Calgary council vote against fluoridation
Calgary’s water supplies could be fluoride free after the council voted in favour of stopping water fluoridation. Alderman voted 10 to 3 to stop fluoridation on Tuesday.
Fluoridation has become a subject of great debate in the area and several meetings have become heated; initially, the plan was to have a public vote on the matter but this idea was scrapped and instead city alderman took the vote.
People have been actively campaigning against water fluoridation across Canada and some communities have already voted in favour of stopping water fluoridation. Many people believe that councils have no right to add fluoride to municipal water supplies because the people have no choice whether or not they ingest the mineral; others believe that fluoride has no benefit for oral health and can even contribute to other health conditions.
Studies have found that fluoride can benefit oral health when it is applied topically to the teeth; this means that using fluoride toothpaste would provide protection for the teeth. Many dentists and dental associations however are still arguing in favour of fluoridated water supplies, as some surveys show that people who live in areas with fluoridated water supplies have better standards of oral health than those who live in areas without fluoride in the water system. Medical and dental representatives said that Calgary has low natural levels of fluoride, which have no benefit to oral health; as a result, they feel that adding fluoride is necessary to improve oral health.
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Congratulations on a very sensible vote.
There are many large scientific studies to show that that drinking fluoridated water has no posistive effect on cavity reduction and to show that it causes cancer, thyroid damage, broken hips, lowered IQ and other health problems. The best source for scientific information on fluoridation can be found here: (www.fluoridealert.org).
If fluoride were “proven,” there should be evidence of its success in Kentucky, which has been 100% fluoridated for over 40 years. However, government records show that Kentucky leads the nation in the number of dental cavities in children, and in the number of completely toothless adults . The same ineffectiveness is evident in many states and cities.
Most of Europe (16 countries) has considered and has rejected fluoridation and is 98% fluoride free. The WHO (United Nations) reports that they have a better tooth decay rate than any fluoridated country.
If you want fluoride in your water, put it in your own glass of water; leave the rest of us out of it.