RED DEER — A fight is brewing in Red Deer over the city’s plan to add fluoride to its drinking water supply.
Fluoridation opponents are upset, saying the cavity-fighting chemical causes more harmful health effects than good.
Resident Diane Hermary has formed Citizens United to Remove Fluoride from Red Deer’s Water Supply on the social networking website Facebook.
Hermary is urging people to write to city council and Red Deer MP Earl Dreeshen about their concerns.
“I want people to research it and I think anybody who looks into it extensively will say ‘Oh my God I don’t want to ingest that,’ ” she said.
Red Deer realtor Craig MacKenzie said he believes people would vote overwhelmingly against water fluoridation if a plebiscite was held.
He cited research that suggests that most communities in western Europe do not fluoridate their water because of suspected health and environmental concerns.
Randy Reaman, the City of Red Deer’s water superintendent, said the fluoride exceeds industry standards for potable water treatment.
The city used to use sodium fluoride up until 1982 but the powder was considered a health risk for employees handling it.
“We moved to an emulsion or liquid fluoride,” Reaman said. “There really is no difference in how the product works, but in the delivery it was safer for our staff to be using.”
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