Village officials are polling area residents about the use of fluorine in the municipal water supply.

Currently, by law passed by the State of Ohio in 1978, all municipal water plants providing water to their residents are required to add the chemical fluorine as prevention for tooth decay and to strengthen teeth.

State officials said this was to benefit developing children more than adults whose teeth were already formed. This is regulated by the EPA and supported by documentation found at https://www.epa.gov/…/six-year-review-3-drinking-water. The village must submit regular reports with the required amounts daily.

However, the village of Newcomerstown has concerned residents who do not want fluoridation. Their evidence is based on a video resource: www.fluoridefreesudbury.wordpress.com/documentaries/documentaries-2. Their stated drawbacks are that fluoride is only effective if applied to the teeth through treatments or toothpaste so there is no reason to ingest it, noting it is not a nutrient. There have been studies that state that an accumulation of fluoride can cause other problems in adults and children.

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