The Green Party today signalled its readiness to play a leading role in opposing
government plans to fluoridate water across the whole of Britain.
Greens Will Lead Fluoridation
Fight Against Blair
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The Green Party today signalled its readiness to play a leading role in opposing government plans to fluoridate water across the whole of Britain. Commenting on information leaked to today’s Sunday Times, Green Party health spokesperson Martyn Shrewsbury said today: “The general trend in the world is against fluoridation. It’s quite incredible that Tony Blair would want to fluoridate Britain. “Apart from the health controversy, it’s against standard medical ethics. Under the European Convention on Human Rights and Medicine a patient MUST give consent to medication, and must be free to withdraw consent at any time.
Fluoridation destroys that right.” He added: “Fluoridation isn’t even proven to reduce tooth decay.
In fact there are mass studies from New Zealand, Canada and the USA that show no difference between fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas. “All European countries have reduced tooth decay in recent years, with or without fluoridation, but in most cases without.” “Health inequality” is a red herring Mr Shrewsbury, a Swansea-based therapist, continued: “Ireland is Europe’s most fluoridated country, but it certainly doesn’t have Europe’s best teeth.
Birmingham is Britain’s fluoride capital, and suffers accordingly from dental fluorosis and from high levels of fluoride in blood and urine. “The argument about health inequalities is a red herring.
Fluoridated Gateshead has the same level of tooth decay as non-fluoridated Liverpool, although the two are demograhically very similar.” Manchester first on the hit list Manchester is said to be first on the government’s fluoridation hit list. Cllr Vanessa Hall, recently elected to Manchester city council in a landmark breakthrough, commented today: “If Manchester is going to be the first target, Manchester Green Party will be first to lead a major campaign against fluoridation. “We all know that tooth decay is caused by lack of dental care and too much sugar. Fluoridation won’t address either of those problems. I shall be arguing for Manchester to have a proper dental education programme for parents and children, because ultimately education is the answer.” Last year the Green Party published a comprehensive critique of the government’s pro-fluoridation bias, called Truth Decay: Challenging New Labour’s propaganda on water fluoridation. A party strategist commented: “The Green Party is well equipped to fight fluoridation wherever it’s proposed. “It will become a major issue in local elections, and more Greens will be elected as a result. Wherever fluoridation is proposed, there is always massive public opposition. A principled stance by the Greens will pay off electorally on this subject far more than on many issues.” The summary to the Greens’ Truth Decay report is below. The full report is available at http://www.greenparty.org.uk/campaigns/Fluor3.doc or from Green Party press office, 020 7561 0282. TRUTH DECAY Challenging New Labour’s propaganda on water fluoridation or A few things you might want to know about FLUORIDE before Tony Blair adds it to your drinking water Spencer Fitz-Gibbon for the Green Party of England & WalesAugust 2002EXECUTIVE SUMMARY “It has long been known that excessive fluoride intake carries serious toxic effects. But scientists are now debating whether fluoride confers any benefit at all.”UNICEF Blair wants mess medication 1. Tony Blair’s policy is that the whole of the UK should drink fluoridated tap water, on the grounds that he believes this will help reduce tooth decay in under-fives. The Green Party wants consumer choice 2. The Green Party opposes fluoridation because: a. Mass medication without consent is unethical and contrary to a European Convention on Human Rights and Medicine. b. There is evidence from around the world which challenges the belief that fluoride reduces tooth decay – and those who believe it does can use readily-available fluoride products, such as fluoride toothpaste. c. The ‘fluoride’ that’s added to drinking water is hexafluorosilicic acid – a hazardous toxic waste product of the phosphate fertiliser industry derived from the pollution scrubber liquor from its factory chimneys. d. There is considerable scientific evidence that fluoride can be harmful to health even in small quantities. Fluoridation is harmful to health 2. Scientific papers from around the world have argued that: a. Fluoride exposure disrupts the synthesis of collagen and leads to the breakdown of collagen in bone, tendon, muscle, skin, cartilage, lungs, kidney and trachea. b. Fluoride inhibits antibody formation in the blood. c. Fluorides have a disruptive effect on various tissues in the body. d. Fluoride confuses the immune system and causes it to attack the body’s own tissues, and increases the tumour growth rate in cancer-prone individuals. A recent study found that in the fluoridated Republic of Ireland, 40% more people contracted bone cancer than in non-fluoridated Northern Ireland. e. Fluoride kills red blood cells and damages gastric mucosa, resulting in the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Even fluoridated toothpaste can cause IBS. f. Fluoride is implicated in genetic disorders. g. Fluoride is implicated in low IQ levels in children. d. Fluoride is implicated in premature ageing. e. Fluorides have been used to modify behaviour and moods of human beings. f. Fluoride is implicated in thyroid disorders by displacing iodine in the body. g. Fluoride induces pitting and cavity formation on the surface of tooth enamel (cavities distinctly different from those formed as a result of dental caries). h. People who ingest fluoride risk problems as the muscles, connective tissues and bone tissue undergo degenerative changes. i. In conjunction with the alum (aluminium sulphate) used to clarify tap water, fluoride causes serious damage to brain and kidney cells. Fluoride is implicated in pre-senile dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. j. Fluoride causes fluorosis. A study has found that there is more than double the rate of fluorosis is fluoridated communities than in those that are not fluoridated. Fluorosis affects teeth before they have erupted, so babies and young children are most at risk. Besides being unsightly, fluorosis can have a psychological impact, and cosmetic dentistry is expensive. k. As fluoride consumption by human beings increases, so does the general cancer death rate. l. Calcium levels in the body decrease as fluoride levels rise. Fluoride increases the density of bones but changes their internal architecture. This makes bones more brittle and prone to fracture. (Eight papers published in reputable medical journals have described the increased risk of hip fracture in elderly people living in fluoridated areas.) A better way to reduce tooth decay 3. The Green Party wants: a. A properly resourced strategy for reducing tooth decay, including education of children and adults about dental hygiene, the need for a healthy diet, and the effects of excessive consumption of sugar. b. A ban on the fluoridation of drinking water. c. A health warning on all sources of fluoride intended for human consumption. The full TRUTH DECAY report is available from Green Party press office, 020 7561 0282 or www.greenparty.org.uk/reports.
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