After a month spent pouring over information provided by individuals both for and against adding fluoride to the city’s water, the council once again addressed the topic as an agenda item.
Mayor Mike Emerson began the discussion telling those attending that council members had received a lot of information and heard from those concerned, an opened up for comment asking that only those with “new and compelling information” that the council had yet to receive take the opportunity to speak.
Gabby Fistler, an Ackley resident who spoke at last month’s meeting, pointed out that 20 or more studies did not address how fluoride impacts bones. She told the council that it accumulates in the body over time, especially in the bones. “It can increase bone density but decreases bone quality.” She added that the result was bones becoming more brittle and as a result it has been rejected as a treatment for osteoporosis.
Council member Roger Nissly then addressed why most towns in the county don’t add additional fluoride to their water. He read figures from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources website showing that a majority of the communities in Hardin County are already in the range recommended of .7 to 1.2 parts per million with the fluoride that occurs naturally in their water. Those communities include Ackley, 1.5 ppm; Hubbard, 1.8 ppm; New Providence, 1.9 ppm; and Radcliffe, .91 ppm. Towns below include Alden, .4 ppm; Eldora, .4 ppm; Steamboat Rock, .3 ppm, and Union, .2 ppm. The only location with naturally occurring fluoride above the recommended limit is Quakerdale with 2.68 ppm.
Iowa Falls resident Michael Krogh then stepped forward referring to absent Council member Steve Klein’s comment at last month’s meeting saying that people who didn’t like the fluoride level in Iowa Falls’ water could purchase bottled water to drink. Krogh stated that bottled water can contain fluoride and flipped Klein’s suggestion saying that those who wanted fluoride in their water could purchase the bottled variety.
He then said that while Klein had expressed his views that he would like to hear what the rest of the council had to say in regard to the city’s fluoridated water and proceeded to poll them.
Emerson said that he had no preference either way, but that he did buy non-fluoridated toothpaste. Roger Nissly said he was on a well, so he didn’t have city water service. Council member Micah Cutler said she drank water from the tap and didn’t buy bottled water because “she thought it was a waste of plastic.” Council member Bruce Thies told Krogh that they had spoken on the phone, so he knew his position. Council member David Henry said that he drank both city and bottled water.
Krogh went on to refer to fluoride as a poison and toxic as reasons not to add it to the city water . Council member Bruce Thies pointed out chlorine being added to the city water, which helps kill dangerous bacteria as an example of a substance that could also be considered poisonous in higher concentrations.
Krogh quickly replied, “So we should put poisons in that water; is that what you are saying? Saying we should put two poisons in, two wrongs don’t make a right. So it sounds like you have made up your mind. I have a hard time understanding where you guys are coming from.”
Jase Beaubien of Iowa Falls then addressed the council saying that a lot of the studies portrayed as done within the last 10 years “draw upon empirical data from over half a century ago. He said that was when a much higher level of fluoridation was being put in the water and “they had much worse dental technology.” He said he didn’t think it was fair to use a lot of those statistics, and that other studies had shown that consumption of fluoride in the water causes brains to calcify.
“From a natural law perspective, I don’t think it’s ethical to put fluoride in the water because if you brush your teeth, you’re applying fluoride topically. It shouldn’t really matter much when you drink and apply it systemically unless you just don’t have any hygiene and don’t brush your teeth. I feel it’s (data) highly skewed by people who just don’t brush their teeth at all and don’t take care of themselves, where a normal person who maintains their health and applies it topically, it’s going to affect it way more than fluoride would, so there’s not really much of a reason to apply it systemically and when you apply it systemically, you have all those issues with the brain and whatnot.” Beaubien maintains that studies show that consuming fluoridated water can result in a 1 or 2-point drop in IQ points in children, Beaubien said.
“I just think that it’s not good and that we’re forcing an entire population to consume something that hurts their brains just because there are some people who can’t maintain regular dental hygiene.”
The last person to speak was Iowa Falls dentist Dr. Brad Miller, who has been practicing for 26 years. Miller said that as far as reasons for the studies using older data, there was no reason to collect new data because it proved fluoride’s effectiveness in reducing dental decay. In regard to it being poisonous, Miller pointed to when it was first discovered to be impacting dental health. A group of people were studied who had developed spots on their teeth. It was discovered that there was a higher concentration of fluoride naturally occurring in the water they drank. It was also found that the individuals didn’t get cavities like the majority of the population. Miller said the inclusion of fluoride in the water has “saved billions of dollars in dental work”, and that while apply fluoride topically through use of fluoridated toothpaste is sufficient for some people, others need the “extra boost” obtained through fluoridated water.
Nissly then made a motion to continue the current level of fluoride in the city’s water and on a rollcall vote the council unanimously approved the motion. As the council moved on to other business and those opposing use of fluoride filed out, Krogh offered a closing remark saying “They’re the ones that said they wanted it.”
Original article online at: https://www.timescitizen.com/news/council-votes-to-stand-pat-on-fluoride/article_b8af79da-5340-48a9-848c-ca16a5b164a7.html