AUGUST 9, 2013
Only 11 countries have over 50% of their populations drinking artificially fluoridated water. On July 29, 2013, that number was reduced to only 10 countries when the Supreme Court of Israel ruled that new regulations require Israel to stop adding fluoride chemicals into public water supplies in one year.
The Izun Hozer Association for Dissemination of Health Education and Yaacov Gurman petitioned Israel’s highest court, November 12, 2012, demanding that the Ministry of Health order the cessation of fluoridation because it presents health dangers and its benefits are no longer widely accepted.
The court ruled that the new regulations will not only bring an end to mandatory fluoridation in Israel in 2014 but will also put an end to any fluoridation – mandatory or voluntary. The Fluoride Action Network paid to have a professional translation of the Court’s ruling, see it here.
“It must be known to you that fluoridation can cause harm to the health of the chronically ill,” including “people who suffer from thyroid problems,” German wrote in a letter addressed to doctors opposed to ending fluoridation. On April 13, the Health Mialso had this to say about her decision on April 13:
“My decision to stop fluoridation was because Israel fluoridated all the water for residential use. In fact, less than 2% of the water is used for drinking. Fluoridating the washing-machine water, dish-washer water, baths, toilets and gardening are actions without logic. Physicians told me that fluoridation can harm pregnant women, people who suffer from thyroid problems and the elderly. I was exposed to studies from the world that raise the suspicion that too much fluoride can harm teeth and bones. In the current state we receive fluoride from several sources: drinking water, toothpaste, cooking water, vegetables, and it is impossible to know what’s the dose we absorb. The WHO published a study, which shows that there is no difference between cavity levels in countries that fluoridate and do not fluoridate. Because of this, with all considerations and interests combined, I think that continuing massive fluoridation of 100% of the water was not right and many also think that it harms the basic rights and the freedom of choice.”
According to Dr. Paul Connett, Executive Director of FAN, “This is another nail in the coffin of this outdated program worldwide. We are lucky that the Minister of Health in Israel has had the courage to resist pressure from both her own bureaucrats and pro-fluoridation dentists and make this important decision.”
Connett continued, “Zealous fluoridation promoters try to convince the American public that ‘everyone drinks fluoridated water.’ But the opposite is true. An overwhelming number of countries do not fluoridate, including 97% of the European population. In fact, over half the people in the world drinking fluoridated water live in the US. We are the odd ones out.”
“Fluoridation is an outdated, unscientific, failed public health blunder,” says Connett “What I find remarkable here is that Health Minister German has been able to escape the unscientific ‘belief’ system on fluoridation that traps so many public health bureaucracies in fluoridated countries.”
Many communities, over the last few years, stopped fluoridation in the US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. Recently, both Wichita, Kansas and Portland, Oregon rejected fluoridation 60% to 40%. Hamilton, NZ, councilors voted 7-1 to stop 50 years of fluoridation after councilors listened to several days of testimony from those for and against fluoridation. Windsor, Ontario, stopped 51 years of fluoridation. Sixteen regional councils have halted or rejected fluoridation in Queensland, Australia since mandatory fluoridation was dropped there in Nov 2012.
Meanwhile, New York City Council Member Peter Vallone, Jr. continues in his effort to halt fluoridation in NYC. And among anti-fluoridation activists it is anticipated that with Israel abandoning fluoridation, the next country to fall will be Ireland, which has had mandatory fluoridation in place since 1963. Today this practice is meeting strong opposition in Ireland from scientists like environmental consultant Declan Waugh, a number of health professionals, and a very creative group of young girls called “Little Miss Fluorides.”
Research published in peer-reviewed scientific journals indicates that fluoride ingestion is ineffective at reducing tooth decay and harmful to health.
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