FAN CAMPAIGN Bulletin #140: Timely Irish Letter.
Dec 31, 2004,
Dear All,
Below is a letter by the Irish Environmental Doctors Association published in the Irish paper "The Independent". With a new Minister of Health and with the report due very soon from the parliamentary committee that has been reviewing fluoridation (including the sorry activities of the Fluoridation Forum) this letter is very timely indeed.
Meanwhile, just in case you might have missed my PS in the last bulletin, here it is again.
Noting that today is December 31, you still have a little time to make a tax deductible donation to FAN via our parent organization the American Environmental Health Studies Project. Please make checks out to AEHSP-FAN and send to Box 5111, Burlington, Vermont, 05402 or do it via Paypal or credit card by going to our web page at www.fluorideaction.net. Another way you can help us greatly for the new year - which will probably be our most important ever - would be to give memberships to FAN as new year gifts ($25 for basic membership) to your friends, family members and colleagues. Please do anything you can to make our efforts to fight fluoridation worldwide more effective. Thank you and wishing a very happy and successful new year to all our readers.
Paul Connett
www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=53&si=1312800&issue_i d=11880
The Irish Independent, Dec 31, 2004
Letters-to-the-EditorDangers of fluoride
Sir - The recent report on the quality of drinking water in Ireland, released by the Environmental Protection Agency, warned that "national compliance for fluoride should be higher". The report found that malfunctioning equipment in Roscommon caused exceedances of this chemical in the water supply. Other exceedances were noted in Cork city, west Cork and Louth.
The Irish Doctors' Environmental Association participated in the Fluoridation Forum, which investigated the practice of fluoridation and which reported in September 2002. One of its recommendations related to improving the standard of the monitoring systems and another was that the level of fluoride should be reduced.
However, amazingly, neither these nor the other five recommendations of the Fluoridation Forum have been implemented and, furthermore, questions put to the Forum by Professor Paul Connett have yet to be addressed.
The Irish Doctors' Environmental Association remains deeply concerned about both the ongoing practice of the fluoridation of drinking water and the level of dental caries in the population.
However, we believe that dental decay is not caused by a lack of fluoride but, as we know, by poor diet and inadequate dental hygiene.
Until this practice of fluoridation is stopped, at least we should reduce the levels as agreed over two years ago. It should be noted that the World Health Organisation (WHO), in the 'Bangkok Statement' referring to environmental influences on children's health, classified fluoride with lead, mercury, arsenic and persistent organic pollutants [POPs].
Dr Philip Michael,
Millbrook Medical Centre,Co Cork