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Dear Readers, The news on our annual fundraiser is mixed. The good news is that we have received some very generous donations from a total of 65 people. We are grateful to each of you who have donated since December 2; for those who have donated at some time during the year, and especially to those who pledge a monthly amount. The bad news is that after two weeks our current total of $8,008 is a long way short of our ambitious goal of $100,000 by midnight December 31. We know that times are really tough for many people, but if everyone on our mailing list were to give just $10, we would easily exceed our target. Remember--fluoridation is as easy to end as turning off a tap at the public water works, but turning off that tap takes political will, and to get that political will we need thousands of people informed and organized. FAN is doing its very best to inform and organize thousands if not millions of people in this worldwide effort. In tomorrow's bulletin our campaign manager Stuart Cooper will cover the growing number of fluoride-free campaigns and victories around the world, and will highlight some of FAN's campaign efforts from 2011 along with details about what to expect in 2012. In addition to tracking the number of communities that have decided to end water fluoridation, another way of gauging how successful we are in this effort is to see the number of people who are prepared to support this continuing battle with adonation. The proponents of fluoridation i.e. ADA, CDC, ACSH (American Council on Science and Health now the Pew Charitable Trusts) have millions of dollars to spend on promoting this wretched practice. I believe that this is one of the biggest "David versus Goliath" battles ever waged on a public health issue. Quite frankly, most reasonable people looking at the spending ratio of the two sides wouldn't give us a chance. But look at how far we have already come and at the growing momentum we have achieved with your help! We on the FAN team cannot walk away from this issue. There is too much at stake. We are committed to: 1) Establishing the principle that the public water supply should never be used to deliver medicine; 2) Ensuring that any medicine given to people be pharmaceutical grade-not an industrial waste product contaminated with known human carcinogens like arsenic, for which there are no safe levels; 3) Upholding the principle that what medicines we take is an individual choice; 4) Making sure that public health policies are shaped by honest science; 5) Securing Environmental Justice for all our citizens. Some people simply cannot afford to use bottled water or buy expensive filters, and both Black and Mexican American children are more susceptible to fluoride's toxic effects (CDC, 2005, Table 23, http://www.fluoridealert.org/table23.html); 6) Protecting our babies and children from fluoride's known harmful effects. 41% of US adolescents now have dental fluorosis (CDC, 2010); 25 studies indicate an association with lowered IQ and moderate fluoride exposure, and Bassin's unrefuted 2006 study conducted at Harvard University indicates that young boys exposed to fluoridated water in their 6th-8th years have a 5-7 fold increased risk of succumbing to osteosarcoma by the age of 20. Osteosarcoma is a rare but frequently fatal bone cancer. 7) Upholding the Precautionary Principle. The risks from fluoride are simply too great to be ignored, especially considering that any potential benefit is small or even nonexistent. Who in their right mind could possibly justify the potential for lowering IQ, weakening bones with lifelong exposure, or even risk killing a handful of children each year in order to save what amounts to possibly only 0.6 of one tooth surface out of over 100 tooth surfaces in a child's mouth, based on the largest survey ever conducted in the US (Brunelle and Carlos, 1990)? FAN will continue to fight for these things - and we will do so against any odds until the fluoridating world comes to its senses. But this is easier to do when we know we have the support of people like you. Will you please help us with a tax-deductible contribution? Large or small, every donation is needed and appreciated, and will go a long way towards achieving our shared goals. See donation details below. Sincerely, Paul Connett, Ph.D. FAN Director |
How to Give a Tax-Deductible Donation to FAN To make a tax-deductible contribution to the Fluoride Action Network, you can quickly and easily Donate Online. You can also send a check or money order to: Fluoride Action Network 82 Judson Street Canton, NY 1367 To make this fundraising effort more interesting we are offering a number of premiums throughout the month. Premiums: 1.) Donations of $100 or more will receive a copy of "The Case Against Fluoride" signed by Paul Connett, PhD.* *Please ignore what it currently says on ourdonation page--we will be changing that message as soon as we can. 2.) Donations of $15 get a choice of one of these great DVD's: -Professional Perspectives on Fluoridation -An interview with Chris Bryson, author of the book, "The Fluoride Deception." (If you have already contributed and want either of these DVDs, email us and let us know.) Thank you for your continued support of FAN's efforts to end the irrational practice of fluoridation. Sincerely, The FAN Team |
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