Local dentist Reggie Young took center stage at the Clarksville Town Council meeting Oct. 21 to ask that Clarksville continue to use fluoride in the town’s water supply.
Young, who has practiced dentistry in Clarksville for years, presented evidence highlighting the benefits of water fluoridation for dental health, particularly among children and underserved families.
He reminded Council members that water fluoridation is endorsed by organizations such as the American Dental Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which support it as a safe and effective way to reduce tooth decay and cavities.
Some residents had voiced concerns about the potential side effects of fluoride in the town’s water supply, which prompted Operations Director William Leonard to look into the issue. Young pointed to decades of research supporting the safety of fluoridation at regulated levels. He encouraged Council to rely on established science in making any decision.
Young produced several documents including findings published in 2023 in the Journal of Dental Research, a summary from the American Dental Association and a paper written by Steven Novella, an academic clinical neurologist at Yale University School of Medicine.
Novella concludes that water fluoridation levels below 1.4 mg/L are safe and provide a significant benefit for dental health. Scientists involved in the study published in the Journal of Dental Research concluded that “exposure to fluoridated water during the first five years of life was not associated with altered measures of child emotional and behavioral development or executive functioning.”
The position of the American Dental Association is that fluoridation of community water is the single most effective public health measure to prevent tooth decay. The ADA reached this conclusion after reviewing more than 80 years of research and practical experience.
Young said he was prompted to speak out after learning that Leonard had presented Council with the option of eliminating fluoride in Clarksville’s drinking water.
After hearing from Young, Council members approved a recommendation from Town Manager Jeff Jones to take the following action steps:
» Have town staff put together a packet of information on the use of fluoride locally and nationally and provide Council and residents with the findings for review.
» Have staff prepare and distribute a letter to all town water users requesting their thoughts and comments on the subject.
» Have town staff host a public input session to receive feedback on the inclusion of fluoride in the public water system.
» Set the issue for a vote by Council once they have reviewed the research and received comments from the public.
Jones said he would publish the date, time and location of the meeting to discuss the fluoride issue in an advertisement in The Sun.
In other business, Jones announced an upcoming meeting to receive public comment about Phase I of the proposed Cove Project. That meeting will take place Monday, Nov. 10 at 5:30 p.m. at the Clarksville Community Center, 103 Woodland Drive in Clarksville.
Phase I of the Cove Project will establish a water access point and public dock with 14 boat slips located in the cove that runs behind the Clarion Motel on Second Street in Clarksville. The project will also include a crushed stone path from a land access point at 104 Second Street to the docks.
The Recreational Trails Program is also holding a public comment period about the Cove Project that runs through Nov. 24. According to the public comment notice, the town is required to provide access to project documents and receive comments and questions on the project webpage. Cove Project plans can be obtained at the Town of Clarksville website at www.clarksvilleva.org. If you do not have internet access, call the Town Office at (434) 374-8177 to have the plans and related documents mailed to you.
Ask questions or comment on the project information directly on the project webpage, or in writing by mail to Jeff Jones, Town Manager at PO Box 1147, Clarksville, VA 23927, on or prior to Nov. 24.
Leaf collection begins Nov. 3. Residents are asked not to rake or blow leaves into the road. Brush and stick piles must be separated from leaf piles. Residents with questions are asked to contact town hall at 434-374-8177.
Trick or Treat on the Avenue will take place Friday, Oct. 31 starting at 5:30 p.m. In advance of the event, Virginia Avenue will be closed from Second to Eighth streets from 5-8 p.m. The curfew Oct. 31 is 8 p.m.
Halloween revelers are reminded that no one over the age of 12 may wear a costume mask in public, except for face coverings associated with CDC guidelines for COVID-19 while trick or treating.
Original article online at: https://www.sovanow.com/articles/clarksville-urged-to-continue-water-fluoridation/