Auburn,NY addressing fluoride addition

[Guest guest]

This was sent out as a courtesy by the NYS Dept' of Health

>As you may have read in the Syracuse Post-Standard [New York] beginning on

December

> 30th, Cayuga County is one of six central NY counties lacking a

> fluoridated water supply and the impact on the children of our county, you

> will read in the article, are quite apparent. [aka " really stupid

editorial "

_http://www.syracuse.com/opinion/poststandard/index.ssf?/base/opinion-0/11358489\

23118911.xml & coll=1_

(http://www.syracuse.com/opinion/poststandard/index.ssf?/base/opinion-0/11358489\

23118911.xml & coll=1) ] The Cayuga County

Community

> Health Network also stated its opinion on the matter in a subsequent

> letter to the editor and now, this week, there is a follow-up article

> in

> the Post Standard and we just received word of a television program

> dedicated to the subject, which is one of the reasons for this e-mail

> message...

>

> This Friday (1/6) at 10 PM, WCNY-TV's Central Issues program will feature

> Auburn pediatrician Gioia, MD, MPH; Auburn dentist Theresa

> Casper-Klock, DDS; Conett, PhD, a St. Lawrence University chemist and

> renowned anti-fluoride activist representing the Fluoride Action Network

> along with Auburn Mayor Tim Lattimore on the pros and cons of public

> water fluoridation.

>

> Theresa and Vince Casper-Klock and I are meeting tomorrow (Thursday) to

> discuss a strategy for enlarging this discussion to include more voices

> from the local dental community. I welcome input from you - the Network

> Board / staff / Members / stakeholders / oral health advocates / other

> interested parties - on how to keep this matter in front of the public

> now

> that it has resurfaced after several years of dormancy, thanks to this

> recent coverage by the Post-Standard.

>

> Finally, I also encourage you to contact Auburn City Council members

> about

> the impact that the lack of fluoridated water is having on the overall

> health of the Cayuga County Community. [Auburn contacts are below]

>

> Thank you in advance for your consideration of this message and request.

>

> Jim Kennedy

>

>

> X. Kennedy

> Executive Director, Cayuga Community Health Network, Inc.

> > Auburn, NY 13021

>

I don't think I sent out this 01/02/06 newspaper report yet about Auburn:

_http://www.syracuse.com/news/poststandard/cayuga/index.ssf?/base/news-2/11361

9462563880.xml & coll=1_ (http://www.sy

racuse.com/news/poststandard/cayuga/index.ssf?/base/news-2/113619462563880.xml & c\

oll=1)

No rush for new vote on fluoride

Monday, January 02, 2006

By Stith

Staff writer

The Auburn City Council won't endorse a referendum on fluoridating the

city's water supply unless voters ask for it.

Councilors J. Dempsey and D. McNabb said they would support a

referendum if they believed residents wanted to vote on the issue. Mayor

C. Lattimore and Councilor J. Graney said they want a better

idea

of where voters stand before deciding whether to support a referendum.

Councilor C. opposes a referendum, saying the people elect

officials to make decisions in the public interest.

In 1972, city voters changed the city charter and banned fluoride. City

Corporation Counsel Leone has said a referendum would be needed to lift

the ban. In 1997, a push for a referendum stalled when city officials said

state law required an environmental study before such a change could be

enacted.

The matter went no further.

A new state Department of Health report shows 72 percent of third-graders in

Cayuga County have had at least one cavity, the highest rate of tooth decay

in the six-county Central New York area. The same report, which is to be

released officially in the spring, shows that no public water systems based in

Cayuga County add fluoride to the water.

By contrast, in Onondaga County, where 93 percent of the population gets

fluoridated water, only 42 percent of third-graders have had at least one

cavity.

Fluoride, a chemical compound added commonly to drinking water, is believed

by many dentists and others in the medical community to retard tooth decay.

Lattimore, who opposes adding fluoride to the water supply, said the real

issue is hygiene.

" I'm for widows and orphans . . . but I'm not going to add fluoride because

2 percent of our population doesn't know how to brush its teeth, " he said.

Here's what Lattimore, Dempsey, McNabb, Graney and had to say about

holding a referendum.

C. Lattimore

" I'd be glad to debate it on the floor of the council. If they have an

issue, bring it forward. I'll debate it. I'll test what kind of response I get

from the general public from there as to whether a referendum is the way to

go. "

J. Dempsey

" I would certainly support a referendum if the people supported that.

Obviously, I would want to check with our officials and find out from them from

a

chemistry perspective what we need to do to make our water the best that it

could possibly be. "

D. McNabb

" If there is sufficient public support for a referendum, I would support

that. I'm not sure how much support would need to be shown to say there is

enough to put it to a vote. There is a cost to consider, however. I have no

thoughts either way. This topic hasn't come up in several years. "

J. Graney

" I want to get more information, but I'm not crazy about the idea of adding

more chemicals to our water. It's a medication, and people won't have a

choice. I'd want to see what the public says before I'd support scheduling a

referendum on fluoridation. "

C.

" I do not favor fluoridation of our water. The literature I've read

indicates there are some harmful effects. I hate to say 'no' to giving the

public a

voice in a referendum, but I don't favor a referendum on this issue. People

elected us to represent them, so there should be some trust in what we

decide. "

Stith can be reached at 253-7316 or _jstith@..._

(mailto:jstith@...) .

Editor: _mconnor@..._ (mailto:mconnor@...)

Auburn Mayor Tim Lattimore _mayor@..._

(mailto:mayor@...)

Contact Auburn:

_http://auburnny.virtualtownhall.net/Public_Documents/AuburnNY_WebDocs/comments_'>http://auburnny.virtualtownhall.net/Public_Documents/AuburnNY_WebDocs/comments_

(http://auburnny.virtualtownhall.net/Public_Documents/AuburnNY_WebDocs/comments)

Mayor and City Council phone numbers _http://auburnny.virtualto

wnhall.net/Public_Documents/AuburnNY_Council/index_

(http://auburnny.virtualtownhall.net/Public_Documents/AuburnNY_Council/index)

ck

Please sign the petition supporting the EPA Unions' request for a nationwide

moratorium on fluoridation, _http://www.powalliance.org/petition/index.html_

(http://www.powalliance.org/petition/index.html)

New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, Inc.

_http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof_ (http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof)

Fluoridation News Releases

_http://tinyurl.com/6kqtu_ (http://tinyurl.com/6kqtu)

Fluoride News Tracker

_http://www.fluoridenews.blogspot.com/_

(http://www.fluoridenews.blogspot.com/)

Fluoride Action Network

_http://www.FluorideAction.Net_ (http://www.fluoridealert.org/)