Bombshell: Did Kidney Foundation leave millions at risk by failing to warn about Fluorides and Fluoridated Drinking Water?

Ellijay, GA, October 9, 2007

The National Kidney Foundation’s alleged failure to warn kidney patients that they are particularly susceptible to harm from ingested fluoride from drinking water and other sources is the subject of a precedent-setting letter to the Foundation from a legal firm. Coming at a time of increased public suspicions over the operations of large national nonprofit organizations, the letter is sure to draw the attention of many of the 20 million American adults that the Foundation says have chronic kidney disease. The letter lists both the Foundation itself and its officers and directors individually as being potentially liable for not telling kidney patients important, state-of-the-art fluoride information. For decades, water agencies have added fluorides to drinking water supplies as a means to help prevent cavities. But recently, major cities such as Juneau, Alaska and Quebec have voted to halt fluoridation amid increased public concern and growing evidence of fluoride’s serious unwanted side effects on kidneys, bones, teeth, and perhaps even other organs such as the thyroid. Kentucky attorney Robert Reeves’ letter to the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) cites an authoritative report from the National Research Council issued last year that admits that, “Early water fluoridation studies did not carefully assess changes in renal function.” The NRC report also identifies kidney patients as a “susceptible subpopulation” that is particularly vulnerable to harm from fluorides. Reeves asks the Foundation, “Why has NKF not publicly and effectively notified its constituent kidney patients and care givers of the National Research Council’s statement…?” He also questions why NKF has not openly disseminated news of the link between kidney impairment and possible skeletal fluorosis from fluoride depositing in bones, and about the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new efforts to measure amounts of fluoride ingested by Americans from foods and beverages. “We believe the kidney patient community and also jurors will find deep pause in consideration of these questions,” he writes. Reeves’ letter may be viewed at: www.fluoridealert.org/NKF_letter01.pdf


A search of the National Kidney Foundation’s website for the word “fluoridation” did not return any results, and a search for “fluoride” showed only five results, none notifying families of the NRC’s findings. Daniel Stockin, a public health professional with The Lillie Center, Inc., a firm working to educate Americans about harm from fluorides, questions why there are redundant filtration systems for water used in kidney dialysis machines, to remove fluoride and other harmful substances, but kidney patients are allowed to drink fluoridated water. “It makes no sense. How many people with renal disease who did not need dialysis and were hoping to avoid it, were kicked over into needing a lifetime of dialysis by fluoride ingestion?” He points out that dialysis center patients have died or become fluoride-poisoned due to accidental overfeed of fluoride at a water plant or failure of filters on dialysis machines. “Overfeeds of fluoride happen a lot more often than most people know, but fortunately poisonings at dialysis centers are very rare, and dialysis centers provide an extremely valuable service,” he says. “But kidney patients’ lives and quality of life are at stake on and off dialysis machines, and even before their condition worsens to the point of needing dialysis. What could justify not telling kidney patients they are particularly susceptible to harm from fluoride intake? Is it fear of lawsuits? I would hope not.” “The letter to the National Kidney Foundation is only the tip of the iceberg,” Stockin says. “The kidney and diabetes lawsuits are about to begin. Employers, water agencies, food and beverage sellers and manufacturers, you name it -- I would suggest they immediately halt use or sale of fluoridated water or products containing it.” Attorney Reeves’ letter supports this tip-of-the-iceberg assessment. Insurers, employers, contractors, unions, and outdoor workers will also want to be made aware of the issue. Reeves notes that workers in hot jobs who drink water or other beverages to replace lost fluids may find that their pre-existing kidney conditions become exacerbated by continued ingestion of fluoridated beverages when working. Legal actions also threaten to engulf the Centers for Disease Control, a key federal agency facing increased questioning over its continued promotion of fluoridation. Reeves’ letter points out that CDC’s ethics committees received a detailed ethics complaint over CDC’s promotion of water fluoridation in August, the news of which piqued his interest. Now, kidney patients are beginning to contact him. He has offered NKF an opportunity to officially change its current, outdated position on water fluoridation, but won’t wait much longer. “People on dialysis, or who have chronic kidney disease, who have transplanted kidneys, or who have kidney stones have trusted the National Kidney Foundation,” he says. “Why hasn’t NKF told them about fluoride?”





Press Release from The Lillie Center Inc.