HawthorneVillager.com

Hello everyone reading.

Have a poll question for readers who live in newer areas of Milton served by lake water. The Halton region Health & Social Services Committee which I serve on is having a special meeting this Thursday November 13th at 1.30 pm with a item on flouridation of water within the region (check halton.ca click on council, agenda and HSS agenda for 11/13/08 item 3 of the regular agenda report MO-37-08) there is already 11 registered delegations on this item both pro and anti fluoridation speakers concerned about residents health and risks of using and not using fluoride in their tap water.

The pre-2000 residential area of Milton which is served by well water does not have fluoride in it while the rest of the Region urban areas have fluoride.

I want to get your opinions and votes on whether you want fluoride in your tap water or not and your reasons.

Thank you for your input which I will be raising at the meeting which is expected to last until 5 pm when the committee starts its debate on the hospital expansion issue and the proposed moratorium until the Province makes a committment for the approval and funding of the new Oakville hospital and the expansions of the Milton, Burlington and Georgetown hospital to keep up with the growth of the Region.

Colin Best
Local & regional councillor
Milton/Halton
colinbest.ca

I grew up in Mississuga drinking flouride tap water, and in 30+ years i have never seen or heard negitive comments of the drinking water.

Peel region has not been able to get flouride in the drinking water in Caladon as it has for Brampton and Mississauga, and this is the result...

A very interesting read....

http://www.peelregion.ca/health/topics/ ... tion.htm#4



That is enough of an argument for me... Local proof!!!

_________________
Pain is Temporary Pride is forever

TONS of info here...

http://www.fluorideinfo.org/

_________________
Pain is Temporary Pride is forever

The fluoride subject always results in heated debate regarding risk versus benefit of fluoride. There are true believers and experts on both sides and both sides can be convincing.

But winning that debate should not be the issue.

I believe the real issue is whether government has the right to force-medicate everyone by putting fluoride in the water supply when
- There IS disagreement about balance of risk/benefit.
- Fluoride toothpaste is an easy option for believers.

Garlis pretty much sums up my thoughts on it nicely.

I love the way the dental community writes off the condition of fluorosis as purely cosmetic. It may be cosmetic but my daughter's teeth due to fluorosis mean she will more than likely need dental veneers on the front teeth when she is an adult. It may be a minor condition on some but many children have severe flurosis and I was always told it was caused by parents who gave their toddlers flouridated toothpaste that they swallowed. Then my daughter developed it when her permanent teeth came through and guess what? I had deliberately only given her non flouridated toothpaste and then found out through research that it has become very prevalent due to the flouridated water.

I agree with some of the others here, use fluoridated toothpaste on older children, get sealants to prevent decay and take the flouride out of our water.

I vote NO to flouridating our water.

If there's even a small chance that ingesting flouride can cause detrimental health effects (bone cancer, thyroid function), I don't want to expose myself or my children (as of yet, unborn) to these effects.

I don't understand how one benefit (cavity reduction in the masses) can outweigh all the other possible heath effects. Just because it's always been done doesn't mean we have to continue to do it.

http://www.consumerhealth.org/articles/ ... 0303222823

You'd think that the dentists would support not flouridating the water, afterall that means more money in their pockets from filling cavities.

When I was in elementary school, the nurse would visit each classroom on a weekly (if my memory serves me) basis and fill little paper cups with a flouride solution and we'd all swish it around in our mouths for 30 seconds to a minute and spit it out.

Why can't the school board do something like that if everyone's so concerned about cavities? This way the kids don't have to ingest it.

Or better yet, be more vigilant about teethbrushing, that's a surefire way to prevent cavities. Look into nutrition as a source of cavity fighting.

Sidebar: I'm 30 and have never had a cavity

Edit: disregard my earlier comments about the school "swish" program. Perhaps it's not so good either. http://www.fluoride-journal.com/97-30-2/302-89.htm

The fluoridation issue came to Region committee today. I wrote a summary of that meeting for another purpose, and thought some here may be interested. Colin may offer correction/further comment.


Dr. Cooney, Chief Dental Officer of Health Canada: Dr. Ito of Community Water Fluoridation: and Dr. Boudreault of the Ontario Dental Association presented in favour of fluoridation. They quoted various studies/sources and made the case that fluoridation prevents tooth decay and was safe. Interesting that Dr. Ito had to admit that a recent study that he conducted in Peel Region showed no difference in tooth decay between a group of children on fluoridated water and another group that was not.

There were 10 anti-fluoridation presentations that were mostly coordinated, used slides and video, and were given by credible, informed people. They quoted various studies/sources to argue that fluoridation did not reduce tooth decay and was unsafe. They also argued that the experts on the other side were dentists, not scientists and that government was inconsistant in warning about swallowing fluoride toothpaste while allowing forced medication with fluoride.

I found the anti-fluoridation side more credible, but that may be my bias. My sense was that Committee members were concerned about fluoride-for-everyone when there is such disagreement on risk/benefit.

Councillor Somerville of Halton Hills moved to stop fluoridation when current supplies/contracts end and to budget equivalent dollars for an alternative approach for those in need. Councillor Best supported this motion. Councillors Knoll, Oliver and Goldring were also in favour of the motion. Region Chair Carr and Councillor D'Amelio opposed.

Thus, 5 to 2 at Committee to stop fluoridation. On to Region Council for a decision on November 19.

If it isn't broken, why fix it?

I say no.

Thanks for attending the meeting Garlis and posting the results. You can also find articles on the meeting in today's Star and Spectator.

The turning point for many of the committee members is the chart from the World Health Organization showing the reduction in tooth decay in 20 countries. The rates of decline are the same for the 14 countries who do not have fluoride in their water as the 6 countries who do.

Some other information from Health Canada and others are that 98% of European countries do not have flouride in their water and their decay rates are not much different than countries who do and 55% of Canadians do not have fluoride in their water and the proponents of fluoridation could not prove any difference in their rates especially considering only 3% of British Columbia and about 5% of Quebec has flouridated water.

There were other speakers stressing on the environmental effects of flouride, cancer concerns, and side effects of too much flouride in the body.

Regional council will be voting on the motion next Wednesday at 9.30 am in the Regional building at Bronte and QEW. If you are interested in speaking to Council please call the Regional Clerk's office at 905-825-6000 or email through halton.ca under delegations.

Colin Best
Local & Regional Councillor
Milton/Halton
colinbest.ca

And don't you find it interesting that 8 of 10 anti-fluoridation websites also happen to sell filtered water services????

It's a scam, so of course they are going to be able to put together better slides and videos... because they have an ADVERTISING budget!

_________________
Pain is Temporary Pride is forever

Haven't any of you seen the Big Book of British Smiles!?

Fluoride is a naturally occurring element that was discovered in an area of Quebec where the local residents had unusually strong teeth and much less tooth decay than average. Scientists wondered why and did studies. It was discovered that the fluoride in the water was the reason.

_________________
For Home Inspection services call Andy Shaw at Halton Home Inspection Service. 905 876 4761

Today, with a committee recommendation in hand and a crowd of new delegations for and against waiting to speak, Region Council avoided a final vote to stop fluoridation.

The reason given was the stack of new background information and a new report from Dr. Nosal that councillors needed to review. There is also new activity on this issue at the provincial and federal levels. The subject will now return to Council in the new year when requested by the Health and Social Services committee.

More likely, the reason for deferal was some heavy lobbying from pro-fluoride organizations and senior governments - not residents. The arguments for and against will go on forever and there will always be doubts about benefit/risk. Council ducked!