Fluoride opponents push issue onto 2014 ballot
PORTLAND, Ore. - Residents opposed to adding fluoride to Portland's water supply have turned in enough signatures to place the issue before voters in May of 2014, according to a report released Thursday by the office of City Auditor LaVonne Griffin-Valade.
Portland City Commissioners voted unanimously in September to add fluoride to the water.
Before the vote, raucous city council meetings were typically packed with citizens, many voicing loud opposition to the fluoridation plan. Recent polling on the issue by KATU News indicated voters are split on their support or opposition.
Local politicians have said it has been one of the most contentious issues in recent memory.
According to the press release, "the signature verification process was completed by the Multnomah County Elections Office" on November 7 and opponents of fluoridation turned in over 33,000 valid signatures. Only 19,858 were required.
Over 43,000 signatures were turned in, opposition groups said.
Portland is one of the last major cities in the United States to not add fluoride to their water supply. Proponents claim it is harmless and helps prevent tooth decay in children.
Opponents disputed whether fluoride is safe and said adding the mineral to drinking water violates a person's right to consent to medication.
In voting for fluoridation, Mayor Sam Adams said that "science is on the side of fluoridation."
The vote will take place May 20, 2014, unless a special election is needed before that time, according to the Auditor's office.
The opponents of fluoridation has raised the issue, very loudly, that they should be able vote on what is put in our water. They state that they should be able to make a personal choice decision on whether fluoride is added to the Bull Run water system, and that the Portland City Council, does not have the right to take that choice away from them.
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I disagree. There have been many public health measures that leaders, both in public health and elected offices,  have made without a citizen vote. Just to name a few: vaccinations, chlorine to water, seat belts, air bags, Vitamin A and D to milk, and folic acid to all bread products. Recently, a decision was made to lower speed limits on many streets in Portland to 20 miles per hour was made without a public vote, and I suspect there are more than a few who disagree with this decision.
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In the last few years since the economic crisis, there have been some city councils around the country who have discontinued their water fluoridation program, primarily to save dollars in their cash-strapped budgets. I believe that this is "Penny wise, pound foolish".
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As an example, this occurred in Pinellas County, FL, Juneau, AK, and Fairbanks, AK. Again, the cessation was by a City/County Council vote, and there was NOT a vote put to the citizens in those affected communities.
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Do you think that the opponents to fluoridation screamed out to these elected officials that their decision should have been put to a vote of the citizenry? Not a single "peep" out of any of their collective mouths.
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In the late 1960's Seattle went through a very "hot button" fluoridation campaign just as we are now witnessing here in Portland. Today, when I visit my daughter who lives in fluoridated Seattle, I smile when we go out to dinner in a restaurant and watch patrons drink fluoridated tap water, stand in line at Starbuck's to buy their lattes made with fluoridated water, and drink one of many wonderful microbrews that have been brewed with fluoridated water........and no one has a second thought about it.
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Many people in Portland have moved from other regions of the United States, most that have very high rates of fluoridation. Washington state is no different. If one relocated to Seattle today, they would have a choice: they can drink the fluoridated tap water as provided by the City of Seattle, or they could choose not to drink the water. I believe that Portlanders can make the same choice when our water becomes fluoridated, and all citizens served by the Bull Run water system will finally enjoy the public health benefit of fluoridated water.
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Lastly, Pinellas County's decision to stop fluoridation happened last year when 2 Tea Party Republicans were elected to their county commission. They claimed that it was government intrusion and not their right to add fluoride to the public water system. The two other Republicans who voted out fluoridation were up for re-election on November 6th. Fluoridation became the major campaign issue.Â
Guess what? The 2 anti's got voted out and the 2 Dems voted in have stated that there 1st act once they are sworn in is the restart fluoridation in Pinellas County which will return this public health benefit to 700,000 citizens in the Tampa-St. Pete's area of Florida.
I feel the biggest problem was they did not ask people in the community to vote on this in the first place. Maybe if they took the steps to do it correctly it would not be an issue. Then when there was a public meeting about it if you were not on "King Sammi's" side you were then escorted out. Make the vote count and see what actually happens. Good work to all those volunteers who worked non stop to make this happen.
Fluoride? Isn't that that state on the lower east coast of the U.S.? Oh, wait...that's Flahrida. My mistake.
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I really don't know what all the uproar is about. They've been feeding us High Fructose Corn Syrup for decades and no one's made a fuss. And just look at what it's done to the population...we're Super-Sized! And only one person has died because of fluoride poisoning in the United States (although many more suffered from nausea, vomiting and diarrhea), but heck, and Tequila worth its salt will do that!
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And the other aspect is Dental Fluorosis...check it out on Google. Very cool...kinda like meth teeth without the fun.
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But those are worse-case scenarios.
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Hmmm...I wonder if Washington D.C. pumps anti-psychotics into its water system?  :-P
I wish this were on a ballot next week. The notion that this discussion will go on until May 2014 has me grinding my teeth - and,  fluoride or no fluoride, that can't be good for preventing tooth decay.
Anything that can be an individuals choice, should not be mandatory for all.
Whether you want ingest Fluoride or not is your business alone, but to vote this into the public system and to other fellow citizens in opposition is just as heinous as what the city council tried to do to us all.
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Its a waste of money, unhealthy and unethical to proceed with this tired old plan to fluoridate our water.
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Poor diet and bad dental habits are to blame for tooth decay, please proponents inform yourselves and spare us your ignornace and blind obedience to the status quo.
Facts about fluoride:
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-Fluoride is the only chemical added to water for the purpose of medical treatment.
-Fluoridation is unethical.
-The dose cannot be controlled.
-The fluoride goes to everyone regardless of age, health or vulnerability.
-People now receive fluoride from many other sources besides water.
-Fluoride is not an essential nutrient.
-Fluoride accumulates in the body.
-No health agency in fluoridated countries is monitoring fluoride exposure or side effects.
-There has never been a single randomized clinical trial to demonstrate fluoridationâs effectiveness or safety.
-There is no need whatsoever to swallow fluoride to protect teeth.
-Fluoridationâs role in the decline of tooth decay is in serious doubt.
-NIH-funded study on individual fluoride ingestion and tooth decay found no significant correlation.
-Tooth decay is high in low-income communities that have been fluoridated for years
-Tooth decay does not go up when fluoridation is stopped.
-Tooth decay was coming down before fluoridation started.
-The studies that launched fluoridation were methodologically flawed.
-Fluoride damages the body in many ways.
As a dental hygienist I can tell you for certain that ingesting fluoride is necessary to protect teeth from dental decay. Â It strengthens teeth from the inside out. Â The other factors for preventing tooth decay involve limiting sugar intake and proper hygiene. Â Most children are incapable of proper hygiene on their own, and most children eat whatever they are fed. Â Furthermore, most Americans drink fluoridated water (including myself, a Beaverton resident) with no ill side effects whatsoever. Many people drink fluoridated water because it is naturally present in many water supplies the world over.Â
@cullynative76 So if it is naturally found in the water, why do we need to put more in the water then? And if we use fluoride toothpaste, why do we need fluoride water (most people use fluoride toothpaste)?
Additionally, we receive fluoride from other sources other than water such as foods we eat that were watered with fluoride water! Why do we need more!?
Why is tooth decay high in low income areas that have been fluoridated for years?
 @cullynative76 Um, fluoride is found naturally in most water supplies including ours here in Oregon.  Take a look at your water bureau report and fluoride already exists in the water.
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Thats great you found a study that shows that 18% do not believe in fluoridation. Â This KATU article mentions how its a 50/50 split in this state; so it shows that oregonians are more educated than most.
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Here are some facts for you:
-Tooth decay is high in low-income communities that have been fluoridated for years.
-Tooth decay does not go up when fluoridation is stopped.
-Tooth decay was coming down before fluoridation started.
-People now receive fluoride from many other sources besides water.
-Fluoride is not an essential nutrient.
-Fluoride accumulates in the body.
-Fluoride is the only chemical added to water for the purpose of medical treatment.
@portlandborn83@cullynative76Â From quackwatch.com:Â
"Let the People Decide"
The antis' most persuasive argument, both to legislators and to the general public, is to call for a public vote. On the surface, this appears to be the democratic way to settle the issue. But the antis are dealing from a stacked deck. First, the people who need fluoridation the mostâthe childrenâdo not vote. Second, it is not difficult to confuse voters by flooding the community with scare propaganda. Average citizens do not have the educational background to sort out claim and counterclaim or to judge which "authorities" to believe. To turn against fluoridation, they don't need to accept all the anti argumentsâonly one. The sheer bulk of the controversy is itself likely to arouse doubt in the minds of most voters.Antis who say, "Let the people decide," may sound as if they wish to use a democratic process to make the decision, but experience in many cities has shown otherwise. If fluoridation wins a referendum, the usual anti response is to work for another one. In some communities that allow repeated referendums on the same subject, fluoridation has been in and out, and in and out again. When this happens, not only do children suffer, but taxpayers are saddled with the cost of the referendums.Curiously, studies have shown that referendums can lose even in communities where public opinion favors fluoridation. People will usually go to the polls to vote against what they don't like. So the crucial factor in many referendums is the ability of proponents to mobilize the supporters. A 1998 Gallup Poll commissioned by the American Dental Association found that when asked "Do you believe community water should be fluoridated?" 70% of respondents believed that community water should be fluoridated, 18% did not, and 12% were undecided. Yet small numbers of vocal critics still manage to impede its implementation in many communities.
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Fluoride is not naturally found in all water supplies, so needs to be added to some and decreased from others where there is too much naturally present. Â There is an optimum amount of about 0.7 ppm where no fluorosis occurs and teeth are more decay resistant. Â Fluoride in not a magic bullet. Â If kids are not brushing and flossing, especially without the help of parents, and are drinking sweet sugary drinks and sodas and highly processed carbohydrate rich foods and have the bacteria necessary to produce dental decay, they still may get cavities. Â However, the incidence of decay is less in children who receive fluoridated water, no question about this. Â
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 @portlandborn83 So the six hundred plus randomized double blind studies I found on Google for effectiveness of fluoridation written over the last 60 years suddenly don't exist because you don't want them to? Oh, you contradict yourself repeatedly on this point.
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Side note: how is a mineral or medicine unethical? I thought you had to be human to have ethics.
Well I would have to google the same search terms you are googling because otherwise I would be wasting my time because I bet there are a ton of "studies." But I believe both of us are unable to determine whether these studies were methodically flawed or not. The latest CDC data shows that dental fluorisis is up 400% when compared to levels in the 1960s. I also feel that the CDC and/or other agencies isn't an independant organization that will produce independant results.Â
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This is why other countries throughout the world have done fluoride studies because they didn't trust our government studies. They found results of their studies that was completely opposite to what our studies showed. I personally would rather follow India's information over our own government's when it comes to this issue.
Let me also add; you have a mayor that gets elected for being gay, who defaults on his own house payment, wastes money with reckless abandon, fools around with an underage person and you still worship him. Top that off with thousands of idiots, destroying a park and wasting what little money the city has on babysitting, crying about not getting enough money. Perhaps Portland has smoked itself stupid?
@portlandborn83 Up 400% is wonderful. Does that mean that there were 4 cases instead of 1? Numbers are a wonderful thing, aren't they. Next time you use 'facts', try to make sure they're factual, instead of opinions. Just because 43,000 Portlanders signed something does not give it any merit. Given the fact that they're quick to protest a police situation that they know nothing about, but ignore a failing educational system, means that I'd rather go with whatever they're against in general.
@ShallowEnder @portlandborn83 ... I think what alot of people (including myself) are most upset about is that the City is blindly deciding to add something to the water without our permission. Tests or no tests, THAT is unethical. Something so controversial (in Portland, if not elsewhere) should not be forced on people without their say. It is evident that a large majority do NOT want it. Yes, alot of people DO want it, but I think the voting history in this city proves it is unwelcome. Â
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Sam Adams seems to enjoy putting things in place by bypassing public vote (plastic bags, composting and now flouride) and people, including myself, are fed up with it!
@ShallowEnder @portlandborn83..... ok, MEDIUM majority? lol! I'm sorry if you don't like my choice of the word "large" but I said that because of this sentence:  Â
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 "on November 7 and opponents of fluoridation turned in over 33,000 valid signatures. Only 19,858 were required. Over 43,000 signatures were turned in." Â
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In my opinion that is a large majority...sorry, "medium"... majority since I've not seen any numbers from the PRO flouride crowd or the "I don't care" crowd. Until I see that, it is left up to my own interpretation. *shrug*
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I do agree with you that the ballot box will be the ultimate deciding factor.
 @pdxmom  @ShallowEnder  @portlandborn83 There is evidence that some people don't like the idea, but large majority? I don't think so.
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I'll wait for the only poll that counts on that issue: the ballot box.
@portlandborn83 thank you not including the "Nazi brainwashing." Do you happen to have any sources? Good luck with your fight; I'm against the of dumping chemicals into without public referendum on principle.
 @Playanekes  @portlandborn83 there is a ton of stuff out there, many books too. Was watching a show about it, it goes so far as the medical association discredits and removes funding from any doctor that publishes negative things about fluoride. Fluoride is pushed by big business and you don't want to piss them off.
Read - The Fluoride Deception by Christopher Bryson
 @portlandborn83 You know, it's downright rude to confuse people with the facts. ;-)
There is natural fluoride in some water supplies, but this isn't natural. Less exposure to carcinogens like fluoride is a good thing. Remember to vote NO in 2 years! I may conspiracy cow but I like my water clean and fresh & no additives: http://www.safewateroregon.org/fluoridation.html
I'm pretty sure that the anti-fluoridation crowd isn't going to accept the result of a public vote unless it goes their way, judging from the arguments. Â If it passes, it's just going to be viewed as a tyranny by the majority.
 @Festivus I will accept it if its approved, but I won't like it because it will force me and some of the herd to bring in water. It's an added expense to drink what use to come out of the tap. This has been voted on before and lost and I hope that happens again.
 @CorporateCowMoo My family is planning on buying water as well, but you'll still get your daily dose via the shower. It accumulates in the body and most of the fluoride filters on the market can't completely remove it.
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Hopefully when we get to vote on it will be non-issue when it dies, like in the past.
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@Festivus Yup and yup. Question: How many muncipalities in the US removed fluoride from their drinking water last year?
@portlandborn83Â Â Nelson County, VA
                              Bolivar, Missouri
                               College Station, TX
                              Dunedin, FL
                              Smiths Falls, Ontario
                               Williams Lake, BC
                                Spring Hill, Tenn
                                Hinton, Alberta
                               Churchill, Manitoba,
and New York City now has a bill prohibiting fluroidation. It will be put to a PUBLIC vote :)
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 @portlandborn83  @Festivus If a chicken and a half can lay an egg and a half in a day and a half, how long would it take for a parrot with a wooden leg to kick the seeds out of a dill pickle?
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Hint: It's another specious argument.
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46% of the country doesn't believe in evolution either. Â it just means half the country is utterly scientifically illiterate.
 @Festivus That depends on whether or not the parrot WANTED to kick the seeds out of the dill pickle. Those parrots are a fickle bunch, especially the ones with wooden legs!
 @portlandborn83  @Festivus Many and the number is increasing as people wake up to the reality that they've been lied to all this time.
Come on man, everyone's doing it....
I am SO glad this is going to a public vote. It really should be up to US if we want it or not. But to force it upon us is just wrong, in my opinion.
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Will Tigard get to vote? Or Kings City?
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They use the same water supply.
@Repoman ... I have no idea. I would think if it involved your water supply, you would get to vote.Â
@pdxmom Nope...we don't. Only for residents of Portland. That leaves out all of east county, most of the westside...all other communities that use Bull Run. That's what made this doubly bad...not only Portland residents were kept from their input, but all of us who although on Bull Run too, are not allowed to vote.
@Repoman @pdxmom Unfortunately NO...I live in east county and we weren't allowed a say in it either...and we get our water from the same source also. But our mayor has a trick up his sleeve that he will use in the event we're not allowed a vote and it goes thru.
Is kings city their own city?
Valid point.
"Adding fluoride to drinking water has been shown to be beneficial to everyone, and will not cause negative health impacts to anyone" - Sam Adams
"It was very difficult to comprehend what the point was" - Randy Leonard speaking about An Inconvenient Tooth
"I believe that the benefits of fluoridated water are signifigant" - Amanda Fritz
"This is the right thing to do" - Dan Saltzman
"History will judge us in how we address this important issue" - Nick Fish
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An Inconvenient Tooth is a documentary film about fluoride. Â
It was released September 6th, 2012 at the city hall in Portland, Oregon. Â Â
http://www.AnInconvenientTooth.org Â
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh-oeu2L8yM
@Guy Wagner Ain't that special!
If you want fluoride water, go get it at rite-aid, wal-mart, or walgreens...there is a whole shelf of the stuff because no one wants to buy it!Â
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What is ridiculous is that they are spending $5 million per year on this junk and the schools are poorly funded, we can't pave the streets, homeless lack shelters, and the infrastructure is breaking down. $5 million bucks could go a long ways towards a great project...like paving hawthorne as an example!
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What makes me sick is that fluoride won't prevent cavities whatsoever; if you reduce or lower the amount of sugar, salt, and grains you eat...this will improve your dental health! Whats wrong with adding trace minerals to make your body stronger! Go to hell SAM and leave this bleepin city! I'd like to see you drink fluoride water you scumbag!
@portlandborn83 Like paving Hawthorne? Last time I drove down Hawthorne, it was paved. Then again, I try not to take pointers from a state that thinks Arkansas is competitive in education or hygiene. I do appreciate the fact that a non-dentist like yourself is willing to speak up on behalf of those that actually perform the work. Tell us more about how life works.
The reason dentists support fluoride is so they can have more customers...what they should really be promoting is a healthy diet (without sugar) and supporting a good immune system.
 @portlandborn83 Oh Christ.
@JTesla Maybe 1% of us!
@JTesla Since we're on that topic, I'm sick and tired of 24-Hour Fitness trying to sell me on being fit, too! Just another way for exercise equipment manufacturers to fatten their pockets! Don't even get me started on publishers using teachers to pedal their literary goods.
@portlandborn83 Yeah, because doctors have been taking the "healthy diet" approach for years and losing all their patients due to people following their advice. We sure are a healthy and thin society now aren't we?
@portlandborn83 This coming from someone who believes in chemtrails, makes me think that maybe Sam got one thing correct. You kind of shot your credibility in the foot with that chemtrail nonsense.
When I was a little kid I don't remember chemtrails. I remember contrails which dissappear within 1 minute!
 @JTesla  @portlandborn83 Oh, you must have missed the NaCl conversion to sugar in your food discussion.
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Science isn't this one's strong point. Â
Like myself? I guess I am gullable because I thought he was serious. No disrespect intended. Now I will just go hide my face in shame and keep my nose out of others conversations.
@iamtroglodite Thanks guys, time to move on and poke fun at other people...
Well, I used to think I knew a LITTLE about nutrition. Guess I don't know enough because I never would have thought salt could convert to sugar in the body. Color me a dumbass!