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Letter to the editor

Fluoride, at this level, is not harmful

The June 20 letter Why not back up safety of fluoride? asks where the scientific research is to back up the safety of hydrofluorosilicic acid, which is being used by Pinellas County and other utilities in the Tampa Bay area to fluoridate the public water supply.

It is correct that there is no direct research that we are aware of on hydrofluorosilicic acid's impact on the health of humans.

Hydrofluorosilicic acid is used in concentrated forms by utilities for injection into public water supplies. So are chlorine, caustic soda and orthopolyphosphate, all additives used to enhance and protect the public water supply. All of these substances are harmful to human health in their concentrated forms.

There has been significant research on these substances in the concentrations that are delivered to customers at their water taps. The research has determined that the resulting fluoride delivered at 0.8 parts per million is not harmful to human health. Readers can find out about the research on fluoride from hydrofluorosilicic acid in water by contacting the following:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Oral Health, Attention: Dr. Scott Preston, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Mailstop F-10, Atlanta, GA 30341 Web site: www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/oh or e-mail: OralHealth@cdc.gov

Florida Department of Health, Ms. Laura Heinman, Fluoridation Project Coordinator, 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin #A14, Tallahassee, Fla. 32399-1724 e-mail: Laura_Heinman@doh.state.fl.us)

Regarding the June 20 letter Misinformation begins with county, erroneous information was published last year that there was a referendum held in 1976. The data also indicated there would be a high cost for adding fluoride to water.

Yes, we did publish this on our own Web site. When I reviewed the Web site information and recognized the error, I asked that it be removed. There has never been a referendum on fluoride in the Pinellas County Utilities system. The cost of adding fluoride to our water is about 5 cents per month for a typical family household. The cost is 0.7 cents per thousand gallons of water supplied at the customer tap.

Two problems with Talley's claims

In his June 16 letter (A primer on fluoridating our water), Pick Talley, director of Pinellas County Utilities, rattles off an impressive list of official endorsers of water fluoridation, as proponents of the practice are trained to do.

There are two problems with Talley's claims: First, organizational endorsements are no substitute for valid scientific studies demonstrating safety and effectiveness. Second, two of the organizations listed by Talley, the American Cancer Society and the Environmental Protection Agency, are not on the list of official fluoridation endorsers.

The American Cancer Society maintains a neutral position on the matter and, according to Dr. William Hirzy, senior vice president of an Environmental Protection Agency professional union that is made up largely of scientists, the EPA had once been an official endorser but had its name removed some time ago.

Dr. Hirzy will no doubt give us details on this when he comes to Clearwater on Thursday to debate any expert the county cares to provide on the merits of water fluoridation - unless, of course, the county is unwilling to take on the challenge of debate.

Doctor, dentist didn't prescribe it

The pros and cons of fluoridation aside, my argument concerns how I and the entire population of Pinellas County have come to be forced to ingest fluoride by the decree of our county commissioners.

Neither my doctor nor my dentist has deemed that I need fluoride supplementation. Yet the county commissioners, with no medical qualifications, are forcing me and my fellow residents to get a daily dose of fluoride.

This is an amazing state of affairs!

Just can't swallow this logic

According to Pick Talley, director of Pinellas County Utilities, the state and county health departments asked county commissioners in August 2003 to approve fluoridating the water for health benefits. Six of the seven commissioners voted on Aug. 26 for fluoridation, which took effect June 7.

The political action committee Citizens for Safe Water rebuts the alleged benefits of fluoridation and gives evidence of its harmful effects.

Both fluoridated toothpaste and dentists who apply fluoride to teeth warn that it should not be swallowed. The fluoride used by dentists and in toothpaste is purified and of pharmaceutical grade. The fluoride used in Pinellas water is hydrofluorosilicic acid, a toxic waste product of the phosphate industry that contains lead, arsenic and uranium and that otherwise is disposed of as hazardous waste.

It is a feat of logic to conclude that although swallowing purified fluoride is warned against, swallowing hydrofluorosilicic acid is beneficial. Besides being in drinking water, its pollutants are concentrated in cooking, the skin absorbs it in bathing, it enters the ground and produce in irrigation, and the water containing it is used in many commercial products. It is also corrosive for household plumbing and city water pipes.

If you were legally required to take an aspirin a day, you would rebel and might suspect special-interest involvement. As water is essential for life, water fluoridation amounts to forced medication.

Even hospitals require a signed consent form before patients can be medicated.

For those seeking information on fluoride, we are lucky to have a recently released, thoroughly researched and extensively documented book by investigative reporter Christopher Bryson, The Fluoride Deception, by Seven Stories Press.

Peeves about new boat ramp fee

This is a short note concerning the $5 charge that boaters are now having to pay to launch from a county boat ramp.

First, I'm not going to complain about the charge. After all, $5 a launch or $100 per year does not seem totally out of line. And we have been told that this money will stay in the county park's system.

My issues are the following:

I do not recall having seen a notice that invited debate on this issue before it was voted on last September. Am I the only one who missed this?

I find it funny that the signs notifying the boating public of the toll went up so late.

I agree that we pay taxes for parks and other services already. I for one would pay more in taxes if Pinellas County did a better job of securing open space and beach access. What I want to hear from the County Commission is that these tolls will be added to the county park budget. I don't want to hear that park funds are being redirected to other areas because of these new tolls.

[Last modified July 7, 2004, 01:03:26]