The Sedgwick County Health Department has removed a fluoride ‘fact sheet’ from its website amid pressure from anti-fluoride groups and members of the county commission.
Opponents of adding fluoride to Wichita’s water supply raised the issue at a meeting of county commissioners Tuesday morning. Hours later, the fact-sheet was removed at the request of Commissioners Karl Peterjohn, Richard Ranzau and Jim Skelton.
Commissioner Dave Unruh says this is the first time he can remember the Health Department removing something from its website at the request of commissioners.
Fluoride opponents says the ‘fact sheet’, which was also distributed to some residents, promoted fluoridating the water. Wichita voters will decide if they want fluoridated water on November 6th.
“What we’re objecting to is what Sedgwick County has put on their website and has handed out at numerous health fairs…this is dated September 2012, this hasn’t been around for years and years,” says Don Landis with Fluoride Free Kansas.
Health Department Director Claudia Blackburn says the fact-sheet has been on the county’s website for some time. She also says the facts came from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC lists adding fluoride to water as one of the top 10 health achievements of the 20th century.
“The facts that are on there seem to be supportive of fluoridation. However the response is, they are simply facts. We could put up a list of facts that are opposed to it but the health department is trying to inform the public,” says Unruh.
Print 
PDF