January 13, 2000 URGENT: RE: Fluoride, 11pm WABC News: Your E-mail of today: Barbara: To be frank, quoting the previously-broadcast, misleading information to me in your e-mail, does nothing to address the seriously dangerous advice being communicated by Dr. Presson and indirectly, by WABC News. Since your segment, I have communicated with some of the world's most respected fluoride authorities, and a number of top biochemists globally. They do not know Dr. Presson. All confirm that his information is highly misleading and dangerous. I have quoted below for you, the words of Dr. MARK DIESENDORF, recognized as one of the world's leading experts on fluoride's toxicity. He commented TODAY, from Australia. I have also quoted below for your review, comments made today by Dr. DAVID KENNEDY; (leading U.S. fluoride expert) Dr. JOHN YIAMOUYIANNIS; (leading Canadian fluoride expert) Dr. HARDY LIMEBACK; and Dr. GEORGE GLASSER (noted scientific writer and researcher). I can also furnish you with the contact numbers and e-mail addresses for most of the very approachable fluoride authorities worldwide and URGE you to secure their comments on this level of ingested fluoride (10md/day). Fluoride is more poisonous than lead and it ACCUMULATES in the bones (and other tissues). Suggesting a 10 mg a day intake without also airing the comments of leading biochemists is wholly irresponsible. I beg you to address this in a second broadcast, if for no other reason than to be a good corporate citizen (and when considering legal implications, be sure to keep in mind the fact that your broadcast reached into Canada.) I know you do not want to read my comments and I know you would rather be done with this airing but: Would it hurt to air the scientific view? Wouldn't it, in fact, make an interesting piece? I have the e-mail addresses; how long would it take? (As an established feature-writer who has followed health matters for years, I would even WRITE the article for you and supply the comments of world experts, if you wish; through Dr. Kennedy, I also have access to 550 very graphic slides showing patients with severe osteofluorosis, which stems from following advice such as you have broadcast; there are also several hours of tape.) This cannot be stressed enough: Fluoride intakes at 10 mg a day can cause severe skeletal fluorosis; and if you think that's a small problem, note the comments of Dr. David Kennedy below on the symptoms of this disease (which result from the CUMULATIVE effect of ingested fluoride at levels BELOW the 10 mg a day you quoted in your news program). And children "under 8", subjected to fluoride levels of "2.2 mg a day" are subject to dental fluorosis, a condition of porous, pitted, easily-stained, brittle and white-mottled teeth which is permanent (but may be cosmetically repaired at great expense). It's one thing to apply fluoride to the outside of teeth; it's another to allow this cumulative rodenticide (rat poison) into the digestive tract at amounts suggested by Dr. Presson -- and accepted without question by ABC. U.S. law mandates that a poison warning be printed on all fluoridated toothpaste packaging (have you read it?) so that the public can be aware of the danger of ingesting too much fluoride. But toothpaste is usually about 1000 to 1500 milligrams of fluoride per MILLION parts ........... do you think it's okay to tell the public to freely swallow 10 mg a day? Also, because fluoride ACCUMULATES in our bodies, Dr. Presson (and WABC) misleads viewers when he fails to mention that there is a LIMIT to the number of years a person can ingest fluoride at 10 mg a day without getting severe skeletal fluorosis......and with people living longer, his comments are dangerous. Even a simple caution, aired with the news, would help. Wouldn't you agree that a caution quoting top biochemists, would make WABC News appear to be scientifically accurate, concerned with public health and safety -- and a leader in news information? Thanks for your consideration of this matter. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require further information (such as interview material, numerous articles, or the e-mail addresses of leading biochemists, published researchers and toxicologists). Michael Downey _________________________________________________________________________ The following comment comes from renowned fluoride expert, Dr. MARK DIESENDORF, made to me TODAY: "The notion that there is an optimum concentration, for which there is negligible risk and substantial benefits, is not supported by sound evidence. For INGESTION of fluoride, there are no benefits, but there are well-established diseases......Unfortunately, fluoridation has become identified as dentistry's big contribution to public health, and so almost all dental associations endorse fluoridation blindly, even though hardly any of their members have examined the scientific evidence. Anyway, very few dentists are scientifically trained and so hardly any dentists (no matter how good they are at filling teeth) can tell the difference between good science, bad science and propaganda.......There is a large body of medical evidence from at least 9 studies spanning 5 countries that naturally fluoridated water [no fluoride added] is associated with a disease of bones and joints known as skeletal fluorosis or osteofluorisis. In these studies, fluoride concentrations in drinking water were all less than 2.5 ppm and some as low as 0.7 ppm......From 1990 to 1997, the were 5 major epidemiological studies from 3 countries -- USA, UK and France -- showing a higher rate of hip fractures in fluoridated versus unfluoridated regions.....Taking together the evidence of skeletal fluorosis and hip fractures, it is clear that fluoride damages bones......" [Dr. Mark Diesendorf is Professor of Environmental Science and Director of the Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia. His research specialties include community and public health, and processes for achieving ecological, economic and social sustainability. He is author or editor of the following books, among others: Diesendorf M & Hamilton C (eds) 1997, "Human Ecology, Human Economy: Ideas for an Ecologically Sustainable Future", Sydney: Allen & Unwin. Barer, M, Nicoll M, Diesendorf M, Harvey R, 1990. "Australian private medical care costs and use, 1976 and 1986", Canberra: AGPS for the Australian Institute of Health. d'Espaignet E, Diesendorf M, Fett MJ (Eds), 1988, "Australia's health -- biennial report of the Australian Institute of Health", Canberra: AGPS. Diesendorf M, Furnass B (Eds), 1977, "The impact of environment and lifestyle on human health", Canberra: Society for Social Responsibility in Science. Diesendorf M (Ed), 1976, "The magic bullet -- social implications and limitations of modern medicine -- an environmental approach", Canberra: Society for Social Responsibility in Science.] ____________________________________________________________________________ The following comment comes from biochemist, author and top expert on fluoride toxicity, Dr. JOHN YIAMOUYIANNIS, head of the Safe Water Association (in the U.S.): "Make no mistake about it: fluoride is a poison. According to the ... Clinical Toxicology of Commercial Products, it is more poisonous than lead and just slightly less poisonous than arsenic. It has been used as a pesticide for the control of mice, rats, and other small pests.....In English we can all understand, that means that one-hundredth of an ounce of fluoride could kill a 10-pound child and one-tenth of an ounce could kill a 100-pound adult. (According to the Akron Regional Poison Center) a family-sized tube of toothpaste contains.....more than enough to kill a 25-pound child. Even Procter and Gamble, the makers of Crest, acknowledges that a family-sized (7 ounce) tube of fluoride toothpaste "theoretically, at least, contains enough fluoride to kill a small child" ......fluoridation has been banned in Sweden [and several other countries] ....Once thought to be a disease confined to India, skeletal fluorosis is being found worldwide as diagnostic techniques improve and an awareness of its existence increases......[one study of many] found a link between the rate of hip fracture among U.S. women 65 years of age and over, and the degree of fluoridationion their county of residence. This study examined the records of 541,985 cases of osteoporosis and was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association [as were several other studies linking fluoride ingestion far below the level quoted by your broadcast, with increased hip fracture rates]." ______________________________________________________________ The following comment was made today, by fluoride authority Dr. DAVID KENNEDY, D.D.S., of San Diego, who has returned from an extended stay in China and Mongolia, where he studied the effects of excessive fluoride intake, in areas where fluoride levels in water are naturally high [no fluoride added]: "Many were crippled at 4 ppm with no other exposure except some tea. Food was fluoride free and so was the air according to tests by the Chinese Department of Endemic Disease Control......The Peoples Republic of China has an endemic disease control program aimed at getting fluoride and arsenic out of the water so people will live longer and not become crippled and poisoned......They have identified over 2,000 villages and 40,000 wells that have fluoride that is so high [that] people become crippled by sometimes, 20 and usually by 40 years old. The US EPA has approved 4 ppm fluoride as safe. We saw people poisoned by as little as 4 ppm. Someone is not telling the truth. Isn't it known a fact that fluoride accumulates in the bones and causes joints to become aged, bones to become brittle and ligaments to calcify? Well, Betty and I have met the victims of this poisoning and it is enough to make you cry. One farmer said he cries every night because his wife of 30 years is paralyzed and can't get up. She lives in pain and can't move from her board platform.....The Chinese are trying desperately to reduce their peoples exposure to this chemical. For millions of years, people have lived without eating hazardous waste. [Nothing] will convince me that consuming this highly toxic material will improve my health." __________________________________________________________________________ Dr. HARDY LIMEBACK, Ph.D., D.D.S., unquestionably Canada's leading fluoride authority who is also a dentist, longtime top fluoride consultant to the Canadian Dental Association (CDA), biochemist, Head of Preventive Dentistry at the University of Toronto, and President of the Canadian Association of Dental Research (CADR) says: "Children [of certain ages] should never ingest fluoride [any amount] because it interferes with the enamel and causes a condition called dental fluorosis.......at least half of the children in my own practice have dental fluorosis." "What we found [in a study] was that the levels of fluoride buildup in the bones of [fluoridated] Torontonians is about DOUBLE the fluoride buildup in the bones of Montrealers [unfluoridated]" [He goes on to state that there is overwhelming evidence that fluoride ingestion at levels suggested by your broadcast, cause skeletal fluorosis -- the condition described by Dr. Kennedy above.] "Fluoride reduces cavities by coming into physical contact with the teeth. That's how it works..... take a mouthful of (fluoridated) tap water, swish it around and spit it out." "It's a poison and a toxic waste ---- why would you want to swallow that stuff?" _______________________________________________________________________ The following comment was made to me today, by scientist Dr. GEORGE GLASSER, noted fluoride researcher and scientific writer: "WABC News story: ... I have been covering water fluoridation from a product standpoint for about seven years. My investigation led me into the phosphate fertilizer industry, which is the source of the pollution scrubber liquor (fluorosilicic acid/H2SiF6) used to artificially fluoridate drinking water in the U.S. (including N.Y.C.) ...... If SCOTT PRESTON's assessment of the 10.0 mg per day safety threshold was based on fluorosilicates in the drinking water, the average molecular crystalline silica intake would be 4.0 mg per day, OSHA only allows the permissible exposure level in the air at 0.05 mg/m3 (cubic meter) and the average worker breathes about 6.0 cubic meter of air, which equates to an exposure of only 0.30 mg for an eight hour day. Also, much of the silica is exhaled by a worker whereas much of the molecular silica would be absorbed metabolized in the system when ingested in water. CDC has cited a study associating larger volumes of silica in the water with spontaneous abortion. Furthermore, in many research projects, silica levels of workers are monitored in urine and serum, so it metabolized." _________________________________________________________________________ -----Original Message----- From: Johnson, Barbara Y. Date: Thursday, January 13, 2000 4:25 PM Subject: Fluoridation 11pm wabc news > >Thank you for your inquiry regarding the fluoridation story which aired on >WABC-TV at 11PM on Monday, January 10, 2000. > >Below, please find the exact working of the passage of the story in >question. > >"WHETHER YOUR WATER IS FLUORIDATED NATURALLY, OR AT A TREATMENT FACILITY >LIKE THIS ONE, THE EPA ALLOWS LEVELS AS HIGH AS 4 MILLIGRAMS PER LITER PER >DAY. AS LONG AS PEOPLE OVER THE AGE OF 8 STAY BELOW 10 MILLIGRAMS A DAY AND >CHILDREN UNDER 8 BELOW 2.2 MILLIGRAMS PER DAY, DR. PRESSON SAYS THE PUBLIC >HAS NOTHING TO FEAR FROM FLUORIDE." > >I hope this clears up your concerns regarding our story. If you have >additional questions or comments, please feel free to contact me. > > >Barbara Johnson >Executive Producer ----------------------------------