Are Townsville's residents being poisoned by the Townsville Thuringowa Water Supply Board? In a letter to the Townsville Bulletin published on Monday, February 22, 1999, L. Markham raises what, after further investigation, are valid concerns about the practice of fluoridating the water supply. After having read this letter a Mr. Peter Ryan of the Australian Dental Association, Queensland Branch, wrote a reply in support of the fluoride industry.

Peter Ryan has displayed the feigned ignorance so commonly portrayed by so many of the people in the dental industry. The question of fluoridation goes beyond simple cavities. What about fluorosis; cancers; genetic damage; bone pathology; trans placental and brain transport; histological brain, artery, and kidney damage; and neurological impairment?

Peter is most likely not qualified to discuss the latter problems but what about fluorosis? Fluoride INCREASES fluorosis, a nasty thing that appears as a motley discolouration which, although they claim it doesn't affect the functioning of the teeth, looks absolutely terrible. The Journal of the American Dental Association states that dentists make 17% more PROFIT in fluoridated areas as opposed to non-fluoridated areas. (Douglas et al., "Impact of water fluoridation on dental practices and dental manpower", Journal of the American Dental Association;84:355-67, 1972). The consumer loses, the dentist wins. Fluorosis was somehow overlooked in Peter's letter. Maybe it just slipped your mind?

Peter mentions research done by the University of Adelaide. Scientists at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency state:-"The most recent toxicity data demonstrate to us a causative link between fluoride exposures and neurotoxicity (including diminished I.Q. in children, and hyperactivity), genetic damage, bone pathology (including increased rates of hip fracture in fluoridated cities), and cancer (including increased bone cancer in young men), in addition to dental fluorosis." And also "To continue the practice in the face of recent findings is an irresponsible gamble, with the intellects of our children as the stakes." And Peter Ryan says it's "not only harmless but positively beneficial." and that our "enviable 35-year record.....has paid off handsomely." I guess that for some members of the dental/medical professions it has been positively beneficial and paid off handsomely!

There is legislation in place that enforces a local government's authority to add fluoride to the water supply and declares that the state treasurer will foot the bill for any costs or expenses incurred by the local government in defending court action against it to stop the addition of fluoride! This legislation is for the whole state and it emanates from a city that doesn't fluoridate it's own water.....Brisbane. Odd don't you think! When it comes to taking the local government to the supreme court or a district court the legislation also states that it shall be heard and determined by a judge WITHOUT A JURY. I thought Australia was a democracy? You can download a copy of this legislation in PDF format from those wonderful people at the Office of the Queensland Parliamentary Counsel. It's called the "FLUORIDATION OF PUBLIC WATER SUPPLIES ACT 1963. Reprinted as in force on 21 December 1998 (includes amendments up to Act No. 41 of 1998)." Another piece of legislation that needs to be read in conjuntion with this is known as the "Fluoridation of Public Water Supplies Regulation 1998."

I noted in the Townsville Thuringowa Water Supply Board's tender document for the supply of sodium fluoride for the current period that it shall be (a) minimum (of) 98% pure. Here is an example of a label from a sodium fluoride package, note the warnings on it! I wonder how many people know that the remaining 2% is Lead & Arsenic!

Australia's own National Occupational Health & Safety Commission's database on chemical nasties says that sodium fluoride is "Toxic if swallowed." To verify this, go to thier page here, type in sodium fluoride and press search.

Is the Townsville Thuringowa Water Supply Board poisoning the residents of Townsville? It would certainly appear so.

As a side point, I also noted in the above mentioned tender document that paragraph 2.8.1 states "Before commencing any trialling of new products the Supplier shall have the written approval of the Principal." Are they not content with simply poisoning us! Do they really need to appear so willing to be a party to us being used as guinea pigs as well?

If you truly care about your own health and that of your family it is imperative that you become aware of what Sodium Fluoride is and what harm the ingestion of this chemical is doing to you.

Fluoride has been proven to be linked to:-

There are web pages documenting all of the research that proves the above findings. To get you off to a quick start I have provided links to a number of these pages on my Fluoride Links Page or, if you care to, may I suggest you do a search on fluoride via your regular search engine.

One thing you will notice if you do investigate the fluoride issue is that the only good thing that is claimed of fluoride is that it reduces tooth decay! There are however over 500 peer-reviewed studies documenting the adverse effects. There are NO reliable studies, conducted under ethical research guidelines, which prove the benefits of fluoride supplementation.