The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Two weeks ago I used this space to recommend Flin Flon City Council make like Creighton and Denare Beach and go fluoride-free with its drinking water. ThereÕs no doubt that many, many health organizations and officials support fluoridation as a safe and crucial tool in the fight against dental decay. Nevertheless, concerns linger. ItÕs true that a lot of those concerns emanate from wacky conspiracy theorists, the kind of people who believe in UFO cover-ups and that Paul McCartney was replaced by a lookalike. But some concerns are held by reliable people with the proper knowledge to speak on the topic. TheyÕre people like Bill Osmunson, a long-time American dentist who claims fluoridation is no longer effective, possibly because of the amount of fluoride we get from other sources. TheyÕre people like award-winning investigative journalist Christopher Bryson, who claims his research shows fluoride is a cancer-causing agent and that even Òvery modest dosesÓ may impact childrenÕs IQs. When I sat down to write my column two weeks ago, my basic feeling was that if there is any uncertainty around fluoridation, itÕs better to be safe than sorry. Besides, the fluoridation scare was enough to turn off nations like Japan, Finland, Sweden and Czechoslovakia. But IÕm not so sure anymore, particularly since Coun. Bill Hanson recommended that council cut back to the minimum recommended fluoride level rather than eliminating it altogether. This strikes me as the perfect compromise. No matter how inclined you are to believe the worst about fluoridation, how can you just brush aside the advice of the World Health Organization? Or the Canadian Dental Association? Or our own Medical Officer of Health for the NOR-MAN Regional Health Authority? How can you think you somehow know better than these people? As Coun. Hanson pointed out, there is no widespread agreement on fluoridation. There may never be. But itÕs fair to say that on the balance, more reliable sources say fluoridation is safe and worthwhile than do not. So based on what we know right now, trimming the inorganic fluoride to the minimum standard makes sense. We continue to enjoy the documented benefits while the dangers, real or imagined, are minimized. Council should take Coun. HansonÕs thoughtful recommendation to heart. Local Angle runs Fridays.
