More than 3,270 professionals (including over 290 dentists) urge the US Congress to stop water fluoridation citing scientific evidence that fluoridation, long promoted to fight tooth decay, is ineffective and has serious health risks. See statement: http://www.fluorideaction.org/...

Also, eleven Environmental Protection Agency employee unions representing over 7000 environmental and public health professionals called for a moratorium on drinking water fluoridation programs across the country, and have asked EPA management to recognize fluoride as posing a serious risk of causing cancer in people.

New York State communities that stopped or rejected fluoridation include: Levittown, Canton, Corning, Johnstown, Oneida, Carle Place, Rockland County, Suffolk County, Western Nassau County, Albany, Beacon, Poughkeepsie, Central Bridge Water District, Homer, Ithaca, and Amsterdam.

New York State Department of Health dentist J. V. Kumar published national statistics in the July 2009 JADA which show similar cavity rates regardless of water fluoride content, However, dental fluorosis rates increased along with water fluoride levels. See analysis “Fluoridation No Benefit; Definite Harm,” by Kathleen M. Thiessen, Ph.D., SENES Oak Ridge, Inc., Center for Risk Analysis here:

http://www.newmediaexplorer.or...

For more info: http://www.FluorideAction.Net

Fluoride occurs naturally in some waters, but is frequently added to municipal water supplies because of a widely held belief that it prevents dental caries. Fluoride appears to be a usual components of many minerals. Public water treating organizations often put fluoride into water for some reasons, as well as people's consideration that fluoride prevents teeth from decaying.

Actually, the fluoride chemical that is added to most US fluoridating communities is hydrofluosilicic acid, a waste product of the phosphate fertilizer industry. Captured before it is illegal toxic air emissions in smokestacks, trucked across the country as hazardous material, it's then injected unpurified into your drinking water by water personnel who are advised to wear hazmat suits. This chemical is allowed to contain trace amounts of lead, arsenic, mercury and other toxins by NSF International the private company that regulates water additives. See: http://www.nsf.org/business/wa...

Since fluoride is neither a nutrient nor essential for healthy teeth and since no NYC resident is, or ever was, fluoride-deficient; but many are fluoride over-dosed, it makes no sense to dose the entire population with fluoride via the water supply to put New Yorkers at unnecessary risk of fluoride's adverse effects which you can find here http://www.FluorideAction.Net/health

Anyone remember that scene in Dr. Strangelove where Sterling Hayden's unstable character was trying to convince one of Peter Sellars characters that water fluoridation was a communist conspiracy?

Yes, the author referenced that. Precious bodily fluids.

I grew up on well water until I moved when I went to college, any cavities I got were from poor brushing.

Yes!

I have been lamenting having the forced ingestion of flouride for a long time.

Get rid of it!

It's like DRINKING Clearasil because you have acne!

Vallone is known to be a nutcase...this is the same guy that tried to pass a law against people standing under subway stairs in Astoria so that perves weren't looking up women's skirts.

Someone doth protests too much !

Whew!
Good thing that didn't happen.

I mean...yeh, Vallone's a nutcase, yeh!!

You know what else I hate? People come around & clean off public property with hygienic cleaners. Keep your soap off my doorknobs & subway seats!

While I UNDERSTAND the debate between public good & individual rights, & don't inherently think that is a bankrupt debate, this certainly is a silly one.

Interestingly, when health programs are cut by the government there is little to no fanfare. But planning to cut something as pointless as fluoridation of water (saving the city quite a bit) they are reluctant to do so.
It makes more sense when you realize that the government favors paying corporations to dump their carcinogens into our drinking water than funding necessary services.

Pointless? I'm guessing you're too young to remember when fluoridation didn't exist and cavities were not just common, but expected. There are always some extremist nutjobs around. Some say if some is good, then more is better. Others like you say if too much is bad, then none is better. The truth is always somewhere in the middle.

Oh really? the truth is always somewhere in the MIDDLE?

How about when the government and the corporations told us tobacco was GOOD for you for decades (even though they knew it wasn't)?

So we should definitely smoke a little tobacco is what you're saying, but not too much?

You are dumb.

Perhaps you're thinking of ASBESTOS. The government and corporations told us it was totally GOOD for society! (They later changed their 'opinions' 100%!) (see: tobacco)

But you're saying we should use moderation and only have a LITTLE asbestos in our lives.

Hm.

YOU ARE DUMB.

Shall we next discuss LOBOTOMIES, SUGAR, COFFEE / CAFFEINE, WAR, LEAD PAINT, and so on?

First let's try you being less dumb.

You first asswipe.

BS.

I grew up on long island where there was no flouride. I don't have a single cavity.

I would assume and certainly hope you brushed. Which would mean exposure to fluoridated toothpaste. Also, in spite of your personal anecdote, how about telling us how your entire fluoride-free community is also cavity-free. And how all the dentists left town because they weren't needed anymore.

Yeah I brushed my teeth! What's your point??? I'm not commenting on flouride use in tooth cleaning products. I simply don't want it in my drinking water. I do not want the government deciding that I should ingest this substance. It is not needed. I can use tooth paste.

My siblings did not have cavities either, and plenty of kids still get cavities today even where there is flouridated water, so stop repeating the nonsense statistics/

By the way, let me also point out that around the same time they started putting flouride in the water, they also began putting it in toothpaste and mouthwash and other cleaners. So you have almost no proof that flouridated drinking water alone was what reduced cavities. Also, the rate of cavities has only been reduced by 30%. Factor in health education and fluoridated toothpaste, and what you are left with is a bunch of people drinking flouride that they don't need. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/w...

We all have friends who "never floss" and have no cavities, and those who still get cavities even with proper care. Dental health also depends on genetic factors, so bragging that your family has never had cavities minus fluoridated water is pointless.

Fluoridated water helps the poor who are genetically prone to cavities (and may not be able to afford regular dental work), or kids who have neglectful parents. While it's not perfect, the last thing this country needs to do is eliminate a source of fluoride, especially with the current state of health care. If you don't want to drink tap water, buy it bottled.