Atlanta Civil Rights Leaders Call for Halt to Water Fluoridation

Former U.N. Ambassador and Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young and

Prominent Pastor Gerald Durley Call for Repeal of Fluoridation Law in GA

Andrew Young

Citing concern that fluoridated water disproportionately harms poor citizens and black families, influential Atlanta civil rights leaders Andrew Young and Gerald Durley are calling on top Georgia legislators to repeal Georgia’s mandatory water fluoridation law.  Young and Durley recently sent letters to legislators in the Georgia Senate and House of Representatives.

Increasing numbers of cities are examining the risks of adding fluorides to water to help prevent cavities after a 2006 National Research Council (NRC) report documented volumes of research never conducted on the whole-body safety of fluorides and fluoridation.

Information in the report appeared in stark contrast to decades of assurances from fluoridation promoters that fluoridation has been extensively researched. The NRC report also described fluoride risks for babies, kidney patients, diabetics, and seniors, and set the stage for a little-publicized change of stance by the Centers for Disease Control on baby formula.

CDC now says that parents can use low-fluoride water when mixing milk formula to reduce the risk of permanent teeth staining caused by fluorides.

The Gerber company is selling an unfluoridated bottled water so parents and caregivers can avoid using fluoridated water in formula.

Bottled water may not be a feasible solution for many families, however.

In a personal letter sent to the Georgia legislators, Ambassador Young wrote,

“I am most deeply concerned for poor families who have babies: if they cannot afford unfluoridated water for their babi es’ milk formula, do their babies not count? Of course they do. This is an issue of fairness, civil rights, and compassion. We must find better ways to prevent cavities, such as helping those most at risk for cavities obtain access to the services of a dentist.

My father was a dentist. I formerly was a strong believer in the benefits of water fluoridation for preventing cavities. But many things that we began to do 50 or more years ago we now no longer do, because we have learned further information that changes our practices and policies. So it is with fluoridation.”

Dr. Durley’s letter addressed disproportionate fluoride harm to black citizens’ teeth, and noted that with disproportionate amounts of kidney disease and diabetes in the black community, blacks are more impacted by fluorides. He stated,

“We also need to know why the full story about harm from fluorides is only just now coming out. I support the holding of Fluoridegate hearings at the state and national level so we can learn why we haven’t been openly told that fluorides build up in the body over time (and) why our government agencies haven’t told the black community openly that fluorides disproportionately harm black Americans…“

Others are also concerned about harm to minority citizens and sensitive populations.

In an April 6th letter to CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden, the President of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology noted, “The recent Health & Human Services attempt to somewhat lower the amount of fluorides in drinking water still does not address the fact that poor and minority families will be ingesting more fluorides than others, and it does not address dose – merely concentration in water.”

Reference Links / Sources:

* Letter to CDC Di rector from IAOMT President Matt Young
* Letter from Dr. Gerald Durley
* Letter from Ambassador Young
* Fluoridation Litigation Article in American Association for Justice newsletter
* Info on Gerber® unfluoridated water for mixing milk formula - note: click on “Product Features”
* Photos of dental fluorosis: - note: see both pages of photos
* National Research Council info on kidney patients and others as fluoride-susceptible groups - see p. 350
* Fluoride health effects database and professionals petition to end fluoridation
* Disproportionate harm to minorities -see Table 23:

NEWS RELEASE CONTACT:

Daniel G. Stockin, MPH The Lillie Center, Inc. P.O. Box 839 Ellijay GA 30540
Ph: 706-669-0786 Web