BY DONNA WESTFALL

It has now been 25 days since Dr. William Maas, former director of the Oral Health Division of the CDC, and now spokesperson for the Pew Charitable Trust was challenged to debate Dr. Paul Connett, Executive Director of the Fluoride Action Network,  but as of today there has been no word. Meanwhile, Dr. Maas has no problem insulting Dr. Connett in his one-way communications.

The Fluoridation Failure

A week ago promoters of fluoridation celebrated the 68th anniversary of the beginning of fluoridation (25th January, 1945) in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Rather than just blindly celebrating this outdated practice promoters would be more convincing if they debated the issue in public with leading scientific opponents of fluoridation like Paul Connett, PhD.

Professor Connett today, had this message for Dr. Maas, “Hey, Bill either put up or shut up. If you have the confidence to insult me then you should have the confidence to debate me in public.”

Per Dr. Connett, if fluoridating the public water supply was as good as the promoters say it is, then after 68 years…

• The majority of countries would be doing it – but they aren’t. 97% of European countries do not fluoridate their water.
• There would be a clear difference in tooth decay between countries that do and those that don’t – but there isn’t.
• There would be randomized clinical trials that demonstrate its safety and effectiveness – but there aren’t.
• The US Food and Drug Administration would have approved fluoride for ingestion – but it hasn’t.
• The public water supply would have been used to deliver other drugs –but since fluoridation began this has not been done.
• The promoters would gladly agree to publicly debate leading scientific opponents of fluoridation – but they very rarely do.
• Promoters would not have to use insulting ad hominem attacks on opponents–but they do.
• The promoters would not have to intimidate the members of their own professional bodies to toe the party line – but they do.
• The promoters would not have to spend millions of dollars on public relations outfits and lobbyists to win their case for them behind closed doors – but they do.
• Rather than force through mandatory fluoridation bills at the state level promoters would encourage communities to freely vote on the matter – but they don’t.

• The promoters would cite scientific studies to prove their case rather than relying on second hand endorsements and biased review panels –but they seldom do.
• The promoters would have performed studies of their own to check the findings of researchers who have found harm in countries with moderate to high natural levels of fluoride in their water – but they don’t.
• The promoters would have resolved every question about safety – but they haven’t.
• The promoters would have carefully tracked the levels of fluoride in the blood, urine and bones of people living in fluoridated communities – but they haven’t.
• The promoters would have checked scientifically the many anecdotal reports that certain individuals are particularly sensitive to fluoride’s toxic effects – but they won’t.
• The promoters would have used the severity of dental fluorosis as a biomarker for epidemiological studies to investigate potential harm to children – but they haven’t.
• The promoters would accept liabilities for any harm caused by fluoridation, including payment for treating dental fluorosis, which now impacts at least 42% of American adolescents – but they don’t.

• The public water supply should never have been used to deliver medicine. Once added to the water you cannot control the dose, you cannot control who gets the medicine and it violates the individual’s right to informed consent to medicine. Medical professionals should be ashamed to support such a crude and unethical practice.

The next election is in 2014.  At that time, an initiative should have been circulated and put on the ballot to the effect that no medication can be added to the public water.  This is the only way Crescent City will be assured that no future scams are ever perpetrated on the public again.