John Stauber is an American writer and political activist who has co-authored five books about propaganda by governments, private interests and the PR industry. They include one book about how industry manipulates science (Trust Us, We’re Experts). Stauber wrote the following statement in March 2013.

I’ve read much of the science behind water fluoridation. I oppose it because I believe it’s unnecessary and not proven safe or effective.

Fluoridation promoters use endorsements from the federal government and numerous health organizations as a marketing tool. They understand that most people don’t have time to examine fluoridation in depth and so will trust the experts they promote.

Unfortunately, the federal government approved fluoridation of public drinking water way back in 1950. It was a dubious  decision and it allowed the fluoridation industry to garner endorsements from many other agencies and organizations to promote dumping fluoride into drinking water.

The vast majority of governments and health organizations in other countries do NOT support fluoridation – over 94% of the world’s population drinks unfluoridated water. In Europe, 43 out of 48 nations don’t fluoridate, covering 97% of the population. Most never started and six that did, including Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands and Finland, have stopped.

Unfortunately, it’s difficult for government officials, agencies and professional associations that have publicly supported fluoridation to admit that the most current science contradicts their positions.

I serve on the advisory board of the Fluoride Action Network (www.fluoridealert.org), the major science-based organization opposing fluoridation. FAN is challenging the obsolete ideas used to promote this practice. I hope you will study the facts, not myths, and vote NO on Measure 26-151.

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