How To Win Your Campaign — Teleconference Audio Available
If you missed the October International Fluoride Free Teleconference held this past Sunday, you can now listen to the audio at home or on your mobile device. The call featured campaign advisor Rick North sharing data from the two post-election surveys conducted after the significant victories in both Portland and Newport, Oregon. This audio is highly recommended for anyone interested in knowing the most effective messaging and target audience to end fluoridation. Click here to learn more and listen to the audio.
To register for the November 2016 teleconference (topic TBA) click here.
Latest Fluoride-Free Victories & Campaign Updates
- Mackay, Australia — FAN would like to congratulate the residents of Mackay, especially the hard-working and brilliant fluoride-free campaigners, who made this vote and victory possible! Prior to voting 6-5 to end fluoridation, the city council held forums, debates, public hearings, and did their own extensive research. They also conducted a survey that found a majority of residents–46% opposed versus 39% in favor–wanted an end to the practice and felt “very concerned” about the negative impact fluoride could have on their health. Since the state of Queensland ended their fluoridation mandate in 2012, numerous councils have removed fluoride chemicals from their public water systems, including Cairns, Rockhampton, and Gladstone regional councils. Now, only 24 of Queensland’s 77 councils still artificially fluoridate their drinking water. You can watch a great presentation on why fluoridation should end by Australian scientist Merilyn Haines, which was part of the longer Mackay fluoridation forum, which is also available for viewing. Sadly, councilors who voted in favor of resuming Mackay’s fluoridation have already expressed a desire to reverse the vote. For more information, visit Fluoride Free Australia, No Water Fluoridation in Mackay, or Merilyn Haines of Fluoride Action Network Australia: contact@fluoridealertaustralia.org
- Patton Borough, Pennsylvania — Another town has continued the growing trend of ending fluoridation due to the corrosion and metal leaching caused by the chemical additive. According to Borough water engineer David Cunningham, of Keller Engineers, “because Patton has older water lines, the added fluorosilicic acid seemed to be loosening sediment and causing corrosion. ‘The fear is that you’re going to raise lead and copper levels,’ he said. The notice added that the fluoride also seemed to be increasing the water’s iron content.” Learn more about how fluoride chemicals fill our public water supplies with lead and other dangerous toxins.
- Fluoride Expert in Ontario — World-Renowned scientist Dr. A.K. Susheela, PhD, FASc, F.A.M.S., will be speaking in Oakville, Ontario on Wednesday, October 12, 2016 on the “Harmful Effects of Fluoride on Human Health”. Visit Fluoride Free Peel for more information.
- Kennebunk, Maine – Voters in Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Wells, Ogunquit, Arundel, and portions of Biddeford and York, Maine will have the opportunity to end fluoridation on election day in November. The water district has come out in opposition to adding fluoride additives, and a campaign has been organized to win the ballot vote.
- Healdsburg, California – Residents will be voting in November on ballot question T, which if approved (with a “Yes” vote), will require the city council to suspend fluoridation if the manufacturer supplying the fluoridation chemicals cannot provide an accurate list of contaminants in each batch, toxicological data on the additive, and a written statement verifying the chemical’s safety for ingestion by all water consumers, once introduced into the water supply. Visit Clean Water Sonoma-Marin to learn how you can help pass this precedent-setting measure.
- National Academy of Sciences Petition — We have it on good authority, that the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is still struggling to respond to Erin Brockovich’s April 2015 letter. If you haven’t already done so, help the NAS and their Health and Medicine Division (HMD), formerly known as the Institute of Medicine (IOM), make up their minds. Please sign this petition demanding Congress, NAS, and IOM/HMD start paying attention to 21st century science on fluoride.
Ontario Mandate Threat Grows
The Ontario legislature has voted in support of a non-binding motion calling for a province-wide fluoridation mandate that would force all towns to add fluoride, a known neurotoxin to their drinking water. Liberal MP Bob Delaney (Mississauga-Streetsville) introduced a petition to the Ontario Legislature to “make the fluoridation of municipal drinking water mandatory in all municipal water systems across the Province of Ontario,” and orchestrated last week’s vote.
What is even more unethical and undemocratic is that this vote is in response to growing opposition to fluoridation from Ontario residents, city councils, and members of the scientific community. 16 communities, representing hundreds of thousands of people have rejected the practice, including major cities such as Cornwall (pop. 46,000), Parry Sound, Kingsville (21,000), Huntsville (20,000), Muskoka (60,000), Windsor (279,000), Orilla (40,000), Amherstburg (20,000), Lakeshore (33,000), and Waterloo (103,000)–to name just some of the larger Ontario communities that have rejected fluoridation since 2010. As we have learned repeatedly, when the democratic process is used to end fluoridation, the fluoride-lobby ends the democratic process.
FAN will be sending out a bulletin to our Ontario supporters this week with details on how residents can take action to stop this mandate threat before it’s too late.
New Zealand Ad Campaign Approved
Fluoride-free campaigners, led by Fluoride Free New Zealand, have been working tirelessly to defeat the proposed national fluoridation mandate, and this past week their campaign had a significant victory. For several months now, they have been airing two commercials on TV:
In an effort to hide the truth regarding water fluoridation, the pro-fluoride lobby in New Zealand submitted numerous formal complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) calling for both ads to be taken off the air. The ASA outright rejected the complaints regarding the “World vs. Fluoridation” ad, saying there was no basis to proceed with the complaint. And this past week the ASA finally ruled that the “Hazardous Waste ad is, “fact-based statements, backed up with evidence…[and] did not conflate opinion and fact,” and therefore can be aired throughout the country.
Mary Byrne, media spokesperson for Fluoride Free NZ said, “Complaining about these adverts shows [pro-fluoridation activists] don’t even believe in freedom of speech…these complaints strike at the heart of our democracy.”
Help make this TV ad go viral. Please share via email and social media. Also, in an effort to help the worldwide campaign beyond NZ, the producer behind these ads has offered to modify them for use by other campaigns around the world at a minimal cost. If you or your campaign are interested in sharing these ads with your community, please contact: info@fluoridefree.org.nz
For more information about fluoridation chemicals, click here.
Latest Fluoride News
–It’s In the Water: the Debate Over Fluoridation Lives On (U.S.)
–No Evidence For Fluoridated Water to Result in Less Cavities (U.S.)
–Two Water Providers Are in Court Over Fluoridation (Arkansas)
–San Diego Violates Fluoridation Law, Legal Action Taken (California)
–Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, & Wells: To Fluoridate or Not to Fluoridate? (Maine)
–Group Begins Battle to Take Fluoride Out of Knoxville Drinking Water (Tennessee)
–Should Jonesborough Make a Decision Now on Fluoride? (Tennessee)
–The Majority of Taranaki DHB Candidates are Pro-Fluoride (New Zealand)
–Little Candidate Support for Fluoridation in South Canterbury (New Zealand)
–Fluoridation Opponents to Present 6,500-Strong Petition to WA Gov’t (Australia)
–Lethbridge: Time to Rethink Fluoridation Issue (Canada)
–New Brunswick Dentists Urge Moncton to Restore Fluoride to Water (Canada)
For more fluoride related media, please visit FAN’s News Archive.
Stuart Cooper
Campaign Director
Fluoride Action Network