DECEMBER 1, 2012

Dear Readers:

2012 has been another fantastic year in the fight to end fluoridation worldwide. Below FAN’s campaign director Stuart Cooper sums up our many victories this year. Fluoridation met its Waterloo on Oct 25, 2010 in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada when citizens voted fluoridation out in an intensely fought referendum battle. Since then there have been many Waterloos and we expect to see many more in 2013. But to do this will take millions of more people being well-informed and organized – and with little help from the mainstream media – this takes money.

Our fundraising goals this year

Last year our goals were to raise $100,000 from 500 donors. We reached the second goal but fell short of the first. By Jan 1, 2012, we had raised $74,168 from 512 donors. This year we are keeping the first goal but raising the second: we are aiming for $100,000 from 1000 donors.

All donations are tax-exempt (our umbrella organization AEHSP has 501(c)(3) status) and there are many exciting gifts for donations at different levels – we will be going through these in tomorrow’s bulletin. Donations can be made online (details) or checks can be sent to us at FAN, 104 Walnut Street, Binghamton, NY 13905. Make checks out to FAN.

30 bulletins in December

In December we will be sending out 30 bulletins (i.e. One on every day except Christmas day). These will do two things: a) update you on how our fundraising effort is going (some people find these updates as exciting as we do, others will find the fundraising details excruciating painful, and to those we apologize; hopefully, the second part of each bulletin will compensate) and b) provide some very useful information which will be helpful in your own individual battles to end fluoridation in your community or state or country. So useful in fact, that we recommend that you print them out and put in a file for later reference and use.

Sadly despite the science, which indicates that fluoridation is neither effective nor safe, there is little indication that we can expect any help from health and regulatory agencies, who for reasons that are difficult to fathom, seem more interested in protecting this ridiculous and outdated practice than protecting the health of the people they are paid to protect. So we seem to be in the same place where we have always been – or at least for the 16 years I have been involved -ending fluoridation one open mind and one community at a time. Over to Stuart.

Paul Connett, PhD,

Director of the Fluoride Action Network (www.FluorideALERT.org)and co-author of The Case Against Fluoride (Chelsea Green, 2010).

Victories in 2012

The fluoride-free movement has continued to grow throughout the world at a staggering pace, with more than 350 communities having ended existing fluoridation programs or having rejected new efforts either by council vote or citizen referendum since 1990. In 2012 alone, we’ve confirmed that at least 26 communities with more than 800,000 residents have voted to end fluoridation, bringing the number ofvictories since 2010 to 78 communities and freeing approximately 3.3 million people from the harms of forced water fluoridation. Some of 2012’s victories include large communities, such as:

• Fairbanks, Alaska (pop. 80,000)
• Curacao (pop. 145,000)
• Albuquerque, New Mexico (pop. 500,000)

Many of these victories were the result of citizens who oppose fluoridation organizing local campaigns and working in coordination with FAN to educate their neighbors and local decision-makers about the serious health risks associated with the practice. But we have also seen something else happen that is a clear sign that our movement is growing at an accelerated rate. Recently, prominent legislators and city councilors representing large cities have begun introducing fluoride prohibition legislation and resolutions (New Hampshire, Milwaukee, New York City, Santa Fe, Phoenix). This is a sign that the issue is becoming less controversial in the eyes of decision-makers, and is losing its status as a non-debateable issue.

Rejecting Forced Fluoridation

It’s worth noting that the 3.3 million people freed from fluoridation does not include the millions of residents who live in the hundreds of communities that have rejected the start of fluoridation programs over the years. This includes Wichita, Kansas—the second largest non-fluoridated city in the U.S.--which provides water to approximately 600,000 residents in it’s metro-area. In November, Wichita residentsrejected a well-funded yearlong effort by the behemoth dental-lobby by a vote of 60% opposed to fluoridation to 40% in favor. The win was a major blow to the pro-fluoride camp, and it came just weeks after citizens in Portland, Oregon successfully halted plans to force fluoridation on the approximately 2 million residents in the Portland-metro area. Citizen campaigners in Portland collected more than 42,000 signatures from registered voters in less than 30 days to delay the City Council’s decision to fluoridate the water until voters can have their say in the March 2014 election. 

Several state-level fluoridation mandates were also defeated in 2012. Just this week, state officials in Queensland, Australia voted to amend the “2008 Water Fluoridation Act”--which originally mandated fluoridation for all public water supplies in the state--to give local communities the authority to decide whether to fluoridate or not. This change in state policy came after intense opposition from citizen groups and local officials, like those in Bundaberg, and will ultimately impact the State’s 4.5 million residents. 

A statewide fluoridation mandate that would have impacted more than9 million people was also defeated in New Jersey this legislative session. FAN teamed up with local fluoride-free organizers and lobbying groups (representing the NJ Water Works Assoc., NJ Municipal Assoc., and many of the state’s private water companies) to keep the legislation from reaching either floor of the legislature (Senate or House) for a vote. Similar state mandate efforts were also killed quickly in Vermont and Florida. Conversely, legislation to end the statewide fluoridation mandate in Illinois was introduced this year, and we’ve been building a local campaign to support it in the 2013 legislative session. We also expect fluoride-free legislation to be introduced in other state legislatures in 2013. 

Infant Warnings

Over the past year, FAN worked hard to ensure that infant fluoride warnings were introduced and adopted in two major U.S. communities, impacting more than 2.4 million residents.  The New Hampshire Legislature (the largest in the U.S.), the Senate, and the Governor overwhelmingly approved HB1416, which required infant fluoride warnings in all annual water quality reports, on water company websites, and in all town halls.   And in July, the City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin approved a resolution requiring an infant fluoride warning in annual water quality reports, posted on the water works and health department websites, and posted in all health department facilities.  In addition, the Milwaukee resolution also required health department personnel to inform residents about the risks of fluoridated water for infants when conducting maternal and infant home visits.

The new infant fluoride warning laws are a proactive approach to reducing fluorosis rates by notifying parents about the risk posed to their infants by fluoridated water.  Not only should the laws cause more parents to take preventative action by reducing infant fluoride exposure, but it should also inspire them to question why this toxic substance is in their tap water in the first place if it isn't safe for infant consumption.  The passage of these laws also marks a point when the State of New Hampshire and the City of Milwaukee have officially recognized that fluoridated water poses a risk to infants; a risk backed up by countless studies and a growing fluorosis epidemic that afflicts 41% of U.S. adolescents

Infant warning legislation has already been introduced in New York City (pop. 8.2 million) for the 2013 session by veteran Councilmember Peter Vallone, Jr., and we expect more communities then ever to take up this issue over the next year, reducing fluorosis rates and bringing awareness to millions of people.

Overall, 2012 has been a good year for the fluoride-free movement, with positive progress being made on a constant basis, and with rejections of the pro-fluoride lobby's efforts becoming more and more common.  FAN has seen a significant increase over the past year in the number of campaigns to end fluoridation worldwide, and we fully expect the momentum from 2012 to carry over into the new year to make 2013 an unprecedented year for the fluoride-free movement.

Again, thank you for your continued support for FAN and our efforts to end fluoridation. Please help us make 2013 even more successful by making a tax-deductable donation today.  Thank you.

Sincerely, 

Stuart Cooper

Campaign Manager