Earlier this week, my home county of Pinellas County Florida, the most densely populated in the state, voted to end fluoridation of its drinking water to about 700,000 residents by a margin of 4-3. The move will save taxpayers $270,000 per year.
The vote to end water fluoridation happened despite heavy opposition by dentists who insisted the move would cause more rotten teeth and harm the health of disadvantaged children.
The rise of a “New Conservatism” is credited with the reversal. Todd Pressman, a Pinellas County activist, describes it as a mood shift that is occurring across the country with the Tea Party representing only the tip of the iceberg.
The vote attracted nationwide attention likely due to the large number of people affected and the fact that Florida is a swing state and represents the pulse of the nation on many issues.
County Commissioner John Morroni who changed his mind on the issue the last time a vote was taken in 2003, said that the county should not be in the business of doling out medicine to the public any more than the federal government should mandate health insurance or the state government require vaccination.
“People are not dying because they don’t have fluoride,” Morroni said.
Other commissioners who voted against water fluoridation noted conflicting evidence presented by both dentists and national health organizations. They also cited repeated complaints by taxpayers over the years about the overreach of government in putting drugs in the drinking water.
The Safety of Fluoride is Questionable at Best
Activists have lobbied for the removal of fluoride from drinking water for years and this victory in Pinellas County Florida is a huge win for the anti-fluoridation movement.
Even if water fluoridation really did reduce cavities – which is doubtful and it very well may increase tooth problems such as fluorosis (white spots) over the long term – the many health problems associated with exposure to the fluoride levels present in drinking water patently override any such questionable benefit.
Probably the most disturbing complication from exposure to fluoride in drinking water is the likely reduction in the IQ of children who drink it.
Click here for a list of 23 published studies showing reduced IQ from fluoride exposure.
The other huge health concern is the depression of thyroid function in those drinking fluoridated water. Hypothyroidism is at epidemic levels in modern society and contributes to weight issues among other serious health challenges.
In a nutshell, fluoride is an enzyme poison. Its presence in the body even in small amounts competes for the receptor sites on the thyroid gland. If fluoride occupies these sites instead of thyroid stimulating hormone, less thyroid hormone is manufactured resulting in a slow but steady decline in thyroid function.
Here’s the really scary part.
Fluoride displaces iodine in the body. Without sufficient iodine, even less thyroid hormone will be produced and even taking iodine supplements may not help much if a constant infusion of fluoride is occurring via the drinking water, toothpaste, dental fluoride treatments etc.
In short, water fluoridation is an unmitigated public health disaster.
I applaud the Pinellas County Commissioners for eliminating fluoridation of the drinking water of its citizens. It’s so nice to be able to write glowingly for a change about a government action as forward thinking and beneficial to the public – especially our children.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist.com
Source: Pinellas County Nixes Fluoride in Water After Heated Debate
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{ 67 comments… read them below or add one }
Lucky you!
Yeah! I wrote letters for YEARS! when I lived there1
Actually, we have a well … we bought the house with that in mind not wanting any part of city water due to the fluoridation issue. I no longer live in Pinellas .. I live in an adjacent county that still does fluoridate the water.
@ Shannon good for you! Those letters probably helped as the commissioners who voted against the measure to fluoridate the water cited complaints to the county about it.
Awesome. My kids’ pediatrician told me to get my kids on tap water so they can get fluoride. I played dumb and asked why. She said because it helps bones grow. I guess she doesn’t study any longer or she’d realize that there is a reason we have water filters sold in stores and kids between the ages of 1-5 get fluorosis the most. She even asked if I had fluoride in my well water and if not, I need to ask my landlord to add tabs. I mentioned this to my husband (who works with chemicals daily) and his eyes bugged out of his head. I asked his coworkers and they nearly fainted. She also must have forgotten that not that long ago, tap water in Houston was flameable.
I just had a big email conversation with my kids’ (conventional) dentist over fluoride. He definitely didn’t agree with my take on it. Oh well.
Is there a significant difference between “naturally flouridated” water and water that has fluoride added into it?
Yes–there is a HUGE difference between natural calcium fluoride and the so-called “fluoride” they use for fluoridation. What they mostly use is Hydrofluorosilicic acid. It is an unrefined toxic hazardous industrial waste product! Not only is the chemical form of this fluoride infinately more toxic than natural calcium fluoride but it is also contaminated with lead, mercury, aresnic, chromiun 6 (the bad form), radioactive particles etc. It is a real witches brew : (
To make matters worse you do not have to drink it to get exposed because it is absorbed directly through the skin everytime you take a shower or even just wash your hands.”Fluoride is readily absorbed through the skin (and inhaled). Two-thirds of the fluoride we take into our bodies using fluoridated public water comes from bathing and wearing clothes washed in it. Drinking fluoride-free water in a fluoridated district only reduces fluoride intake by about a third.” Click here: Fluoride Follies by Donald W. Miller, Jr., MD
so what do we do then?????
Wonderful! I’m always so glad to hear about these kinds of things!
@ Bonny – I think that most dentists are brainwashed about the “benefits” of fluoride. AND this is great news about Pinellas County – hopefully their example will start a trend towards reason.
I just took our 3 kids to the dentist and asked them to leave out the fluoride treatment. I then got a lecture from the dentist that they need it and cases of having and damage/danger are very minimal….I just let it go in one ear and out the other.
Too bad that the City of St Petersburg isn’t part of the good news. Maybe in time.
I love my dentist and there are a growing number of excellent ones out there, but generally speaking – dentists are some of the most narrow minded of all healthcare providers in my experience.
#Fluoride BAD. http://t.co/twH0eMx3
DOES REVERSE OSMOSIS REMOVE FLOURIDE??
I would not drink RO water. Just me.
If I had fluoridated water in my home, I would buy large glass bottles of spring water for drinking.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Densely Populated Florida County Rejects Water Fluoridation
Hi Sarah, I’m interested to know why you wouldn’t drink RO water. Is it because it strips the water of minerals? If so, do you think adding himalayan salt puts enough minerals back into the water? That’s what I’ve been doing after reading it somewhere.
Yes, it strips out the minerals rendering the water acidic. I don’t feel adding salt is good enough. This is not to say that I won’t drink RO water from time to time if somewhere where that is all that is available. I just am saying I wouldn’t drink it regularly or accept that as the drinking water in my home.
Here’s a case in point: RO water kills kombucha. If you try to ferment kombucha cultures with RO water, it eventually kills them and they don’t create babies/the brew won’t ferment any longer. That to me speaks volumes.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Densely Populated Florida County Rejects Water Fluoridation
Any thoughts on RO water for cooking? We just moved into a rental property with a well and I think at one point there was some concern about lead having contaminated the well water. We get shipments of spring water for drinking, and the kitchen has an RO filter on it. Do you think its an okay idea to use that water for cooking? And what about for showers/baths (where there is currently no filter)? Any recommendations on a filter for those?
That should be fine since you wouldn’t be using a lot of it.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Densely Populated Florida County Rejects Water Fluoridation
Sorry Sarah, but I just had to interject on this point. I have been using RO water for years, and make Kombucha weekly with absolutely no problems. It ferments fine, and get great new babies most of the time.
Joan
I use RO water for my water kefir, but before I use it, I add it Concentrace Trace Minerals purchased on Amazon. It adds back in all or most of the necessary minerals that are stripped.
Check my comment below for other serious issues with RO water. It really is not a healthy water to use even if you put minerals back in.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Giveaway Winner! Seeds of Change Organic Chocolate
Yes, it removes most of it.
Stanley Fishman\’s last post: Where’s the (Grassfed) Beef in the “Healthy Eating Plate”?
I have to agree with Joan, I have been brewing my Kombucha with RO water for over a year now and have very strong babies develop. My Kombucha is very bubbly and active, haven’t had any problems at all. And I started my own mother to begin with using a bottle of KT from the store!
Here’s hoping Pinellas’ neighbors follow their lead.
Densely Populated Florida County Rejects Water Fluoridation — The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/8LyqRld2
I’m going to be moving to St. Pete next year. I’m so happy to hear this news.
Lovelyn\’s last post: Hair Today
Unfortunately, the city of St. Pete is not included in this water fluoridation ban. Make sure you settle just outside the city limits in the unincorporated area of the county which is governed by the county commission and not the City of St. Pete.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Densely Populated Florida County Rejects Water Fluoridation
Will do. Thanks for letting me know.
Lovelyn\’s last post: Hair Today
@ Bonny Why don’t you email him the link to the 23 published studies that associate lower IQ with children who are exposed to fluoride. The link is on the blog post.
If people don’t take a stand and stop the powers that be from putting whatever they want in the water supplies we will all end up looking like me.I think if someone wants to take flouride i’m sure you can buy tablets somewhere, i’ve noticed now they have even tried to sneak it into water filtration devices like britta, read the ingredients in your water filter, should be an option not an authoritative given…
I’m glad I live in Winter Springs where our water is NOT flouridated! With government budgets being an issue everywhere this should be a no brainer budget cut for every flouridated city or county!
This is wonderful news! I am happy for you! I wish the county I live in would stop poisoning the water with fluoride. Most European countries have stopped.. I hope this movement spreads.
Stanley Fishman\’s last post: Where’s the (Grassfed) Beef in the “Healthy Eating Plate”?
Isn’t the fluoride used by dentists sort of a pharmaceutical grade. Why dentists would not make that distinction with industrial waste baffles me. That is not to say that even dental fluoride is useful, just noting the oddness of the politics of this.
Ciao, Pavil
We all recently went to the dentist (new town, new dentist) and I turned down the fluoride treatments as well. Got a bit of a lecture. Then the hygentist strongly encouraged us that after we brush our teeth, don’t spit all the toothpaste out and go to bed that way! ARGH!
Hey every one we are new to blogging and we just posted a request for people to share something anything maybe about there plans for the weekend ora good link or to promote something. IF you can help us get some activity we would be very grateful. You can find the post here http://organicallythought.com/3-day-weekend-hear all spam protection is turned off so go ahead and leave as many links as you like lol
More than 3,790 professionals (including 324 dentists) urge that fluoridation be stopped citing scientific evidence that ingesting fluoride is ineffective at reducing tooth decay and has serious health risks. See statement: http://www.fluoridealert.org/professionals-statement.aspx
Eleven US EPA unions representing over 7000 environmental and public health professionals are calling for a moratorium on fluoridation.
The CDC reports that 225 less communities adjusted for fluoride between 2006 and 2008. About 100 US and Canadian communities rejected fluoridation since 2008. In 2011 – Marcellus and Mt.Clemens, MI; Fairbanks, Alaska; Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Spring Hill & Hohenwald, TN; Philomath, OR; Pottstown, PA; College Station, TX and Spencer, Indiana; and Pinellas County, Florida have stopped fluoridation .
New York State communities which have already stopped or rejected fluoridation include: Naples, Elba, Levittown, Canton, Corning, Johnstown, Oneida, Carle Place, Rockland County, Suffolk County, Western Nassau County, Albany, Beacon, Poughkeepsie, Riverhead, Central Bridge Water District, Homer, Ithaca, Rouses Point and Amsterdam.
NYC Councilman Peter Vallone, Jr introduced legislation to stop fluoridation in New York City
Please sign the White House petition to President Obama urging him to stop the funding, endorsement and promotion of water fluoridation here:
https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions#%21/petition/prohibit-all-federal-agencies-promoting-endorsing-or-funding-fluoridation-public-drinking-water/SRYL4NwC
The Pinellas County legislators need to get emails and calls of support for their brave stand to stop fluoridation because the “fluoride mafia” is on their backs already to reverse their decision
How true debbie. I never thought of that aspect
One down and MANY in the United States to hopefully go. It is sickening that they put this toxic waste in our water without even our permission.
Sorry to be off-topic, I posed this question on the “5 most common GAPS mistakes” and obviously no one saw it..
Sarah I hope you know the answer to this, I’d really appreciate it:
Are cooked beets, cooked carrots, and cooked chestnuts also starches? Should they also be excluded like potatoes etc?
A quick answer would be fine, thank you in advance!
Carrots and beets are fine. Not sure about chestnuts.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Densely Populated Florida County Rejects Water Fluoridation
Fantastic! When will they do the same in Manatee County??!!! This government intrusion in every facet of our personal lives must come to an end!!! When the people do not have the ability to at least vote on these kinds of issues and the government can just arbitrarily decide what is best for our health, we got a serious potential for graft, coercion by big money groups i.e. Medical and Dental, and strong temptations for those that operate on greed.
That is great news for you. I hope it spreads to the rest of us.
Densely Populated Florida County Rejects Water Fluoridation — The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/7UsjJ6Ml
So glad to see this happening more and more. We don’t have fluoride in our water and I’m so glad.
Yay, Florida! via thehealthyhomeeconomist and Cultured Mama http://t.co/cg7SUxwb
Hahahaha! Did the dentists not read the report a couple years ago from the ADA stating the floridated water has no effect on reducing cavities?
I wish Brevard would not. I have called and they keep saying its for health. Fluoride also kills the good bacteria in your gut along with lowering IQ. We paid a lot of money for our water filter to take out the fluoride, but it’s everywhere else.
Oh wow, Mary. If you happen to know that link, please post!
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Densely Populated Florida County Rejects Water Fluoridation
Densely Populated Florida County Rejects Water Fluoridation — The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/RbtSj578
Densely populated Florida county rejects water fluoridation. YAY! http://t.co/Q4qh2ayw
Thanks for the good news!
Most people are unfortunately unaware that so-called public health measures such as fluoridation (and vaccination!) are organised criminal enterprises dressed up as disease prevention. They also have no idea that a tube of fluoridated toothpaste contains enough of this rat- and cockroach poison to kill two small children if they were to ingest its contents. Thanks to the insidious and all-pervasive brain-washing we now live n a moron society in which junk science is used to perpetuate the criminal activities of the psychopaths who profit from these schemes/scams.
Erwin Alber\’s last post: Conclusive link now admitted: swine flu vaccine causes chronic nervous system di…
I agree with others on the RO water. I’ve been using RO to make kombucha and have never had any issues. I do add minerals back to the water though. I used concentrace minerals for a while but now use fulvic acid to add back in the minerals.
My kids have never had any flouride in their water or their toothpaste and they have beautiful teeth with no cavities.
How old is your culture? It takes a number of months for RO water to kill the kombucha culture. The folks I know who tried RO water – it killed the culture every single time but it took a number of batches for this to happen. First the new baby cultures started to get thinner and thinner and then stopped producing a baby or fermenting at all.
My original culture is now over 10 years old brewed only on (filtered) well water.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Giveaway Winner! Seeds of Change Organic Chocolate
Another problem with RO water is that it concentrates contaminants. For example, if RO filter removes most of the fluoride, what is left is concentrated and a higher amount than you would expect given that it takes a number of gallons of water to produce a single gallon of RO water.
For example, RO systems remove up to 90% of fluoride at best. If it takes 5 gallons of water to produce 1 gallon of RO water, then you have only removed about half of the fluoride in the final analysis. That’s still a lot left!! Too much for my comfort level. Not to mention how incredibly wasteful RO systems are given how much water it takes to produce RO water.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Giveaway Winner! Seeds of Change Organic Chocolate
Could you provide the research behind your data?
I babysat a family that had a well and therefore gave their son fluoride tablets (um…because the water God made is incomplete?). meanwhile, he brushed with “children’s toothpaste” (ie, sans fluoride) because he was too young. *headsmack*
GOOD NEWS! I don’t currently live in your county but I applaud the residents there for an outstanding job! I live with Hypothyroid and it has been known for a long time the flawed studies regarding fluoride and dental health. I do not drink my tap water at all. I use filters. I must watch the amount of Bromide I consume (hard to avoid) as well as fluoride free products. I feel better without these substances and I dont need to pour over professional studies on the issue any longer, I FEEL IT! That’s convincing enough for me. You sure are some die hard residents, kudos for all your hard work and preservation, in addition it is also saving your county money. Win-Win.
Sarah,
I just sent this post to our City Manager, and then asked a few friends to do the same, we’ll see where it goes!
Kelly
Kelly the Kitchen Kop\’s last post: Real Food Wednesday 10/12/2011
Awesome Kelly! I really hope it helps get that poison out of your drinking water too!
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Toy Police to Children: No More Balloons
Hi Sarah,
I was wondering if you had any knowledge on the effectiveness of water filters that remove flouride? I read the Daulton (sp?) may be a good one. Thanks!
Densely Populated Florida County Rejects Water Flouridation — The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/5RLC46nM
Interestingly, when I moved to NJ in 1958, papers were full of letters from a dentist in town about the horrors of fluoridation of the water supply! That was my first exposure to the issue and I’ve been on his side every since.
There is NOTHING healthy about INGESTING fluoride
Time to get Fluoride out of out water. It is NOT good to ingest fluoride!
If you are in Florida, join us Fluoride Free Florida and help STOP this practice at http://FluorideFreeFlorida.com
or Floridians can join us at our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/groups/fluoridefreeflorida/
(click request to join in upper right)
Congratulations! We hope Brevard County will vote to remove fluoride too..all support advice accepted and thanks for the excellent site.
How effective is a refrigerator filter that filters the drinking water?