More Canadian towns questioningfluoridation.

[Guest guest]

FLUORIDE ACTION NETWORKhttp://www.FluorideAlert.Org FAN Bulletin 986: More Canadian towns questioning fluoridation. July 11, 2008Dear NHealth,Less than 50% of Canadians drink fluoridated water. The figure stood at 42% before Quebec City stopped fluoridation on April 1, 2008. Following on the heals of several towns in the Niagara Region halting the practice, other major towns and cities in Ontario are considering following suit. These include Hamilton and Waterloo. This week the Hamilton City Council held a public meeting which lasted over 5 hours without the issue being resolved. There are many reasons which are precipitating this flurry of interest. First, the chemicals are in short supply and are costing more; second, much of the ancient equipment needs replacing; third, growing concerns about the increased corrosion caused by the fluoridating chemicals; fourth, the rapidly increasing number of active citizens who are finding out from the internet about the inflated claims of effectiveness and the health risks involved; fifth, some important Canadian journalists have written in depth pieces on the issue; sixth, Dr. Hardy Limeback, one of Canada's leading dental researchers - at some personal cost to his own career - has spoken out very forcefully on the issue, and finally, Canadians appear to be less doctrinaire about this and are more likely to seek out honest answers to honest questions.Efforts to fluoridate Thunder Bay and re-fluoridate Dryden in Western Ontario were spurned by local officials and citizens alike. Now comes news that Drayton Valley, a small town in Alberta, has halted fluoridation (see story below). Even though this may be only temporary it is another good omen.All of this makes for a terrific setting for the TRIPLE event coming up in Toronto in August.1. Aug 7-10. The 28th conference of the International Society for Fluoride Research. Host and coordinator: Dr. Hardy Limeback.2. Aug 10-11. The 3rd conference of the Fluoride Action Network. Coordinators: Paul and Ellen Connett. 3. August 11. Two free public meetings (3-5, and 7-10 pm) at the US Steelworkers Union Hall in downtown Toronto (25 Cecil Street) co-hosted by FAN and Citizens for a Safe Environment (CSE), a local environmental group. Full details can be accessed from the top item on our home page.This triple event will allow citizen activists and scientists to meet each and both to share information with the general public in Toronto.If you have friends in Ontario and Quebec please encourage them to go to one or more parts of this triple event. At the very least persuade them to take advantage of the free public sessions on Monday, August 11 (3-5 and 7-10 pm).If you have been involved in this issue in the US this is an event that you really need to attend. I heard today that the ADA's public relations firm is working in 20 states, so more mandatory fluoridation bills are almost certainly in the works. These people will not be happy until every last remaining hut has fluoridated water. Based on the last two FAN conferences we know that people had fun; learned a lot of high quality information; enjoyed meeting the people they had only read about in emails; connected with many kindred spirits and left the conference with more friends and more hope that beating this foolish practice was possible.We are very aware of the daunting costs involved, but as the saying goes: every problem is an opportunity in disguise. If you belong to a anti-fluoridation group perhaps the whole group can chip in to get one person there. If you live East of the Mississippi you might consider car-pooling. This would avoid air fares and split 3 or 4 ways even the gas costs will be more reasonable. It also avoids the need to get a passport - you can cross the border by foot or car with a driving license and a copy of your BIRTH CERTIFICATE. It would also be a bit of an adventure. Dan Stockin is already planning to drive all the way from Georgia. Arthur James LaPlante is driving from Amherst, Massachusetts. If you haven't made your summer holiday plans yet, then why not bring your family? Accommodation and food on the University campus are extremely reasonable and Toronto is a beautiful city, especially in August. It is clean, it is safe and there's plenty to do. You work, they play!Any one got any other creative ideas?Hope to see you there.Meanwhile, if you can't come please consider a small contribution to help others to get there. Please use FAN's ONLINE donation link. But please drop us an email to say that you have done so, so that we keep an accounting.Paul ConnettTown temporarily turns tap of fluorideGraham LongMonday June 30, 2008There will be no fluoride in Drayton Valley's water supply, for the next few months at least. Last week town council moved to temporarily stop the practice of adding the chemical until administration had investigated the costs of installing new equipment and updated handling procedures.Fluoride has been added to Drayton Valley's water supply as a safeguard against dental disease since the mid-1960s. However, there is a growing school of thought which argues that the chemical does more harm than good to overall human health. The Town has been reexamining the pros and cons of fluoridation at the urging of Drayton Valley water plant manager Bernie Berube. While a final decision on whether or not to continue with the practice is still a long way off, the decision was made last week to temporarily stop fluoridation. The equipment used in the water plant to add fluoride to the water is in need of replacement so council voted to stop the process in order to protect the health of those handling the chemical.Town manager Manny Deol says it could take as long as 12 months for a final decision on fluoridation, with the possibility of Drayton Valley residents being asked to vote on a plebiscite on the issue. The Town will not be spending any money on new equipment until that decision has been made.Mayor Moe Hamdon says he hopes the decision can be made sooner than that."Let's deal with it once and get it dealt with, whether we keep, it or whether we don't," he says. ###To from these bulletins, click on the following link:http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2477/.jsp