It was standing room only Monday night at a meeting of the Joplin City Council, as those for and against fluoridating the city’s water packed the council chambers to voice their opinions.
At least 120 people — from young children bouncing on their parents’ knees to Frederick King, who at 90 years plus has been fighting fluoride since the 1960s — showed up for the public hearing.
The supporters of putting fluoride in the water appeared to outnumber the opponents by 5-to-1, and both sides took turns in front of the microphone.
Terry Walker, an employee of St. John’s Regional Medical Center, told the council that fluoride would “liberate people from the pain that comes with dental disease.”
“It’s the year 2004,” she said. “I think we’ve waited long enough.”
Two previous efforts to fluoridate the city’s water, in 1960 and 1987, were unsuccessful.
But those supporting fluoridation will have another chance after Monday night’s hearing. When the discussion was finished, the council voted 7-1 to move forward with an ordinance to fluoridate the city’s water supply.
The lone holdout was Mayor Pro Tem Jon Tupper. He said he supports putting fluoride in the water, but he thinks the people should have the chance to vote on the matter.
“I’m of the opinion this issue should be decided by the citizens of Joplin,” Tupper said.
Mayor Phil Stinnett echoed those sentiments, saying the city conducted a survey in 2003 that showed widespread support for fluoridation, but also indicated that residents wanted to use the ballot box to decide.
“There’s no question we should have fluoride in our water system,” Stinnett said. “But the survey we took said we should vote. This (the ordinance) would be a move against that survey.”
Stinnett said that despite his concerns, he would vote with the council majority, and he did so.
“I’m sure some of you have already decided this,” Joplin resident Clyde Black told the council. “But this is going to affect people.”
Black, who said he had worked in chemical research for EaglePicher Industries for more than 20 years, said he had seen what happens when fluoride is put into a glass container.
“It eats glass,” Black said. “I just don’t want to ingest something that eats glass, whether it’s one part per million or not.”
The council took a hard stance against some of those opposing fluoridation.
Councilman Richard Russell said he had read a “Quackwatch” article before coming to the meeting. The Quackwatch Inc. Web site says it is a nonprofit corporation “whose purpose is to combat health-related frauds, myths, fads, and fallacies.”
Councilman Guy Palmieri said opponents are not using sound science.
“I sympathize with those who have special health needs,” Palmieri said. “But I do not believe in the self-appointed arbiters that use information taken out of context to promote fear and anxiety.”
The council will conduct second and third readings of the ordinance in September. Stinnett said there will not be another public hearing at that time, but that interested parties may ask to speak to the council by contacting the city clerk.
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