Information about Fluoride
During the past year, the Orono and Veazie Town Councils have discussed and voted to hold a Municipal Referendum Election on Tuesday, June 8, 2021 for the purpose of allowing the voters to consider whether to cease fluoridating the public water supply. State Law vests all power regarding the decision to add or remove fluoride from the public water supply in the voters of the communities served by that public water supply. Neither the Orono Town Council or the Orono-Veazie Water District Board of Trustees have taken a position on this question; rather, both organizations have stated that the referendum makes sense given recent community interest in this topic and the fact that the last public vote on this issue occurred nearly sixty years ago.
Public Hearing Dates
Town of Veazie: Monday, April 12, 2021 at 6:30 PM, www.veazie.net for meeting information
Town of Orono: Monday, April 26, 2021 at 5:00 PM, the link to join the meeting will be posted by 04/05/2021
History of Fluoride
- Orono-Veazie Water District began adding hydrofluorosilicic acid in 1962
- Current system level is 0.7 parts per million (ppm)
- 129 Maine communities add fluoride to the public water supply
Why Add Fluoride?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), water fluoridation began in the1930’s to protect teeth from decay by providing frequent and consistent contact with low levels of fluoride. The CDC also states that although there are other fluoride-containing products, community water fluoridation is the most cost effective method of delivering fluoride to all and reducing tooth decay by 25% in children and adults.
Proponents of Fluoridation
Centers for Disease Control
www.cdc.gov/fluoridation
American Dental Association
www.mouthhealthy.org
American Public Health Association
www.alpha.org/fluoridation
Why Stop Fluoridation?
According to the Fluoride Action Network, adding fluoride to the public water supply is bad medical practice for the following reasons:
- It’s the only chemical added to water for the purpose of medical treatment and doses cannot be controlled
- Fluoride accumulates in the body and causes serious medical problems
- No longer necessary with all the fluoride products available
Opponents of Fluoridation
Fluoride Action Network
www.fluoridealert.org
*Original online at https://www.orono.org/836/7300/Information-about-Fluoride?activeLiveTab=widgets
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