Fluoride Officially Classified as a Neurotoxin in World’s Most Prestigious Medical Journal

This blog is sleeping at the moment but couldn't not link to this post...The Lancet, has officially classified fluoride as a neurotoxin, in the same category as arsenic, lead and mercury. Surely this is one more nail in the idea that we can continue adding it to water supplies....

See article here: http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/fluoride-officially-classified-neurotoxin-worlds-prestigious-medical-journal.html

Blog and group dormant

While our group members are continuing to monitor the situation we have not been meeting as a group regularly. We are delighted that the immediate threat of water fluoridation appears to have disappeared for the time being. Do get in touch if you have any thoughts or ideas.

Adding fluoride to water supply may have no benefit, say experts

Critics call for end to scheme designed to prevent tooth decay in children, saying its effectiveness remains unproved. See Christmas Day article from The Guardian here.

Disturbing news from Labour

Sent by a supporter: Please add this to our blog: Sun on Sunday, Dec 14th. On page 2 there was a short article entitled "Fluoride promise".  It read:  'Labour will make adding fluoride to tap water a priority if it wins power, Andy Burnham has vowed. The shadow health secretary said "We need to be bolder on health and to my mind that includes water fluoridation.  It is a simple way to improve health of children. There is no evidence it damages health."

No plans to implement Southampton Water Fluoridation Scheme

We've just heard!!!! Fantastic news - congrats to all who have campaigned on this issue. The evidence just does not stack up - fluoridation is not the way to deal with tooth decay. This win means that any plans to fluoridate our water can and will be stopped.

Public Health England (PHE) will take no further action to implement a proposed water fluoridation scheme that would have served around 160,000 Southampton residents and a further 35,000 people in neighbouring parts of south west Hampshire.

PHE endorses the efficacy and safety of water fluoridation in reducing children’s tooth decay but does not wish to proceed without the backing of Southampton City Council, the local authority where most of those who would benefit from fluoridation live. Both Hampshire County Council and Southampton City Council oppose the scheme.

PHE chief executive Duncan Selbie explained: “Water fluoridation would make a big difference to the dental health of Southampton children, particularly those in the most socially deprived areas.  We regret having to drop the scheme, but we believe it is the right decision in the circumstances.”

“We want to work with Southampton City Council to tackle Southampton’s high rates of tooth decay. We have offered support to the Council in coming up with plans to reduce tooth decay among local children.”

Israel ends fluoridation

Paul Connett, PhD of the Director, Fluoride Action Network reports the following good news:

Just occasionally during the long sordid history of fluoridation an individual stands up against the bullying tactics of the arrogant promoters of fluoridation. This has just happened in Israel where the Minister of Health Yael German has ended fluoridation in Israel despite the vocal and vociferous attacks of fluoridation promoters which have been gleefully - and one-sidedly - reported in The Jerusalem Post. Doubtless these ill-informed critics will continue their bullying tactics and do everything they can to encourage dentists and doctors outside Israel to join their ignorant outcry. However, before the latter do so they should read carefully the letter below written to the Health Minister by Dr. Hardy Limeback, one of Canada's leading dental researchers and former head of Preventive Dentistry at the University of Toronto.  You can also see FAN’s open letter to Minister German sent on June 25, supporting her opposition to fluoridation and signed by many professionals from around the world.  We congratulate the Israeli Minister of Health, Yael German, for performing her job with integrity while under great pressure. She has offered the international public health community the model to follow on the fluoridation issue.

Sign 38 degrees petition to stop any roll out of fluoride in our drinking water

Please consider signing this petition:
http://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/we-do-not-consent-to-the-roll-out-of-flouride-in-our-drinking-water

Guardian poll still open

Please consider voting no in the Guardian poll (in right hand column): http://www.theguardian.com/uk/commentisfree

Update 29th March: The Guardian  poll is now closed – although you can still comment.

The final vote was 63% No, 37 yes – a big  shift from  53/47 on Wednesday night.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/poll/2014/mar/26/fluoride-drinking-water-public-health?commentpage=2
There were 423 comments

The Mail-online is also now closed  for comment – there were 197 comments;
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2589561/Smile-Fluoride-tap-water-IS-safe-afterall-claim-scientists-IMPROVE-dental-health.html

Around 80% of the comments were anti-fluoridation and there were  a number of very thoughtful  and detailed cases, particularly on the Guardian site.

The battle begins again.....

Disturbing to see fluoridation is back on the agenda - Sue Gregory, Public Health England's director of dental public health is reported by BBC and others claiming a new study shows reduced tooth decay - see BBC report yesterday here. Yet to fluoridate our water is basically mass medication - the fluoride added is a by product of industry and not at all the same as naturally occurring fluoride - all other countries are retreating from fluoride - only parts of Spain in mainland Europe has similar levels of fluoridation....many of us opposing fluoridation are also not convinced by the studies showing no health effects - indeed there are many also showing the impact of fluoride.

New website with info about water fluoridation

A new campaign website has been established with more info re fluoridation - we've not had the chance to review it yet but it looks interesting. See the new site at: http://safewaterinformation.org/

Israel Will End Fluoridation in 2014

We are still waiting for certainty over Southampton not proceeding with fluoridation - see here - we heard again from campaigners there this week that they still haven't heard. However in the meantime it was good to hear that Israel, which made fluoridation mandatory in 1974, is to ban it. On July 29, their Supreme Court ruled that fluoridation of public water supplies must stop in one year - health concerns were cited.

The world over it seems countries are stopping water fluoridation - only 3% of Europe remains fluoridated - sadly 10% in the UK and the last Government seemed bent on over-riding local opinion to try and fluoridated wider areas - Southampton was the first main area so if this is stopped it seems likely it will not proceed in other areas.

Source: Israel Will End Fluoridation in 2014, Citing Health Concerns;
http://www.heraldonline.com/2013/08/08/5099424/israel-will-end-fluoridation-in.html

Fluoridation in Southampton is dead in water?

Just got this in an email..."Just had the news that a QC employed by Hampshire County Council has given his opinion that water fluoridation in Southampton is NOT an existing scheme.  No contract has been signed with Southern Water and arrangements have not been entered into. Therefore, this brings to an end the farce which was first started in 2008.....this means that Southampton and South-West Hampshire are safe for now."

See the report from the Daily Echo: http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/10561711.Controversial_plan_to_put_fluoride_in_200_000_Hampshire_homes_could_be_sunk/

All good news as hopefully this will put off others trying to fluoridate our water supplies.

Campaign pic; meeting in Stroud soon

This pic has been doing the rounds on Facebook - but just wanted to update this site to say we are organising a local meeting very soon - do get in touch if interested.

Safe Water Information Service relaunched

Good news...the Safe Water Information Service (SWIS) is being relaunched. This will provide an additional national service, that will compliment the work of the NPWA. A basic website is already operative and can be viewed at www.safewaterinformation.org

The introduction on the site states that the  aim of SWIS is

• to provide information on water fluoridation and
• to connect and support individuals and groups opposing fluoridation in the UK

The site author writes: "The first aim is to provide general public information in a different way. Currently there is a simple statement of the case. I hope to augment this with a power-point type visual presentation of the core issues, which can be run, or downloaded and adapted. Secondly, the site will focus on topical issues, such as the implications of the new consultation regulations. Do you agree, or do you have other ideas on how we might develop the site?"

Above all, SWIS  is intended as a resource for campaigners. Advice and information can flow both ways.