Janet McMahan is one happy woman following the results of the vote taken last Tuesday on the Ocilla Referendum to take artificial fluoride out of the city water. She has been on a mission for a number of years and her true grit has finally paid off. 69% voted yes in the election, resulting in numbers of 298 to take out the added fluoride and 134 voting against the referendum.
“This is truly awesome that it has passed,” McMahan said. “I first started trying to get this done back when Lamar Royal was mayor. I continued bringing it up to City Hall when Horace Hodgins was mayor and now Matt Seale.”
The decision affects only artificial fluoride in the city water, which also adds things like mercury, arsenic and lead to the mix, according to McMahan. Since fluoridation is state-mandated in Georgia, 10% of registered city voters who voted in last election were needed to sign a petition to put “Stop Fluoridation” on the ballot.
Ocilla Mayor Seale states that enacting the decision should not be a difficult task.
“We just have to file the proper paperwork with the state and they will either amend our current certificate or issue a new one, eliminating the added artificial fluoride from our water,” he explained.
McMahan has flooded the City with information regarding the health risks of consuming artificial fluoride over time. She has maxed out her Facebook friends at 5,000 while passing the word along to other cities and has presented government officials with medical studies confirming her research.
“You have to be prepared to be in this for the long haul,” she said.
She also believes in education on the issue. According to McMahan and various studies, fluoride can be linked to cancer, ADHD, memory loss, hip fractures, brittle tendons, sore joints, inactive thyroids and more. The concern is chronic toxicity, in regards to the dose of fluoride that if regularly consumer over an extended period of time can cause adverse effects. The FDA is also required to place a warning on all fluoride toothpastes sold in the United States.
“Ocilla will no longer be a city of the walking dead,” McMahan stated.
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