It may be a case of one step forward, two steps back in combination with the ‘squeaky wheel’ syndrome in Pinellas County Florida, where county commissioners are now looking at reversing what appeared to be a well advised decision made back in October to stop water fluoridation in their community – a sad situation for forward thinking members of the public, and for advocates of water fluoridation cessation as well.
In an article by the Tampa Bay Times dated January 6, 2012 one council member by the name of Jerry Mullins is cited as being ‘upset’ by the October decision and has since confronted City Manager Mike Gustafson and asked the city to restore water fluoride to the county stating that “… his first thought was of the children, especially the poorer ones in his city. (Fluoridated water) may be the only dental care they get.” The council will revisit the issue on January 24th – and hopefully the same advocates who instigated the original reversal of the practice will once again make an appearance.
The upcoming decision seems to be more about money than the welfare of Pinellas County citizens as the vote is likely to sway depending on how much funding the county is able to round up through grants to reinstate practice. Originally the County Commission voted 4-3 to stop adding fluoride to the public water system, which costs the county about $205,000 annually plus a whopping $600,000 to set up in the first place. Pinellas County didn’t begin adding fluoride to its water until 2004, prior to that it was the largest water supplier in the eastern United States that did not practice fluoridation.
When the commission reconvenes they plan to discuss ways to fluoridate the water supply in a more cost-effective manner including a controversial method of injecting the chemical at three different entry points, a method that leaves a lot of room for mixing and dilution errors that stand to put public health at an even greater risk.
In order to stop Pinellas County’s regression back into the dark days of forced water fluoridation, it is crucial that the commission hear from the public about the dangers of fluoride. If you would like to help support the cessation of water fluoridation in Pinellas County before the commission meets on Jan. 24, you are invited to write to each of the commissioners by visiting the County Connection web page and dropping them an email.
For more info:
The Poisoning of America’s Water Supplies https://www.naturalnews.com/023565_water_lead_drinking.html
The Absurdities of Water Fluoridation by Paul Connett, PhD https://www.fluoridealert.org/absurdity.htm#
What’s on Tap? Grading Drinking Water in U.S. Citieshttps://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/uscities/execsum.asp