FAN Bulletin 2029: Campaign Updates

[Guest guest]

Fluoride Action Network

_http://fluoridealert.org/_ (http://fluoridealert.org/)

FAN Bulletin 2029: Campaign Updates

September 1, 2010

You haven't heard from us since the FAN conference because Ellen and I

snatched two weeks vacation on the NJ shore. This came as a very welcome break

after an intense few months that involved completing the book, organizing

the FAN conference, interviewing candidates for FAN's campaign manager, and

more. Standby for an exciting announcement tomorrow!

Point persons for each state. The campaign manager's task will be greatly

helped by the number of people who have already volunteered to be the point

person for their state. We have given an updated list of these below. If

you are interested in helping to get fluoridation out of a town in one of

these listed states please contact the person identified below. The names

will be handed over to the campaign manager.

In about a year's time we hope to help bring many of these state

leaders/coordinators as well as the most effective individual activists to the

Washington, DC area (as we just did in Canton, NY) to further network, inspire

and empower. So while we want to see victories at the local level we mustn't

lose sight of the need to focus some of this collective education and

energy into achieving a far greater pressure on the federal agencies, which

could end this ridiculous practice tomorrow if they had the scientific

integrity to do so. In this respect, a very important article appeared recently

in

the New York Times - see

_http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/08/27/27greenwire-scientists-grow-disillu

sioned-waiting-for-clea-91109.html_

(http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/08/27/27greenwire-scientists-grow-disillusion\

ed-waiting-for-clea-91109.html)

Some exciting news from the UK. The new coalition government has announced

that they are disbanding the Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs) in 2012

-see

_http://www2.fluoridealert.org/Alert/United-Kingdom/England/Southampton-Fluo

ride-plans-could-be-scrapped_

(http://www2.fluoridealert.org/Alert/United-Kingdom/England/Southampton-Fluoride\

-plans-could-be-scrapped)

These are the unelected bodies, which under the 2003 Water Act, were

supposed to make the final decision on water fluoridation. The first SHA that

attempted to do this in Southampton made a complete mess up of the so-called

" public consultation " process. Even though 72% of the people polled said

that they didn't want fluoridation the board voted unanimously to go ahead

anyway. This arrogance even upset local politicians who had been in favor of

fluoridation. It has been widely assumed that once the SHA's decision has

been upheld on appeal, it would trigger similar " public consultations "

throughout the country. Now this will not happen. The decision to fluoridate

will

almost certainly go back into the hands of local decision makers. There

are of course dangers in this, but even so having some kind of recourse to a

democratic process gives citizens a fighting chance to keep fluoridation

out of their communities.

Australia and New Zealand. One only has to compare the Australian and New

Zealand experiences with respect to fluoridation to see the importance of

democracy. The governments of both countries are very pro-fluoridation and

their health departments churn out the same old tired mantra of " safe and

effective " even though they do virtually no health studies of their own! The

big difference is that communities in New Zealand do have a say in the

matter. In Australia there is absolutely no pretence at democracy and the state

health departments are simply forcing this practice on communities without

giving them any chance to vote. With fluoridation, Australia epitomizes

the arrogance of power. Health officials act like tinpot dictators. They have

little first-hand knowledge of the issue but are willing to force it on

millions of people. They will not debate the issue in public and won't even

answer serious questions put to them by opponents with strong scientific

credentials.

Recently fluoridation was rejected in Kaitaia and Kaikohe in NZ -see

_http://www2.fluoridealert.org/Alert/New-Zealand/Kaitaia-and-Kaikohe-Far-Nor

th-towns-say-no-to-fluoride_

(http://www2.fluoridealert.org/Alert/New-Zealand/Kaitaia-and-Kaikohe-Far-North-t\

owns-say-no-to-fluoride)

FAN NZ is very confident that over the next few months more communities

will reject fluoridation and that NZ will become the first country that

currently fluoridates over 50% of its population to abandon the practice.

More Good News from Canada. The Green Party of Canada has announced its

opposition to the use of the water fluoridation chemicals hexafluorosilicic

acid and socium silicofluoride. In the US, these hazardous waste by-products

are used in over 90% of drinking water fluoridation schemes. See the Green

Party resolution at

_http://www2.fluoridealert.org/Alert/Canada/National/Green-Party-of-Canada-c

alls-for-ban-on-the-fluoridation-chemicals-hexafluorosilicic-acid-and-sodium

-silicofluoride_

(http://www2.fluoridealert.org/Alert/Canada/National/Green-Party-of-Canada-calls\

-for-ban-on-the-fluoridation-chemicals-hexafluorosilici

c-acid-and-sodium-silicofluoride)

• In 2008, the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment

announced their opposition to fluoridation - see

_http://fluoridealert.org/cape.html_ (http://fluoridealert.org/cape.html)

• And in 2009, Great Lakes United announced their opposition - see

_http://www.glu.org/sites/default/files/Resolution-regarding-artificial-water-fl\

uori

dation.pdf_

(http://www.glu.org/sites/default/files/Resolution-regarding-artificial-water-fl\

uoridation.pdf)

Three winners. We have three winners of our " find the errors " competition

pertaining to the propaganda distributed by the Florida Dental Association.

Congratulations to the following: Aliss Terpstra (Toronto), Kurt Irmischer

(Clearwater, Florida) and a third person (First name I believe)

but I can't re-locate her emailed entry. please email me again at

Pconnett@... so that I can get your entry and details. We will be

sending each a free copy of our upcoming book, " The Case Against Fluoride: How

Hazardous Waste Ended Up in Our Drinking Water and the Bad Science and

Powerful Politics that Keep it there " (Authors: Connett, Beck and Micklem.

Publisher: Chelsea Green, Vermont. Advanced orders can be made at Amazon.com)

when it appears in October

Connett

FAN US states & Canadian provincial leaders:

CANADA

Alberta - Beck <beck@...>

Ontario - Diane Sprules <diane.sprules@...>

Quebec - Gilles Parent _gilles.parent-nd@..._

(mailto:gilles.parent-nd@...)

UNITED STATES

Arkansas - Crystal Harvey <crystalthepink@...>

Arizona - Laurie LeDuc <leducrph@...

_<http://email00.secureserver.net/webmail.php?login=1 & amp;gzipjs=1>_

(http://email00.secureserver.net/webmail.php?login=1 & amp;gzipjs=1) >

Colorado - Justus <justusoriginals@...>

DC, Metro Region - Erville <perville@...>

Florida - Kurt and Marcia Irmischer <kurt@...>

Georgia -Dan Stockin <STOCKIN2@...>

Louisiana - Vic Hummert <vic@...>

land - Bernie Miltenberger <bernie_miltenberger@...>

Massachusetts - Mike Dolan (Central and South Mass) <mdolan@...>

(Boston area) - Bill Patenaude <BillP173@...>

Minnesota - Kreuger <jkrueger@...>

New Hampshire - Lajoie, <jlje23@...>

New York - Carol Kopf <NYSCOF@...>

North Carolina - Evan Folds <evan@...

_<http://email00.secureserver.net/webmail.php?login=1 & amp;gzipjs=1>_

(http://email00.secureserver.net/webmail.php?login=1 & amp;gzipjs=1) >

Oregon - Kaminski, <kim@...>

Pennsylvania - Mike Ewall <catalyst@...>

Tennessee - Jack Cook <jcook56050@...>

Texas - Rae Nadler-Oelnick <mrn_olenic@...>

Vermont - Karl Novak <kavon95@...>

Virginia - Ken Case <case_k@...>

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