OP-ED: Opposes Fluoridation Bill

On March 15, the legislators in the NJ Senate and Assembly are scheduled to vote in Trenton on a bill (S959/A1811) to mandate the fluoridation of all public community water supplies. The proposed mandate would force 8.6 million NJ residents (about 3/4 of the state) to ingest fluorosilicic acid, a pollution waste product of the phosphate fertilizer industry, in their water. NJ citizens are strongly encouraged to learn more about this critical issue and contact their local assemblypersons and senators to voice their opposition. 
 
According to the Fluoride Action Network (FAN), a health freedom advocacy group, the New Jersey legislature has been working towards enacting these new fluoridation laws without telling the public or seeking appropriate public input. Outcry from those who oppose the legislation—including the NJ League of Municipalities, the NJ Sierra Club, the NJ Business and Industry Association, the citizens' group No Fluoride New Jersey, and a number of local water companies/utilities, is being ignored.

"Since fluoride's benefits are topical, it makes no sense to swallow fluoride and makes even less sense to put fluoride into drinking water when fluoridated toothpaste is available to everyone," said Paul Connett, PhD, executive director of FAN and co-author of the book The Case Against Fluoride. "Not only does this unfunded mandate completely strip away all local control of fluoridation, but requires local taxpayers to fund the estimated $5 billion start-up costs and the annual $1 billion cost to maintain the practice."

Fluorosilicic (fluosilicic) acid is a concentrated pollution waste product of the phosphate fertilizer industry the primary means of “fluoridating” our country’s water supply.  According to former U.S. EPA deputy administrator, Rebecca Hanmer, “… By recovering byproduct fluosilicic acid from fertilizer manufacturing, water and air pollution are minimized, and water utilities have a low-cost source of fluoride available to them.”

Unlike pharmaceutical-grade fluoride, fluorosilicic acid contains toxic gases, often contaminated with traces of diesel fuel, arsenic, mercury, lead, and radionuclides. These substances are captured by pollution scrubbers during the manufacture of phosphate fertilizer, concentrated into a solution, and injected into the public water supply. Shockingly, this hazardous waste cannot be legally released into the air, nor dumped into the ocean because of its devastating effects, yet is added to drinking water untreated and paid for by residents.

Independent scientific evidence repeatedly proves fluorosilicic acid to be a dangerous substance, causing cancers, suppression of the thyroid gland, osteoarthritis, gastrointestinal and respiratory disorders, and neurological symptoms.  In fact, “fluoride is more toxic than lead and only slightly less toxic than arsenic.” (Clinical Toxicology of Commercial Products, 1984).  According to Dr. Dean Burk, chief chemist emeritus, U.S. National Cancer Institute: “Fluoride causes more human cancer, death, and causes it faster, than any other chemical.” He also stated: “…30,000 to 50,000 deaths each year, from various causes, may now be attributable to fluoridation.”

Is fluoride effective? According to the largest U.S. study of fluoridation and tooth decay involving U.S. Public Health Service dental records of over 39,000 schoolchildren, 5-17, from 84 areas in the U.S., results confirmed the number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth per child was virtually the same in fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas.

New Jersey families deserve the right to safeguard their health and to choose whether to ingest fluoride. We also don’t deserve to bear the costs through added taxes associated with this process.

For additional fluoride facts, visit www.fluoridealert.org. NJ citizens should get involved by contacting their legislators and Governor Christie. Details on this bill.

Mary DeBonis
Member, NJ Citizens Opposing Forced Fluoridation