By: Marge Dwyer, Harvard School of Public Health News, Boston, MA July 2012 — For years health experts have been unable to agree on whether fluoride in the drinking water may be toxic to the developing human brain. Extremely high levels of fluoride are known to cause neurotoxicity in adults, and negative impacts on memory and learning have been reported in rodent studies, but little is known about the substance’s impact on children’s neurodevelopment. In a meta-analysis, researchers from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and China Medical University in Shenyang for the first time combined 27 studies and found strong indications that fluoride may adversely affect cognitive development in children. Based on the findings, the authors say that this risk should not be ignored, and that more research on fluoride’s impact on the developing brain is warranted.

The study was published online in Environmental Health Perspectives on July 20, 2012.

The researchers conducted a systematic review of studies, almost all of which are from China where risks from fluoride are well-established. Fluoride is a naturally occurring substance in groundwater, and exposures to the chemical are increased in some parts of China. Virtually no human studies in this field have been conducted in the U.S., said lead author Anna Choi, research scientist in the Department of Environmental Health at HSPH.

Even though many of the studies on children in China differed in many ways or were incomplete, the authors consider the data compilation and joint analysis an important first step in evaluating the potential risk. “For the first time we have been able to do a comprehensive meta-analysis that has the potential for helping us plan better studies. We want to make sure that cognitive development is considered as a possible target for fluoride toxicity,” Choi said.

Choi and senior author Philippe Grandjean, adjunct professor of environmental health at HSPH, and their colleagues collated the epidemiological studies of children exposed to fluoride from drinking water. The China National Knowledge Infrastructure database also was included to locate studies published in Chinese journals. They then analyzed possible associations with IQ measures in more than 8,000 children of school age; all but one study suggested that high fluoride content in water may negatively affect cognitive development.

The average loss was only half of one IQ point, but some studies suggested that even slightly increased fluoride exposure could be toxic to the brain. Thus, children in high-fluoride areas had significantly lower IQ scores than those who lived in low-fluoride areas. The children studied were up to 14 years of age, but the investigators speculate that any toxic effect on brain development may have happened earlier, and that the brain may not be fully capable of compensating for the toxicity.

“Fluoride seems to fit in with lead, mercury, and other poisons that cause chemical brain drain,” Grandjean says. “The effect of each toxicant may seem small, but the combined damage on a population scale can be serious, especially because the brain power of the next generation is crucial to all of us.”

http://cof-cof.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Impact-of-Fluoride-on-Neurological-Development-in-Children-July-25-2012-Features-News-at-HSPH-Harvard-School-of-Public-Health.pdf

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/features/fluoride-childrens-health-grandjean-choi.html

http://cof-cof.ca/2012/07/choi-et-al-developmental-fluoride-neurotoxicity-a-systematic-review-and-meta-analysis-environmental-health-perspectives-20-jul-2012/

By: Staff Writer, Canadians Opposed to Fluoridation ~ Canadiens Opposés à la Fluoration, Orillia, Ontario 17-Jul-2012 — The individuals pushing a fluoridation agenda onto Orillia were desperate for a new fluoridation scheme to begin somewhere (anywhere) in Ontario.  After all, there hasn’t been one since the mid 1990′s.

Orillia was chosen, not due to its dental decay rates, but because it was assumed the Medical Officer of Health and the Dental-Medical community could be manipulated into supporting an outdated unproven practice.

Fortunately, 7 out of 9 Orillia council members weren’t blinded by such smoke and mirrors.  They saw the manipulation of white coat authorities, and didn’t buy into leverage about socioeconomically challenged citizens needing fluoridation as a means of reducing dental decay rates.

Under the guise of ‘helping the poor wee children’, Health Canada’s chief dental officer swooped in to spin a tale of dread and woe.  Yet, Health Canada never accepts liability for the chronic harms that water fluoridation is known to cause, including dental fluorosis (a discolouration, mottling, weakening of dental enamel proportionate to the amount of fluoride you swallow).

One must ask why, when a state of the art water plant was built in Barrie, no fluoridation equipment was included?  Particularly, when Barrie’s natural source water fluoride concentration is 2.8 to 4 times lower than Orillia’s, as evidenced in the Barrie and Orillia drinking water quality reports.  One must also ask, how can dental decay rates be lower in Barrie, when it has less fluoride in the water than Orillia?  Obviously, lack of fluoridation doesn’t result in higher decay rates, so adding fluoride into Orillia’s drinking water won’t reduce decay rates.

What will reduce decay rates is proper tooth brushing, flossing and frequent rinsing.  Keeping away from processed foods, as well as foods and drinks made with refined sugars.  Eating naturally healthy nutritious foods.  Rejecting smoking.  Ensuring sufficient uptake of calcium and vitamin D3.  These are all lifestyle changes that individuals have free choice and control over, which genuinely do improve oral health.  It’s the individual’s responsibility, and the responsibility of parents for their children.  It’s common sense that can’t be legislated, but it can be taught and mentored.  Partner with, and contribute to, the programs which can deliver such opportunities for those who cannot achieve them on their own.

Well done Orillia City Council and staff!  Your drinking water remains higher quality and safer when it’s fluoridation free.

http://cof-cof.ca/2012/07/6717/

By: Sara Ross, Orillia Packet & Times, Orillia, Ontario 16-Jul-2012 — Orillia’s politicians have said no to fluoridating the municipal water supply.

“I just believe there has to be alternatives,” Mayor Angelo Orsi said at Monday’s council committee meeting. “This is a very touchy decision when you’re basically dealing with freedom of choice.”

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) and city staff recommended Orillia fluoridate the water supply. Statistics show Orillia children have the highest rate of dental decay of the 10 municipalities reviewed in the Simcoe-Muskoka region.

Councillors Linda Murray and Tony Madden were the only ones to vote in favour of fluoridation.

“The mayor said he would like to see alternative methods,” Murray said. “You’re fortunate enough to be able to take your children to the dentist. I can’t tell you how many do not have that ability.”

Council committee received a report from city staff regarding fluoridating the water supply as information, but voted 7-2 against fluoridating the water.

The decision was ratified by council later in the evening.

Coun. Andrew Hill suggested the city recommend Orillians drink more water.

“It really takes away the freedom of choice,” he said. “The majority of people I’ve talked to in my ward do not want it.”

There is naturally occurring fluoride in Orillia’s water supply of roughly .2 milligrams per litre. The optimal concentration is between .5 and .8 milligrams per litre, according to the Ministry of the Environment.

“We don’t have at our disposal recommendations on the effectiveness of merely advising people to drink larger quantities of water to try and get that degree of exposure,” said Charles Gardner, medical officer of health and CEO of the SMDHU. “…Therefore, we wouldn’t be in a position to advise that that would be a good alternative.”

Hill said he’s read hundreds of pages on the pros and cons of fluoridation.

“There’s so many different educated people on both sides of the argument,” he said. “To myself and to my constituents, I would err on the side of caution and I will be voting against it.”

Orsi would like to see the SMDHU bring more awareness and education to schools. He suggested alternatives would be drinking water and properly brushing teeth.

“I understand and believe fluoride works on your teeth and works very well,” he said.

Oral hygiene, food nutrition and regular preventative dental care all contribute to the prevention of cavities, Gardner said.

“In addition to all of those things, fluoridation of community water supply further protects teeth,” he said. “We would advise all of those things be in place.”

Gardner added schools are directed to inform youth on oral hygiene.

Adding fluoride to the water supply would have a “major” positive impact on the city, Madden said.

“It’s not necessarily the people around this (council) table and the people in the audience who naturally take good care of their teeth,” he said. “There’s a lot of people in our city who just don’t, and don’t have the same socioeconomic opportunities as others.”

Madden suggested if Orillians have better teeth, they’ll have more confidence.

“They’ll be more outwardly confident to seek better education, better jobs and bring up the overall socioeconomic status of our city,” he said.

He noted Orillia doctors and dentists were recommending fluoride be added.

“I personally put a lot of weight and value in that advice,” he said.

Murray does as well.

“If your doctor gives you medical advice, 9.9 times out of 10 we’re going to accept it,” she said. “We’re not going to say, ‘I’m smarter than you. I have more information than you.’”

She noted milk has vitamin D added to it, salt has iodine and water has chlorine.

From October 2011 to May of this year, Orillia had two public forums and six community group presentations regarding fluoride. Also, Orillia Citizens Against Fluoridation made a deputation to council in May.

Residents seem to be “divided,” staff stated in a report.

“Approximately 85% of individuals submitting input during the public consultation process have been opposed,” staff said.

However, independent polling conducted as recently as 2011 indicated 64% of randomly selected Orillians supported adding fluoride to public drinking water, with 25% opposed and 11% undecided, the report states.

“The people that we’re hearing from are not the silent majority that support fluoridation, but those who are actively going from community to community against fluoridation,” Murray said. “A decision not to fluoridate would be a regrettable, missed opportunity to improve community health and (would be) a major disservice to our residents.”

If fluoridation had been approved, renovations would have been needed at the west Orillia well and water treatment plant in order to store the fluoride at an estimated cost of $160,000 to $180,000.

“Not only is fluoridation affordable; it will actually save money,” Murray said. “Thirty-eight dollars in direct dental cost for every $1 spent.”

http://www.orilliapacket.com/2012/07/16/city-says-no-to-fluoride

By: COF-COF, Rosetown, Saskatchewan, 16-July-2012 – Rosetown has made a change to the town’s water supply.

The community of approximately 2300 people will no longer receive artificially fluoridated water.

After the town’s fluoridation feed-pump broke down, a decision was made that there is already a sufficient amount of fluoride in the town’s well water.

Background levels of natural fluoride throughout the town wells is said to be at approximately 0.5 ppm (mg/L). The town considers this to be an acceptable amount, therefore, there is no need to repair the broken pump.

Most recently, Health Canada suggested municipalities adopt a level of 0.7 ppm (mg/L) as the ‘optimal’ target concentration for fluoride in
drinking water.

Town council meetings are held on the 3rd Monday of every month.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/City+earmarks+from+flouridation+savings+kids+dental+care+programs/6884568/story.html#ixzz1zzDruecc