Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Blue Lake Mulls Fluoride

First it was Mckinleyville, now it's Blue Lake. They want to follow the lead of Arcata and Eureka in adding fluoride to their tap water. It never ceases to amaze me how some people are so insistent in shoving things, in this case literally, down other people's throats.

I remind all that I'm not one that believes fluoride in the water presents any substantial health risk by being in drinking water. I just believe that should be a personal decision. Like Dana Silvernale, quoted in the article, I don't believe in medicating people through the water system, especially against their choice.

How about this for a compromise:

Whoever would be the one to add fluoride to Blue Lake or Mckinelyville's water, they'd obviously know where to buy the bulk fluoride. Why not get a list of people that want to drink fluoride, have everyone pitch in a buck or two and go buy a big bag of the stuff.

You could put the bag of fluoride at City Hall or the local water district and people could come by, scoop some fluoride up into a jar and take it home. Then those interested in having fluoride in their water could add it themselves- to their heart's content- and those who don't want fluoride don't have to deal with it.

Isn't that a great idea? That should please all sides. Community leaders in Blue Lake and Mckinleyville; Make it happen!

18 Comments:

At 10:20 AM, Blogger Heraldo Riviera said...

I agree, Fred. Mass medication through drinking water is unfair and totalitarian-esque.

 
At 11:29 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm not so sure about flouridation either. But its interesting that antiflouridation is a position that the far right and far left agree, because both see it as a question of liberty. As long as they stay away from "morality" issues, they mght agree on more.

BTW how about all the vitamin additives to flour and milk?

Also, flouride is a known poison in even very small amounts. Putting out a bag of it for people to scoop out would result in deaths. But safe flouride mouthwashes are available.

 
At 11:57 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

God you people are nuts

 
At 1:13 PM, Blogger Fred Mangels said...

11:29 wrote, "flouride is a known poison in even very small amounts.".

I wouldn't know about that. I've been told that we actually consume more fluoride in the food we eat than we get through drinking water.

Yes, fluoride mouthwashes are available. I've also read, when this first issue was brought up in Arcata, that it's very difficult to find toothpaste without fluoride in it.

Might people get too much if they could get it in bulk? Perhaps. But they wouldn't have to add much to a gallon of water to "fortify" their water if they so choose.

Seems to me there's a possibility for small businesses to get into this thing, too. It doesn't cost much to buy siphon type appliances for gardening use and water filters are already being used in home water systems.

How about some company develop a siphon type appliance that fits onto the home's water main and delivers just the right amount of fluoride into the home's water system? A whole industry could develop around that just like so many other "health supplements".

One problem might be an enterpreneur's skepticism about longevity of the enterprise since more and more municipalities are forcing fluoride on people. Why start a fluoride business only to be usurped by a city sticking fluoride in everybody's water.

Even if a home fluoride business did manage to take off, wouldn't it be interesting if we saw a complete reversal of political action taking place?

It wouldn't surprise me if many of the anti- fluoride folks are the same ones that want to ban so many other things we consume.

Wouldn't it be something if the home fluoride treatment business starting working and the ones against municiple fluoride treatment then turned around and tried to ban personally chosen home treatment of water with fluoride?

It wouldn't surprise me.

 
At 5:29 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ever notice the planes flying over eureka? The con trails, and subsequent illness? This is a government conspiracy to pollute our life juices. At first we thought it was the communists, but now it can only be our government.

Fluoridation? More like incarceration!

I accidentally drank tap water in Eureka and for the next week I was complacent! Anything anybody told me to do, I would do. My "Friend" told me to suck his cock, and so I did. I liked it. It was then that I realized what the government was doing to me!!!

 
At 7:55 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Is there an environmentalist take on fluoride? If my water gets fluoridated, my bottled water purchases will go through the roof. I won't use tap water for cooking or drinking.

 
At 8:27 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Fred, I think you're right on this time.Maybe they could just add it to drinks down at The Logger, or put it in the coffee and apple juice at Dell Arte' shows.

 
At 9:27 PM, Blogger Fred Mangels said...

"Fred, I think you're right on this time".

What???

Hey...I'm always right!

 
At 8:32 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The pitch for fluoride in McKinleyville was prevent tooth decay in children because a lot of parents can't afford to take children to a dentist and can't afford toothpaste or mouthwash, Why not take the money that we would spend on fluoride in the water and use it for early education and purchase of toothpaste or even the fluoride treatment that dentists perform. Doesn't do adults any good as far as I know. I have heard that the fluoride added to water is different that the fluoride that is naturally in water but not being a chemist or "water specialist" I don't know that for sure. Maybe someone here actually could answer that.

 
At 11:52 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

8:32 wrote "a lot of parents...can't afford toothpaste"

Oh come on. Parents can't afford toothpaste? That's an idiotic statement. I believe some(not a lot) parents don't ensure their children develop the habit of brushing their teeth everyday. And that has nothing to do with flouride. Are you going to say they can't afford toothbrushes too?

By making ridiculous statements you're obscuring the fact that some parents willfully don't care well for their children and the children and society suffer as a result.

 
At 9:12 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Indeed 11:52, Indeed. You can let your own teeth go to shit, but if you have kids take care of them, if you expect them to live long.

 
At 9:19 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The statement re toothpaste, etc. was said at the McKinleyville Community Service District meeting when a group wanted fluoride to be put on the agena and discussed. I think it was Dr. Lindsey that said that. I wondered at the time since with the Head Start program and First Five program if one or both of those programs could do something as they have pre-schoolers enrolled. I actually know a single mom who is on SSI that can barely afford anything and another family that a church supplies most of the children's clothes.

 
At 2:47 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

9:19 I think that SSI mom can "afford" toothpaste. A tube at the dollar store would last a child 3 months. If you followed her around, I'm certain you'll find her buying sodas, ready-to-eat, and frozen food. Toothpaste costs a lot less than soap or shampoo. Can she afford those?

 
At 2:53 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'd bet her money is tied up in cigarettes.

 
At 3:45 PM, Blogger Fred Mangels said...

Seems to me if we're using someone not being able to afford toothpaste as an excuse to fluoridate everyone's water, we're whitewashing an even bigger problem than children's dental health.

 
At 6:18 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Here is my question: Do adults need flouridated water, or is it just for the children's forming tooth enamel?

 
At 4:37 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

6:18

Flouride changes the chemical structure of tooth enamel in a way that increases its resistance to dissolving in acid.

That works the same in adults as well as children. But, in general, children get a bigger benefit because they have more newly formed teeth(that can "pick up" more flouride) and often have poorer dental hygiene(which results in teeth being exposed to more acid).

 
At 4:54 AM, Blogger FluorideNews said...

Modern science shows that fluoridation is ineffective at reducing tooth decay, harmful to health and a waste of tax dollars.

For More Information:

New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, Inc.
http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof

Fluoridation News Releases
http://tinyurl.com/6kqtu

Tooth Decay Crises in Fluoridated Areas
http://www.fluoridenews.blogspot.com/

Fluoride Action Network http://www.FluorideAction.Net

Fluoride Journal http://www.FluorideResearch.Org

 

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