Fluoride – From Smokestacks to Your Family’s Drinking Water

Fluoride and fluoridation of drinking water has been in the news a lot lately. There is a lot of controversy surrounding the whole issue and I guess it’s time for me to put my two cents worth in. I decided to write this article based on a couple of things.

One, I have been doing a lot of research on water quality and water filters for a new book (more on that later) and what I am learning has really opened my eyes. Two, I just read an article in my local paper that the Water Authority that supplies my tap water just raised the level of fluoride in my water and it got me a little riled up.

Isn’t Fluoride Good For You?

So, why all the fuss about fluoride? Isn’t it supposed to be good for our teeth? What’s the big deal? In this article I’ll try to sum up my opinion based on the research I’ve been doing.

Take Your Medicine- Whether You Want It Or Not!

First, I might as well come right out and say it. I thing it is WRONG to put fluoride in drinking water. Whether or not it is as bad for you as some people claim, the fact is that it is the only chemical added to our tap water in order to do something other than make the water safe to drink. And yes, I said chemical. (More on that in a minute.)

Fluoridation basically amounts to forced involuntary medication of entire communities with a substance that is known to be toxic at certain levels. Listen to what one dentist was quoted as saying in my local paper (emphasis is mine): “You’re not getting harmed by it more than the other chemicals and things found in the water.” Am I the only one who thinks that is a pretty strange endorsement?

Smokestack Scrubbers

Which brings me to the “chemical” comment. See, while many supporters of fluoridation will say that fluoride is a natural component of lots of water, the reality is that almost all of the fluoride that is added to tap water is an industrial waste product from the fertilizer industry. The most widely used one is fluorosilic acid or FSA. FSA is recovered from smokestack scrubbers and sold to municipalities across the United Stated to fluoridate their drinking water. So instead of having to pay to dispose of this very toxic chemical waste product, fertilizer companies make a profit by “enhancing” your family’s drinking water with it. I bet they have more lobbyists than you do. Smokestack scrubbers!

If that’s not enough to make you question the practice of fluoridation, consider this. Many studies are now concluding that any benefits that might come from fluoride are from topical use, not ingestion. In fact, this was just one of the reasons the EPA Headquarters Professional’s Union came out with a statement opposing fluoridation as early as 1999. This group is made up of about 1500 scientists, engineers, lawyers and other professionals who work at the EPA headquarters in Washington, DC. By the way, they listed political pressure to raise the fluoride levels as the main reason they issued the statement. Gotta love those lobbyists.

Have We All Been Scammed For Years?

I could go on and on but I’ll try to wind this up soon. One other thing to be aware of is that there is a lot of research now that questions whether fluoridated drinking water has any positive benefit for dental health. Studies comparing dental health in areas with and without fluoridation are frequently showing little or no difference. In fact, most of Europe does not fluoridate their water and their statistics on tooth decay are about the same as the US.

Bottom line- in my opinion there are enough concerns about possible health issues with fluoridation to really tick me off when I read that my local water authority is not only adding a known toxin to my water but has now increased the level. I mean, SMOKESTACK SCRUBBERS for Pete’s sake! Anybody know a good lobbyist?