[custom-facebook-feed]Credit to Lisa Whaley, Publisher of the Herald & Tribune, Jonesborough, Tn – The Mayor and Alderman of Jonesborough have voted to discontinue the addition of fluoride to the public water after deliberating and weighing the pros and cons for over a year.[custom-facebook-feed]

Discontinuing the addition of fluoride would save the area $12,000 which will be channeled into school and community programs.  Alderman Chuck Vest was concerned with the impact fluoride had on the senior community due to numerous reports that it should not be ingested. However, he made his motion to include language that children would be better served by topical treatment like rinses.

Dr. Jay Jarmin, who spoke on behalf of discontinuing fluoride in water, said he was also concerned about the health and well being of the community. He challenged the claim that fluoride is naturally occurring substance found in water anyway.

“That is calcium fluoride,” he said. “That’s not the same fluoride that is added to our water, which can be fluorosilicic acid and fluorosilicate.” And they hold, he said, a completely different chemical equation.

But, “fluoride delivered in the public water supply is not the most effective way to provide fluoride and by doing so it causes more problems than it solves.”