Dear Editor:
Up until now most residents of New Jersey have been fortunate to have public drinking water that does not contain toxic industrial waste. However big business is now lobbying to do just this. The NJ Assembly is on the verge of ramming through bill A-1811 & S-959 to mass-medicate the entire population of NJ with toxic fluoride on March 15th. We must oppose this current bill.
Conservative estimates say “fluoridation” will cost $5 billion in startup costs alone and over a billion each year. To pay for this, our government will RAISE TAXES & CUT SOCIAL BENEFITS! Water bills will rise 5 percent. It seems disingenuous for government officials to say they are sponsoring this because they care about the dental health of poor youth, while they cut food programs, welfare, and/or Medicaid to pay for this.
They call it “fluoridation”, but what they are trying to dump is toxic Industrial hydrofluosilicic acid, a byproduct of fertilizer manufacturing, coal, and nuclear industries: It contains traces of other toxic substances including lead, mercury, and radionuclides. Industrial manufacturers are paying off politicians and trying to trick us into thinking that their toxic waste is good for us in order to save money on proper waste disposal.
Fluoride is more toxic than lead. Fluoride is used in rat poisons. Ever wonder why it says on toothpaste “Warning–DO NOT SWALLOW?” It’s because fluoride is not meant for ingestion. Even proponents of fluoride admit that the alleged dental benefits come from topical application to the surfaces of teeth, not ingestion. People in fluoridated areas do not have lower rates of cavities. Rather fluoride ingestion is actually harmful to teeth. 41 percent of children who drink fluoridated water have fluoride toxicity and dental fluorosis (teeth become discolored and brittle). Dentists benefit financially from dental fluorosis. This is the real reason the ADA recommends it.
EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) officials have testified in opposition to water fluoridation at public hearings (www.tinyurl.com/fluoride-hirzy). Even the American Dental Association (ADA) advises parents not to give babies fluoridated water. EPA studies show that fluoride causes cancer, arthritis, brain damage, and many other health problems. Fluoride is especially dangerous to young children, people with kidney disease and certain other health conditions. It causes lead poisoning in children by causing the body to absorb lead several-fold. Ordinary affordable water filters do not remove fluoride, only very expensive filters can.
Pennsylvanians are already drinking water containing high levels of fluoride, mercury, & lead from coal plants dumping their toxic by-products into their water. We need to stop it from happening here too by building a mass opposition movement. The NJ Assembly refuses to state which corporations are lobbying (i.e., bribing politicians)the bill & are bypassing the State Budget Committee as is the law. Is this democratic?
Please tell your friends and neighbors. Sign the online petition: www.tinyurl.com/online-njpetition. Call and write your state legislators and the governor: www.tinyurl.com/nj-legislature. Join us on Facebook: www.tinyurl.com/NoFluorideNJ, Contact us: NoFlourideNJ@gmail.com or tel: 201-855-9732
Matt Bralow