Originally published April 30 2014
Kansas House of Representatives holds hearing on bill to inform city residents of fluoridated water's health risks
by Julie Wilson
(NaturalNews) The topic of whether or not water fluoridation is safe for public consumption has been a persistent one for nearly 70 years. Not only has the topic remained at the forefront of political discussions, but it has gained momentum in countries all over the world, leading to many unanswered questions surrounding the dangers related to the toxic chemical.
A victory came for Kansas last week when the state heard testimony from both sides regarding the dangers of water fluoridation. If passed, House Bill 2372 states that municipalities which fluoridate their water would be required to add a clause to residents' water bills informing them of the possible dangers, including the effects on children.
The proposal states that "more research would need to be made on the exact effects of fluoride, but there is a possibility for harm to the brain and other important organs in the human body," reported The Topeka Capital-Journal.
During the testimony, lawyer and proponent of the bill Michael Connett pointed out, "As an initial point, infants do not need to receive fluoride."
Evidence of fluoride dangers
Not only do they "not need" to receive fluoride, but they should be prohibited from ingesting it. A study conducted by Harvard University and published in the July 2012 Environmental Health Perspectives, a U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences journal, showed that "children in high fluoride areas had significantly lower IQs than those who lived in low fluoride areas."
There is no shortage when it comes to documented dangers stemming from fluoride ingestion. Even the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is on record admitting that fluoride consumption can lead to "developmental neurotoxicity" in children.
Yolanda Whyte furthered Connett's argument during last week's testimony by highlighting studies that have shown the effects that water fluoridation has on pregnant women. Harvard's latest study revealed that fluoride consumed by pregnant women readily crosses the placenta, exposing the susceptible, developing brain of fetuses to toxicants, which can cause irreversible damage.
John Neuberger, a professor at the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, represented the opposing testimony to the state's proposal, arguing that the results from Harvard's study are inconclusive and therefore "shouldn't be used for setting drinking water policy in the United States."
It's an interesting point Neuberger makes, because the very first city to implement water fluoridation was Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1945. Grand Rapids approved the measure based on a loosely conducted study done by the city, leading 87 more cities to follow.
History
Similar to today, at the time, the safety of water fluoridation was up for debate, which meant certain interests had an objective to prove that the chemical was safe. The myth that fluoride helps prevent tooth decay originated from a 1939 study conducted by a scientist employed by the American Aluminum Co. (ALCOA), the largest producer of sodium fluoride.
Sodium fluoride happens to be a toxic industrial waste byproduct that's also used in fungicides, pesticides, rodenticides, tranquilizers and several domestic products, like toothpaste.
In the study, ALCOA-employed scientist Gerald J. Cox fluoridated some lab rats and concluded that fluoride reduced cavities. That these types of widely distributed studies were performed by not only biased interests but interests who maintain a financial stake in the distribution of fluoride has been validated as factual.
These junk-science studies haven't fooled everyone. Protesting citizens around the nation have helped end water fluoridation in the following areas: Portland, Oregon; Wichita, Kansas; Santa Fe, New Mexico; College Station, Texas; and Fairbanks, Alaska.
Lawmakers in Austin, Texas, are currently seeing the water fluoridation measure brought up again after two activists, Nicholas Lucier, 27, and Jason Needham, 25, protested the practice by engaging in a 14-day hunger strike attempting to raise awareness in hopes of ending the program.
Lucier and Needham helped create the group Healthy H2O Austin, which continues to gain momentum.
Through awareness and activism, citizens can effectively eliminate fluoride from the water supply, resulting in a healthier and more intelligent nation.
Additional sources include:
http://benswann.com
http://www.fluoride-history.de
http://cjonline.com
http://science.naturalnews.com
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