The NYS Department of Health proposes to spend Medicaid funds on fluoridation equipment, supplies and staff (1) despite clear evidence that fluoridation fails to prevent tooth decay in NYS and can be health-harming. Many NYS cities and counties have already rejected fluoridation, reports the NYS Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, Inc. (NYSCOF)
NY City spends $25 million on fluoridation annually (2). Yet, tooth decay is rampant in NYC’s low-income population (3). And NYS DofH statistics show that highly-fluoridated NYS counties don’t have less tooth decay and fluoridation has not leveled out tooth decay between lower and higher income children (4).
Further, in 1990, the NYS DofH published a study, “Fluoride: Benefits and Risks of Exposure,” alerting officials that fluoride can be harmful to kidney patients, diabetics and those with fluoride hypersensitivity even at “optimal” levels.(4a)
NY City Council Member Peter Vallone, Jr. co-sponsored legislation to stop fluoridation in NYC (5). And a NYC resolution is pending “calling on the NYS Department of Health to remove fluoride from NYS’s water supply.” (6)
A unique NYS law requires elected officials make fluoridation decisions to disallow mandates by a single non-elected entity e.g. Health Commissioner, as almost happened in Suffolk County in the 1990’s until residents fought successfully to reject fluoridation.
However, it appears the multi-billion dollar Pew Charitable Trust wants to overturn that law so fluoridation can be forced on municipalities without citizen input, according to a Pew sponsored website, owned by a Public Relations company. (7)
Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk Counties) is the largest non-fluoridated area in otherwise 73% fluoridated NYS and tops the Pew’s fluoridation “hit” list (8) even though the Suffolk County Water Authority “vehemently” opposes water fluoridation (9). And Long island Water Conference Chairman Karl Schweitzer says, “Studies have shown that adding fluoride provides limited or no benefit to dental health.” (10)
Will Pew Bulldoze NY democracy as they have elsewhere?
Pew thwarted Arkansas democracy by paying lobbyists to convince novice state legislators to quickly pass a statewide fluoridation law, using incorrect information, without citizen input and over-riding citizen referenda in several Arkansas cities which rejected fluoridation repeatedly (11).
Despite government cautions to avoid mixing infant formula with fluoridated water (12) a Pew representative urged the Austin City Council to conceal this information (13).
“Pew decided to protect fluoride instead of babies,” says attorney Paul Beeber, NYSCOF President.
Low-income New Yorkers aren’t fluoride deficient but many are dentist deficient because fewer than 25% of NYS dentists accept Medicaid patients (14).
Further, in 1990, the NYS DofH published a study, “Fluoride: Benefits and Risks of Exposure,” alerting officials that fluoride can be harmful to kidney patients, diabetics and those with fluoride hypersensitivity even at “optimal” levels.(15)
The Centers for Disease Control reports that over 41% of adolescents now suffer with fluoride damaged (discolored) teeth – 4% of it is moderate or severe. At the same time tooth decay rates are increasing in toddlers and untreated tooth decay has become epidemic.
A recent San Antonio, TX, news report revealed “After 9 years and $3 million of adding fluoride, research shows tooth decay hasn’t dropped among the poorest of Bexar County’s children. It has only increased—up 13% in 2010.”(15) Tooth decay hasn’t declined in fluoridated Gainsville, Florida (16) or fluoridation state-mandated Kentucky (17) Actually tooth decay crises are occurring in all fluoridated cities, states and countries (18)
“Fluoridation should be terminated; not funded and promoted,” says Beeber. “To propose that Medicaid funds be wasted on fluoridation, placing more New Yorkers in harm’s way, is unconscionable, unethical and should be illegal,” says Beeber “Further, Pew should be embarrassed to sully its name and reputation by associating with over-zealous and misinformed fluoridationists,” says Beeber.
References:
1) New York State Department of Health, “Redesigning the Medicaid Program,”Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT), Health Disparities Work Group Final Recommendations October 20, 2011. http://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/medicaid/redesign/docs/health_disparities_report.pdf
2) http://www.scribd.com/doc/18235930/NYC-Fluoridation-Costs-2008-Feb-2-2009-Letter-Page-1 and http://www.scribd.com/doc/18235931/NYC-2008-Fluoridation-Costs-Page-2-Feb-2009-Letter
3) Evidence that fluoridation fails New Yorkers. http://www.freewebs.com/fluoridation/fluoridationfailsnewyork.htm
4) http://www.freewebs.com/fluoridation/chart.htm
4a) Kaminsky LS, Mahoney MC, Leach J, Melius J, Miller MJ. Fluoride: benefits and risks of exposure. Crit Rev Oral Biol Med. 1990;1:261–281. http://crobm.iadrjournals.org/cgi/reprint/1/4/261
5) http://www.petervallone.com/index.php?page=fluoride-if-in-doubt-keep-it-out
6) The New York City Council Legislative Research Center, “Resolution calling on the New York State Department of Health to remove fluoride from New York State’s water supply.” http://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=917886&GUID=C3473AA2-67FE-4D2E-A901-CBD69085ED42&Options=ID|Text|&Search=fluoridation
7) New York State for Oral Health go to http://newyork.ilikemyteeth.org/fluoridation/ and click on NYS Laws and Regulations: New York Public Health – Title 1 – § 1100-A Fluoridation Law This was taken down in the middle of my creating this news release but can be found here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/74902611/NYSCOF-s-Home-Rule-Bill-Challenged-by-PEW
8) The Pew Charitable Trust, “The Importance of Children’s Oral Health: What Policymakers Need to Know,” Shelly Gehshan, Director, Pew Children’s Dental Campaign Slide 15: http://fluoridealert.org/wp-content/uploads/pew.12-15-09.pdf
9) http://www.freewebs.com/fluoridation/suffolkcountywaterdep.htm
10) http://www.liwc.org/pdf/PressRelease-020111-NoFlouride.pdf
11) http://securearkansasnetwork.org/uncategorized/vital-fluoride-concerns
12) http://www.FormulaFluoride.Webs.com
14) NYS Dental Journal November 2009 Oral Health During Perinatal Period in New York StateEvaluation of 2005 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System Data Hiroko Iida, D.D.S., M.P.H.; Jayanth V. Kumar, D.D.S., M.P.H.; Anne M. Radigan, B.A. http://www.nysdental.org/img/current-pdf/jrnlnov2009.pdf
15) Added to our drinking water: a chemical ‘more toxic than lead?’ KENS 5 San Antonio by Joe Conger. http://www.kens5.com/news/local/More-toxic-than-lead–134366538.html
16) “Dental health of low-income children is not good locally,” by Anne Geggis, December 3, 2011. http://www.gainesville.com/article/20111203/ARTICLES/111209857/-1/entertainment?Title=Dental-health-of-low-income-children-is-not-good-locally
17) “N.Ky. kids’ teeth at risk,” November 27,2011. http://nky.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20111127/NEWS0103/111270308/-N-Ky-kids-teeth-risk?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE
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