FLUORIDATION IN CALGARY
- Manufactured Consent instead of Informed Consent was Calgary Regional Health Authority's (CRHA) October 19, 1998 goal. Despite a 50 million dollar deficit, CRHA funded a propaganda campaign - $250,000.
- July 27, 1998: Council votes to approve the question for the fluoridation plebiscite -- "Are you in favour of continuing the fluoridation of the municipal water supply?"
- July 15, 1998: Despite lengthy presentations by fluoridation proponents which included character attacks by CRHA spokespeople, the Operations and Environment Committee refused to send a recommendation to Council for a reconsideration of the fluoridation plebiscite.
- Partial Response to the Disgraceful Behavior of Fluoridation Proponents on July 15, 1998
- Industrial-grade fluoride is a "nutrient" Calgarians can't do without – presented by Calgary Regional Health Authority nutritionists on July 15 – debunked at fraud.htm.
- Report of the Expert Panel for Water Fluoridation Review -- April 2, 1998
- A review of the "Majority Opinion" report:
- Dr P Mullenix (Toxicologist)
- Dr. B Hirzy (EPA scientist)
- Dr. P Connett (Chemistry professor)
- Dr. R. Foulkes (B.A., M.D.)
- D.R. Hill (Professor Emeritus, University of Calgary)
- Presented to the Calgary Review Panel, but ignored by the Majority Panelists: "Why I changed my mind about water fluoridation", John Colquhoun, Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, 41:1, 1997
News articles
- Calgary fluoridation opponents vindicated: Canadian fluoride authority slams fluoridation (1999)
- Columnists should do better research, Calgary Herald, October 16, 1998
- Pro-fluoride propaganda is difficult to swallow, Calgary Sun, October 3, 1998
- They'll take it straight (Whitehorse), Vancouver Province, July 29, 1998
- Evidence backs turning off fluoride taps, Calgary Herald, 04/22/98
- Answer is to brush your teeth, Calgary Sun, 04/28/98
- Anti-fluoridation campaign awash in climate of fear, Calgary Herald, 04/18/98
- News Release 04/15/98 – an interaction between low fluoride levels and aluminum may have grave implications for Alzheimers and Dementia. See abstract.
- Fluoride crusaders close to forcing vote, The Times/Colonist, Victoria, BC, 04/09/98
- Fluoridation issue headed for fall election, Sixth plebiscite in 40 years, Calgary Herald, 04/09/98
- Health adviser warns of possible fluoride lawsuits, Calgary Herald, 04/08/98
- Fluoride article inaccurate, Calgary Herald, 04/07/98
- Fluoridation: Scientist says his views were misrepresented, Calgary Herald, 04/07/98
- Reduce fluoride: scientists, Calgary Herald, 04/05/98
- Alderman wants fluoride stopped, Calgary Sun, 04/02/98
- Water fluoridation cut urged, Calgary Sun, 04/01/98
- Fluoride panel under fire, Calgary Sun, 03/21/98
- News Release 03/31/98 – Administration misinformation
- News Release 03/30/98 – Water Warnings Issued
- Health officials want fluoride levels reduced, Calgary Herald, 03/20/98
- Calgary Herald home page, Calgary Sun home page
City Council was asked to stop water fluoridation or give voters the opportunity to make a new decision based on the new scientific evidence of health risks which had accumulated since 1989, the date of Calgary's last plebiscite. Here's what happened:
- On September 10, 1997, Calgary's Operations and Environment (O&E) Committee of City Council heard from Calgary Regional Health Authority (CRHA) and received their "Position Statement on Fluoridation".
- Much of the new evidence about fluoridation's alleged benefits and the increased risks which have been documented since 1989 was presented at the O&E meeting:
- calgaryb.htm (by Elke Babiuk, Director, Health Action Network Society, Alberta Chapter);
- calgaryh.htm (by David R. Hill, Professor Emeritus, University of Calgary; and
- calgaryl.htm (letters from North American scientists addressing CRHA's ""Position Statement...").
There were so many people in attendance to speak to the issue, that another meeting was scheduled for September 15th. At that time, instead of referring the matter to City Council for a vote on the request for another plebiscite, a resolution was passed by the Committee. As follows:
That Commissioners' Report OE97-42 be referred to the Administration, together with the material submitted at today's meeting, to work with the Calgary Regional Health Authority and representatives from other interested parties and professionals, to review the safety and health aspects of fluoridation of Calgary's water system, for a report to Council through the S.P.C. on Operations and Environment, as soon as practical, but no later than 1998 February, based on new information received,. (Alderman Jones -- Opposed)
Much has happened since that resolution. None of it encouraging. See calgbias.htm for the whole picture.
A recent discovery shows that unfluoridated Calgary children had comparable or lower tooth decay rates than our capital city Edmonton (fluoridated for 20 years at the time of the provincial survey in 1985). Moreover, impressive drops in caries rates have been recorded in unfluoridated areas of rural Alberta.
Other evidence shows that Canadian data show little or no statistically significant or clinically relevant benefit to permanent teeth for fluoridated children (see caries3.htm for more info)
More on the following still to come:
- the history of the fluoridation issue leading up to the fluoridation plebiscite in 1989;
- the gathering of 50,000 signatures for another plebiscite in 1991 (at the time, the largest petition involving a municipal issue presented to City Council);
- the implementation of fluoridation on August 7, 1991;
- the underhanded politics which plagued this fight both in the 1950s-1970s and in 1989. See a journalist's account of "...one of the most disgusting episodes in the civic history of Calgary....";
- the failure of the media to do basic investigations into the science and medical aspects of this issue both in 1989 and back in the 1950s-1970s;
- the misrepresentations of local fluoridation proponents in the plebiscite in 1989, (starting with the "psychic wholeness" of anti-fluoridationists, according to CHS). Their misrepresentations today.
Hydrofluosilicic
acid effects
