The New Statement (as of Nov 2018)

Professionals Renewed Call for an End to Water Fluoridation Worldwide

In the light of new and serious scientific findings, we the undersigned professionals from all walks of life, call upon all government entities to cease water fluoridation.

1. In a previous statement by professionals on water fluoridation, which was triggered by the landmark review of the toxicology of fluoride by the U.S. National Research Council of the National Academies (NRC, 2006), attention was drawn to the extensive evidence that fluoride is toxic and has the potential to damage teeth, bone, brain, kidney, and the endocrine system. The first Professionals Statement to End Fluoridation is online here (use the scroll bar to see the statement and signers).

2. Over the last few years the evidence has been growing that fluoride seriously threatens the developing brain and endocrine system, even at exposure levels that occur in fluoridated communities. See the online 130 human brain studies; 237 animal brain studies; and 33 cell brain studies (as of Oct 31, 2018).

3. As of October 2018, 53 out of 60 studies showed a lowering of IQ in children associated with higher fluoride exposure. The Mother-Offspring studies (discussed below) add to the weight of evidence that fluoride is a developmental neurotoxin, in the same league as lead and mercury. The 53 IQ studies are online here. The 7 IQ studies that have not found any lowering of IQ (or statistically significant lowering of IQ) associated with fluoride exposure are listed in the table here.

4. A landmark Mother-Offspring study. Bashash et al. in 2017 found that the critical period of exposure to fluoride was during pregnancy. In this study conducted in Mexico City, a strong relationship was found between fluoride exposure to pregnant women (as measured in their urine) and lowered IQ in their offspring. An increase of 1 mg/Liter of urinary fluoride was associated with 5-6 point loss in IQ tests conducted in their offspring at 4 and 6-12 years of age.  It should be noted, a) that 1 mg/Liter of urinary fluoride is approximately the difference between the urinary levels of a pregnant women living in a fluoridated versus a non-fluoridated and b)  a drop of 5 IQ points across a whole population would result in the halving of the fraction of very bright children (IQ greater than 130) and an increase by 50% of the number of children who are intellectually challenged (IQ less than 70).

5. The Bashash 2017 study was well-designed, rigorous and relevant to fluoridated communities. This 12-year Mother-Offspring study was funded by U.S.-government agencies (National Institutes of Health and Environmental Protection Agency) and was carried out by experienced researchers from universities and institutions in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. and controlled for many potential confounding variables. See study and commentary online here.

6. Before Bashash two other Mother-Offspring studies had been published, Li et al. 2004 (originally published in Chinese) and Valdez Jiménez et al. 2017 . Two other Mother-Offspring studies have been presented at conferences but not yet published: Thomas et al. 2018 and Green et al. 2018 (ISEE conference in Ottawa).

7. In October 2018, three more important human studies were published. Two, funded by NIH, further strengthen the importance and relevance of the 2017 Bashash study (Till et al., 2018; Bashash et al., 2018) and a third study on thyroid function offers a potential mechanism for how fluoride interferes with fetal mental development (Malin et al., 2018). All three studies are reviewed online here.

8. The cumulative weight and relevance of all these findings is compelling.

9. As professionals we believe it is alarming that the fetus and infants be deliberately exposed to a substance that could affect their brain or lower their IQ. It is also disturbing that neither the fetus nor the infant up to 6 months of age have been included in any health risk assessments conducted for water fluoridation.

10. There are other arguments why fluoridation is a bad public health policy, but we believe that the above reasons are sufficient to force an end to this practice. Meanwhile, we urge health agencies to warn women to avoid fluoride during pregnancy and help families of low-income secure fluoride-free water for use in bottle-feeding their infants.

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