I feel I’ve benefited from my work as a police officer, army intelligence instructor, business consultant and investigative author and, especially, as an independent parliamentary member of the ACT Government Fluoridation Inquiry.
As you may know, fluoridation is extremely controversial with both sides claiming the evidence proves their case. So how do we choose between studies that appear contradictory? You don’t need to! There is an easier, far more certain way to understand fluoridation – see what makes sense to you! In this article, I present many common sense points that prove beyond a doubt that compulsory artificial fluoridation should be stopped. In fact, the first point alone can decide the issue for most people.
I also give some scientific references to show that the evidence against fluoridation has been understood for decades. This is important! For 40 years, fluoridationists, when backed into a corner over its disastrous effects and to avoid action being taken against fluoridation say, “We need more research.” Then, either nothing is done, or another sham inquiry is held, that inevitably claims that fluoridation is ‘safe and effective.’ This happened in each of Australia’s three flawed state government inquiries: Tasmania in 1968, Victoria in 1979, and the Australian Capital Territory from 1989 – 91.
Poison on Tap by Glen. S. Walker, Chairman of the Freedom from Fluoridation Federation of Australia, is a remarkably detailed book, dissecting the fraudulent Victorian and Tasmanian Government Inquiries. My 133-page Dissenting Report, from an insider’s perspective, reveals the perversion of the ACT Government’s Inquiry into Water Fluoridation. Either of these can be studied to understand the anatomy of corrupt state and federal governments in Australia. Keep in mind, when you deliberately hide the truth about poisonous chemicals, people die.
No 1. No freedom of choice
Only parents or individuals have the right to decide if they or their children take drugs. This point should forever end the push to put fluoride in our drinking water. In trying to deny this point, fluoridationists often falsely claim that fluoride is not a drug. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration show that fluoride is not a food, nutrient or dietary supplement when they state, “Sodium fluoride used for therapeutic effect [e.g. water fluoridation] would be a drug, not a mineral nutrient.” F.D.A. 1963. Research Fellow in Law at Nufield College, Oxford, England, Paul M. McCormick stated, “From the legal point of view, fluoridation is compulsory medication. It is done without the permission of the person at the receiving end.”
No. 2. Toxic waste is used for fluoridation
Fluoridationists often claim that the chemical used in Australian fluoridation is natural or healthy, by saying that it’s found naturally in the Earth’s crust or ground water. This is false and misleading. Firstly, suggesting that chemicals are safe because they are found in the natural environment is, when you think about it, nonsense: arsenic, mercury and other poisons are found there as well. Secondly, their statement is a 50 foot long red herring as it tries to suggest that all fluoride chemicals are the same. However, sodium silicofluoride doesn’t exist naturally in the environment anywhere on Earth. This toxic chemical, which is what the 85% of fluoridated Australians are forced to ingest every day, is an extremely poisonous untreated waste captured inside the smokestacks of factories manufacturing superphosphate fertiliser.
Not surprisingly, Australia’s environmental laws restrict its emission to prevent toxic pollution.
The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer reports sodium silicofluoride as, “... an insecticide, fungicide, bactericide and rodenticide [rat poison] ... [and] a fluoridating agent for municipal drinking-water. ... The Commission of the European Communities (1978) requires that sodium silicofluoride be labelled as toxic by inhalation, in contact with the skin or if swallowed.” I.A.R.C. Monograp (on the Evaluation of the Carcinogenic Risk of Chemicals to Humans, 27-4-82 p.250.)
No. 3. Safeguards ignored with fluoridation
Doctors have legal and medical restrictions in prescribing drugs. A patient’s medical history, age, weight, sex, allergic reactions, other drugs taken and illnesses must be determined. After an adequate medical examination, prescriptions must be in writing, for a specifically-named person, drug, duration and dose. Never in the history of medicine has a patient been told “take some whenever you’re thirsty”. Also, harmful side-effects must be explained, especially those that can result in the patient’s death. You have the absolute right to refuse! These 15 safety requirements are vital. All are ignored with fluoridation.
No. 4. Fluoride deaths
In a 5-month court case of world experts in Pittsburgh, U.S.A. in 1978, scientists opposing compulsory fluoridation were led by the eminent Dr Dean Burk, a US National Cancer Institute founder and its chief chemist for 35 years. The evidence proved that fluoridation kills approximately 10,000 people each year
from cancer in fluoridated communities as compared with fluoridation-free communities. This was reluctantly admitted to by fluoridationists under cross-examination.
The Judge, Justice John P. Flatherty, in his Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Decree against fluoridation, stated, “The trial brought into my Court, experts on the subject of fluoridation, and I meticulously considered the objective evidence. In my view, the evidence is quite convincing that the addition of sodium fluoride to the public water supply at one part per million [1 ppm is commonly used in Australia] is extremely harmful to the human body, and a review of the evidence will disclose that there is no convincing evidence to the contrary.”
In Brisbane, 2-year-old Jason Burton died after taking 6 fluoride pills. His mother had given him 1 pill but left him alone for 5 minutes after failing to lock the bottle away. Jason’s death certificate states, “Fluoride poisoning”. It’s not unusual that fluoride kills, but because doctors aren’t trained to recognise the symptoms, they rarely indicate the true cause of death.
In New York, 3 year old William Kennerly died from a ‘fluoride rinse’ at a dentist’s surgery. This was his first visit to a dentist, for a check-up. His teeth were perfect. However, the dental nurse painted fluoride on them and, handing him a glass of water, failed to tell him not to swallow any but just rinse and spit it out. William swallowed the poison and it killed him. That the Court awarded the parents US$750,000 is no consolation for them having lost their son to fluoride poisoning.
No. 5. The fluoride dose is unknown
No one knows how much fluoride anyone gets. The 1 ppm added to water supplies is a rate, not a dose. How much you get (the dose) depends on how much water you drink, whether you use fluoridated toothpaste, dental fillings or other such products, how much you eat and drink of products or foods that have been grown with fluoridated water, fertilised with superphosphate, sprayed with fluoride insecticides and cooked or prepared with fluoridated water. To prescribe any drug in this uncontrolled and uncontrollable manner is quite bizarre – even more so for a product as poisonous as fluoride.
No. 6. Fluoridation is undemocratic
Australians have rejected fluoridation in over 95% of the dozens of referendums held during the past 35 years. Votes opposing fluoridation have been as high as 98% against. These days, communities are usually denied the right to decide on fluoridation at referendum. It seems clear that politicians, knowing we consistently reject fluoridation, refuse to let us have a democratic say.
This type of dictatorial action is a perfect example of why Binding Citizens Initiated Referendums (BCIR) should be introduced at all three levels of Australian government. BCIR gives electorates the right to:
A. Initiate a new law,
B. Say ‘No’ to a proposed or existing law, or
C. Recall (sack) public servants who have lost our confidence.
Politicians support referendums, but only when they can initiate them and determine how the questions are worded. Their referendums are not binding unless they get the answer they want. Otherwise, the result is usually ignored and a few years later, they try another referendum or just introduce the law anyway, ignoring the fact that we said ‘No!’. If the electorate wants a referendum, say on fluoridation, vaccination, the GST or invading Iraq, politicians and their media supporters usually vehemently reject our right to have a say: suddenly discovering that referendums cost too much, result in ‘mob rule’, can be too easily influenced by propaganda, etc etc. They say that’s why we elect politicians: to make the decisions. But that’s not true, is it? Don’t we elect them to do as we, their employers, tell them? Isn’t that why politicians are called public ‘servants’? Isn’t that what the word ‘democracy’ means - ‘people rule’? Aren’t they supposed to ‘re-present’ (present again) the majority expressed will of their electorate and isn’t that why we actually have electorates, and why they’re called ‘representatives’? Worth thinking about, isn’t it? It may even encourage us to stop voting for party politicians who sell their vote and voice to party controllers, and instead elect genuine representatives who are passionate about freedom, truth and service and have the courage to withstand the inevitable attacks and denigration they face as a result.
Some politicians have the gall to say that electorates won’t make intelligent decisions at referendums. They are only right to the extent that they suppress vital information such as that presented in this article. We don’t get the facts and thus cannot make an informed choice – vital if we are to live in a democracy.
Why do we so consistently vote ‘No’ at referendums on fluoridation? It’s because, during the widespread discussion in the lead-up to the vote, people in your electorate who already know the truth finally have that rare chance to let you know. That is one of the many wonderful benefits of referendums. Finally, truth can see the light of day and not be overwhelmed by constant media and political propaganda.
No. 7. Does fluoride reduce cavities?
Contrary to the repeated claims that fluoridation is effective, the evidence from many countries shows that fluoridation does not reduce tooth decay. Less than 4% of the world’s population are subjected to compulsory fluoridation, yet nearly all countries have had decades of falling decay rates. This includes all of
the 10 countries in west continental Europe, none of which are fluoridated. (WHO, http://www.whocollab.od.mah.se). Tooth decay in NZ was also reducing decades before fluoridation.
For example, NZ school dental records since 1930 (virtually a population study of the condition of people’s teeth) show steep decay reductions for the 25–35 years before fluoridation ever began.
No. 8. Even the experts can’t agree!
Among experts, the argument rages over fluoridation. If the safety of any chemical or drug is so hugely controversial, as it certainly is with fluoride, doesn’t common sense demand that it should not be used at all? Certainly, no sane government would try to compel millions of people to take fluoride every day of their lives!
No. 9. The side-effects of fluoride
Fluoride is extremely toxic and can cause grave harm and tooth decay. Fluoride is one of only a couple of chemicals that are so toxic they have a disease named after them, asbestos (asbestosis) being one of the few. ‘Fluorosis’ is the medical term for fluoride poisoning. Fluorosis is a disease of constant ‘whole body’ poisoning, not just of the teeth. When the skeleton is diseased, it’s called skeletal fluorosis. When teeth are thus diseased, it’s called dental fluorosis. Dental fluorosis is the first visible sign that someone is suffering from chronic fluoride toxicity and is seen as chalky white mottling of their teeth. Dental fluorosis
can also cause teeth to fracture, pit (get holes) or develop dark brown to black mottling. Black mottling, while rare in Australia, exists in countries in which ‘natural’ fluoride contaminates the ground water.
Dental fluorosis is an irreversible, disfiguring tooth decay which signifies the cellular breakdown of teeth. Australia’s three major government fluoridation inquiries, as named above, all indicated in their final reports that up to 10% of children will get mottled teeth if water is fluoridated. In practice however, mottling is shown to be as high as 48%, as established in the United Kingdom Government’s York Report, published in 2000.
Dentists charge $600 to $1,200 per tooth to hide the disfiguring effects of dental fluorosis. This is done by gluing a porcelain or plastic cover onto the front surface of the tooth to hide the effects of fluorosis. This practice can be quite lucrative to members of the dental profession, some of whom can earn up to $500,000 a year.
No. 10. What about proper nutrition?
Leaving aside the damage to teeth resulting from fluoridation, most other decay is due to a poor diet containing lots of processed carbohydrates. Australians average about 22 teaspoons of sugar a day! However, the only reason teeth get badly decayed is because they weren’t filled early enough. This is logical, isn’t it? Tooth decay is gradual. With early repair, teeth will never get badly decayed. The reason that so many adults and children have badly decayed teeth is often because they cannot afford to pay the huge fees charged by dentists. Someone I know has a medium-sized hole in a front tooth. They recently phoned a dentist to get the cost of one filling. When told it would cost $110 to $300, they put it off.
When trying to promote fluoridation, dentists often show pictures or tell emotional stories of young children ‘ravaged’ by tooth decay, ‘racked’ by pain and subjected to the other adverse health effects that can be associated with tooth decay. They are right. However, instead of encouraging the poisoning of our drinking water supplies, dentists themselves have the power to almost completely eliminate serious decay. They can simply reduce their fees to those which people can afford to easily pay. Telling us we can go to government dental clinics is of little help with waiting lists up to 8 years long, as in NSW.
No. 11. One in a long line of medical mistakes
Australian authorities often make mistakes. Fluoridation is claimed to be safe, but so was arsenic, DDT, thalidomide, dioxin, asbestos, agent orange, the Dalkon shield, deildrin, mercury, lead and more recently, Vioxx, all shown later to harm or kill people. But at least they weren’t compulsory. Fluoridation is!
No. 12. Fluoridation is compulsory medication
If someone tried to force us to take a pill every time we drank a glass of water, we’d suggest they go where it’s eternally hot. The only real difference with fluoridation is that the pill is dissolved in the water before they make us take it.
Why don’t more professionals speak out?
Many professionals know the truth about fluoridation but are fearful of discussing it because of what happens to fluoridation whistleblowers. Experience shows that they are ridiculed, don’t have their scientific research published in professional journals, don’t get plum government appointments, are ostracised, often lose their jobs and are subjected to enormous stress and financial pressure. Most politicians are also afraid to speak out. One Member of our ACT Legislative Assembly was threatened that if she didn’t vote for fluoridation, she would not get Liberal Party pre-selection. She voted against fluoridation and lost her seat as she wasn’t pre-selected. There would be other reasons given for her not being pre-selected but the threat itself is a criminal action and listed in the Crimes Act. We know that it’s a serious offence to attempt to bribe a police officer. We have now been reminded that it is a far more serious one to attempt to bribe or threaten a Member of Parliament.
On this fluoridation issue, it looks like it’s largely up to us to stop fluoridation. So, consider the common sense points 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11 and 12 and help prevent governments poisoning entire communities. Remember, if fluoridation is forced onto any state, deaths and tooth decay will increase (search for the terms ‘fluoride deaths’ and ‘dental fluorosis’ on the internet) and the ecosystem, other life forms and our rights will suffer.
Action to take
Don’t buy foods, and especially drinks, prepared with fluoridated water (e.g. much of what you see in a supermarket) or use fluoridated toothpaste or other fluoridated products like mouthwashes and certain bottled waters. When visiting a dentist, tell them – don’t leave this to chance – that you do not want any fluoride used on yourself or your children. This includes gels, slow-release fluoride fillings, etc.
• If your electorate is under threat of fluoridation, get a copy of the shorter, 1-page version of ‘12 Reasons to reject Fluoridation’ which can be found on the Informed Voice website (www.avn.org.au).
• Form a team.
• Letterbox your electorate.
• Display ‘12 Reasons’ on hundreds of notice boards and shop windows.
• Tell representatives of your will. Work on the principle: “Light a fire under your politician’s feet, Watch ‘em move when they feel the heat!”
Understand that we have the legal, constitutional and moral right as well as a personal obligation to build communities that are free, prosperous and healthy. Perhaps, if we do this as a result of fluoridation, it will have been worth the high cost we have paid in this campaign for freedom and health.
Dennis Stevenson is a former Parliamentarian and Member of the ACT Legislative Assembly ‘Fluoridation Inquiry’ (1989–91). The majority of inquiry members would not report the scientific, medical, dental and court evidence received in worldwide submissions proving that fluoridation causes disease, deaths, tooth decay and is useless and environmentally destructive. Dennis put this evidence into a 177-page Dissenting Report, which was longer than the official 131-page report that attempted to suppress the evidence found during the investigation.
Dennis can be contacted at P.O. Box 109 Palm Beach, Qld 4221 Australia. He can help with fluoridation talks, interviews, debates, humour, workshops, campaign plans and community training.
Reproduced with kind permission – Australian Vaccination Network, Oct 2008.
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