> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.foodconsumer.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Report reveals Feds didn't protect communities of color from fluoridation: FAN calls for 5-step alternative - URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/fluoridation_0930150436/ - Published: 2015-09-30T17:34:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-22T18:41:04.000Z - Description: The Fluoride Action Network handed the Environmental Justice Interagency Working Group a 100-page report saying officials have long known Black Americans have more dental fluorosis; FOIA records it obtained put 2005 rates at 58% versus 32% of Whites. - Author: Food Consumer - Tags: Chemical, Food Safety, #vivvo-import [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f5/c2/f5c28c07-f2c7-440d-8161-125a09d9bc91/content/images/2026/08/d35d1f6fb6685814321cbe252686374f3acab34c.jpg)](http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Oh7uHlbTdz2m3RJ7wXDR3YjQQ1y5bHf6&ref=foodconsumer.org) [ ](https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ref=foodconsumer.org#1502006dcd361cae%5F) # [SEPTEMBER 30, 2015 ](https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ref=foodconsumer.org#1502006dcd361cae%5F) The Fluoride Action Network (FAN) has delivered a [100-page report](http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=LbbFNRV0WaPMEcXVxxieDYjQQ1y5bHf6&ref=foodconsumer.org) to the Environmental Justice Interagency Working Group entitled “Water Fluoridation and Environmental Justice” outlining the dangers posed by this practice to poor families and communities of color. Since 1962 officials at the U.S. Public Health Service have known that Blacks are disproportionately harmed by fluoride with higher rates of dental fluorosis (permanent damage to the enamel) rates compared to Whites. But for over 40 years they hid this information from communities of color. In response to a Freedom of Information Act request, FAN discovered that in 2005, 58% of Blacks had dental fluorosis compared to 32% of Whites. The heart of the problem is that no Federal agency accepts responsibility for the safety of this program. Instead the Division of Oral Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has become a “rogue elephant” blindly promoting fluoridation, denying any harm and failing miserably to provide any warnings to communities of color of their vulnerabilities. This has prompted Civil Rights leaders to call for Congressional hearings. According to FAN’s director, Paul Connett, PhD, “The situation has become much worse now that it is clear that fluoride is an endocrine disruptor and is neurotoxic. There are 45 studies that fluoride at modest levels lowers IQ in children ([www.FluorideAction.net/issues/health/brain](http://www.fluorideaction.net/issues/health/brain?ref=foodconsumer.org) ).” In 2015 the Department of Health & Human Services announced a lowering of the fluoride level in fluoridation programs. However, even at the new level of 0.7 ppm, bottle-fed infants in fluoridated communities receive approximately 100 times more fluoride than a breast-fed infant. FAN is seeking from the multi-agency group support for 5-step community-based plan (along the lines of programs from Scotland and Denmark), which not only protects teeth, but by emphasizing better nutrition –especially lowered sugar intake - fights obesity and improves the overall health and well-being of children from poor families and communities of color, without forcing them to drink fluoridated water. As a first step FAN urged the multi-agency group to call upon the EPA’s Office of Water to determine a safe reference dose for fluoride that would protect all children –including the most vulnerable - from a lowered IQ. Such a determination would make adding fluoride to public water unthinkable. - [**SEE FULL REPORT**](http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=yBnj7PO5G2er4QMWfelhb4jQQ1y5bHf6&ref=foodconsumer.org) - **[SHARE OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE](http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=kccg8090tz7w46BXR2eQj4jQQ1y5bHf6&ref=foodconsumer.org)** **Sign-on to FAN's Submission** If you are a scientific or public health professional would you please consider signing your name in support of FAN's submission to the US Environmental Justice Interagency Working Group? You can read the [Executive Summary](http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=sXryWw6AB7BkZ9OEKG2So4jQQ1y5bHf6&ref=foodconsumer.org), or the [Full Report](http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=NaD%2BTpyvt2nkrWsOTEQphIjQQ1y5bHf6&ref=foodconsumer.org). Below isthe current cover page text along with the original signers. If you would like to sign-on, then please email your name, degree, and position to[paul@fluoridealert.org](mailto:paul@fluoridealert.org) With your help we can ensure FAN's submission and this issue get the attention from the Federal government they deserve. --- **WATER FLUORIDATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE** **The following commentary was submitted to the U.S. Environmental Justice Interagency Working Group (EJ IWG) on Sept 25, 2015.** This commentary was prepared by Neil Carman, PhD, Ellen Connett and Paul Connett, PhD with contributions from other members of the FLUORIDE ACTION NETWORK (FAN), including David Kennedy, DDS, Chris Neurath, John Graham (UK) and Tara Blank. **The following individuals and organizations support the sentiments and arguments presented in the Executive Summary and the supporting document:** Audrey **Adams**, Board member, Washington Action for Safe Water, President, King County Citizens Against Fluoridation, Washington Kenji **Akiniwa**, General Secretary, The Japanese Society for Fluoride Research, Japan Phillip **Alexander**, Fluoride Free Charlotte, North Carolina **American Environmental Health Science Project, Inc.** (AEHSP), Essex Junction, Vermont **Arkansas Citizens For Safe Drinking Water** Cynthia **Baghi,** MSc, Fluoride Free Bedford, Bedford, UK James S. **Beck,** MD, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Medical Biophysics, University of Calgary, Canada Jane **Beck**, BSc MBBS, Thames, NZ Ruth **Bednar** RHN, RNCP, Muskoka Citizens Opposing Fluoridation, Gravenhurst, Ont., Canada Tara **Blank**, PhD, Ridgefield, Washington Jane **Bremmer**, Chair, Alliance for a Clean Environment, Western Australia Pat **Buckley**, Fluoride Free Wellington, New Zealand Jeannie **Burlsworth**, Chairman Secure Arkansas Mary B**yrne,** National coordinator, Fluoride Free New Zealand Stephen **Byrne**, member of Fluoride Free Water, Ireland Anna Maria **Caldara,** author and activist, Bangor, Pennsylvania Cara L. **Campbell**, Chair, Ecology Party of Florida Suzie **Canales**, Citizens For Environmental Justice, Corpus Christi, Texas Neil **Carman**, PhD, Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter (for I.D. purposes only), Austin, Texas Paul **Carr**, Chairman, Fluoride Free Cumbria, England Liesa **Cianchino**, Concerned Residents of Peel to End Fluoridation, Peel, Ontario, Canada **Clean Water California** Stuart **Cooper**, Fluoride Free New Hampshire Ronnie **Cummins**, Organic Consumers Association Todd M. **Davison**, Fluoride Free Nebraska Michael F. **Dolan**, PhD, Public Notice on Water Fluoridation, Amherst, Massachusetts Rev. Dr. Gerald L. **Durley**, Pastor Emeritus, Providence Missionary Baptist Church, Atlanta GA Michael **Finley**, Fluoride Free Illinois Barbara Loe **Fisher**, Co-founder & President, National Vaccine Information Center **Fluoride Free Thames**, Thames, NZ **Fluoride Free Anniston** **,** Anniston, Alabama **Fluoride Free Bedford**, Bedford, UK Barbara **Gall**, Massachusetts John **Graham**, UK. Clint **Griess**, Safe Water San Francisco and International Fluoride Free Teleconference Merilyn **Haines**, BAppSc, Fluoride Action Network Australia Inc Crystal **Harvey**, State coordinator, Arkansas Citizens for Safe Drinking Water Mary **Hilary**, Member of Fluoride Free Ireland Emeritus Professor C. V. **Howard,** MB. ChB. PhD. FRCPath., Nano Systems Biology Centre for Molecular Bioscience, University of Ulster, Coleraine, UK Regina **Imburgia**, Fluoride Action North Texas, Dallas, Texas Lynn **Jordan**, New Zealand Health Professionals Opposing Fluoridation Charles **Keil**, PhD, activist, author and music maker, Lakeville, Connecticut Hilton **Kelley**, Executive Director, CIDA Inc., 2011 Goldman Prize winner, Port Arthur, Texas Barry S. **Kendler**, PhD, FACN, CNS. David **Kennedy**, DDS, Fluoride Information Officer for the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology **King County Citizens Against Fluoridation**, Washington Carol **Kopf,** MS, New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation Dan **Knapp**, PhD, sociologist and CEO, Urban Ore, Inc., Berekely, California Hardy **Limeback**, PhD, DDS, Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto Stan **Litras** BDS BSc, convenor Fluoride Information Network for Dentists, NZ John **Lusk**, MSc., PhD, President, Citizens Against Fluoridation Inc., Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia Chuck **Matzker**, Fluoride Free Framingham, Framingham, Massachusetts Donna **Mayne**, Fluoride Free Windsor, Ontario Howard W. **Mielke,** PhD, Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana **Moms Against Fluoridation** Peter **Montague**, PhD Jeffrey **Morris**, PhD, Environmental Economist, Sound Resource Management, Olympia, Washington Rick **North**, Clean Water Oregon Rae Nadler **Olenick**, Fluoride Free Austin, Austin, Texas **Organic Consumers Association** Bill **Osmunson** DDS, MPH Laura **Pressley**, PhD, Austin, Texas Jay **Sanders**, Clean Water California, San Francisco, California Nestor B **Shapka**, BSc, DDS, President of the Canadian Council of Oral Medicine and Toxicology, Joan **Seeman,** Denver, Colorado Diane **Sprules**, BSc, MSc., Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada Daniel **Stockin**, MPH, The Lillie Center for Energy and Health Studies, Ellijay, Georgia Eric **Turk,** PhD **Unifor Durham Regional Environment Council**, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada Bridget Eileen **Walsh**, Denver, Colorado Joy **Warren**, BSc. (Hons) Environmental Science, Coordinator of West Midlands Against Fluoridation, UK **Washington Action for Safe Water**, Washington Raymond R. **White**, PhD, City College of San Francisco **Worldwide Alliance to End Water Fluoridation** Sandra **Young,** MD, Medical advisor, Secure Arkansas --- Sincerely, Stuart Cooper *Campaign Manager,* [](http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=yvfT99iDSg7xuEtbR9DdVojQQ1y5bHf6&ref=foodconsumer.org) [Fluoride Action Network](http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Lq7Fe4e%2Bv0KpfIlfTvh5KYjQQ1y5bHf6&ref=foodconsumer.org) [**See all FAN bulletins online**](http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=m3%2BH%2BqrYuy30Ocich2sDZIjQQ1y5bHf6&ref=foodconsumer.org)