Matson: ” The fluoride added to the water system is “food grade” says Brenda Matson, “This is what it’s intended for.””

This is such a totally false statement that one can only shake one’s head in disbelief!

I challenge her and the others to produce a food grade certification document for this kind of fluorosilicic acid from any level of government supporting her claim!

Needless to say, ethical concerns and the right for an individual to have the freedom of choice about what is consumed (ingested) into one’s body did not get any attention.

It figures!

Those opposed to this have been very vocal for quite some time. All of a sudden coincidentally at election time, we have a very vocal yes side to the debate.

I believe this is all about the “wifm”, whats in it for me.

For those opposed to the medicating of the general population with industrial castoff waste, the wifm is stopping the forced ingestion of a debated topical treatment.

It does make me wonder about the wifm for this strong contingent of “medical professionals”. What is in it for these health care providers? Just as candy is a dentists friend due to its promoting their business, so should the removal of this supposed modern boon.

Now if we look at it in this light, perhaps it really is self serving in that the ingestion over an extended period has been linked to internal health issues. Ah, the light bulb goes on.

They, health professionals, know full well this is the case. So in the interest of employment security, they are espouses the benefits and support the continued practice in this 3% of the provinces municipalities that still force the ingestion of this substance on its citizens.

Loki: “Those opposed to this have been very vocal for quite some time. All of a sudden coincidentally at election time, we have a very vocal yes side to the debate.”

The no side has been vocal for as long as fluoridation has been around. There is no dedicated and organized ‘yes’ side. The people on the yes side tend to be the madical and dental professionals, and those are the people that speak in favour it.

Should they remain silent? And let the no side continue to flood the public with innuendo, anecdotes, and misinformation?

“What is in it for these health care providers?”
Maybe they simply believe it is a health benefit and they are speaking as to what they feel is the best for their community?
Nah, some great conspiracy theory that has them sitting around gleefully rubbing their hands together in a secret meeting on how to make people sick is much more entertaining.

JB:” There is no dedicated and organized ‘yes’ side.”

No? The madical (sic) people you mention are members of organizations,
which collectively speak out and have been promoting the pro fluoride side, a fact conveniently overlooked by you! That, Sir, is a dedicated and organized Yes side!

Dr. Cooney mentions Ireland and the introduction of water fluoridation there a few years ago! He fails to mention the ever growing efforts by concerned and ethical Irish citizens to put a stop to this unethical mass medication in Ireland! They just want to have the same privilege as 96% of Europe where water fluoridation was stopped as long as 40 years ago, because of ethical and health concerns over long term damage to human health!

WHO data shows the same decline in caries in countries that fluoridate and countries which do not!

Let us hope that ethics and respect for the rights of freedom of choice will prevail here as well and prompt people to vote NO!

We just celebrated Remembrance Day and the sacrifices made in order for us to have freedoms! The freedom of choice of each individual is an important part of Freedom!

PG: “No? The madical (sic) people you mention are members of organizations,
which collectively speak out and have been promoting the pro fluoride side, a fact conveniently overlooked by you! That, Sir, is a dedicated and organized Yes side!”

Not really. Dr. Osei and company do not dedicate the majority of their time and effort to promoting fluoridation. Other than a situation like this, where there is a referendum, they come out in support. I’m sure you would rather that there is nobody to speak out against the misinformation put out by the no side, but no such luck.

To me, regardless of it being industrial waste, or a food grade chemical I personally do not want any chemical – including chlorine – added to the water I drink, we already ingest enough stuff that is full of chemicals and now we can’t even have a glass of water that is just water. chlorine has its purpose, but there are other methods to remove the bugs from water (UV light), but that is another can of worms that I don’t need to open.

One should have a choice, would I like fluoridated water or not;

Just like everything else that effects your health.

-Fast food vs home cooked.
-smoking vs not smoking.
-drinking alcohol or pop vs fruit juice, vegetables juice non-fluoridated water.
-eating fruits and vegetables vs deep fried foods.
-eating organic vs mass produced.

I personally don’t like the idea of anyone besides “GOD”telling me poisonous by products is a good idea for my water.

Maybe the professionals should look at “why” there is such a high rate of intestinal problems in the Prince George area.

“The flat earth society” A highly unprofessional and disrespectful comment from a so called “medical professional” here in our City paid for by tax dollars.
Dr Cooney, you cite Ireland as having received great benefits from fluoridation. Well, you’re going to have to find a different country as city after city is voting to end water fluoridation because of ethical concerns and lack of effectiveness.
How about the Child Smile program in Scotland? It is cited in the Provincial study review (your own literature NH!) as one of the most effective programs in the world at reducing decay through education NOT fluoridation. Scotland rejected the idea of mass medicating the residents.
All 3 guests referred to the vulnerable populations in the NH region as though we are somehow the anomaly.
Vancouver, Surrey, and Richmond have high immigrant populations and immigrant populations have far more complex needs and face greater barriers to dental health care than all other populations in our province. All of those HA’s have made huge strides through education programs to improve their dental health outcomes.
60% of the children living in poverty in BC, reside in the Greater Vancouver area. There are vulnerable populations living in all of the health authorities, the Canyon, the Kootneys, the Cariboo, the Island regions that also face access to dental care barriers. They don’t fluoridate their water, have the same or lower natural levels of fluoride in the water as the NH region (our treated levels are 3-15X higher), but have better dental health outcomes.
The best dental health in the province? Victoria, Sooke and Saanich with non-detectable levels of fluoride in their water. Poverty exists and is a concern in those communities.
All of the other health authorities do a better job of looking after their vulnerable populations. It’s time for Northern Health to do the same.

Ironic that a Kamloops dentist is has been accused of administering Propofol without the accreditation to do so, causing irreversible brain damage to a teen, that was having his wisdom teeth removed. I bet he supported the practice of fluoridating the water supply as well. Because simply being a dentists elevates you to a position where you know better than the riff-raff you are forced to fleece.

If it is about dental health, then send every one a free toothbrush and tube of tooth paste.
Leave the topical medication to the medical practice office.

interceptor: Of course there is a grand conspiracy. It is called self interest for self preservation. There is always a wifm. Even your posts provide you with some sort of stroke, that is why you do it.

So you are suggesting that doctors are intentionally harming patients so that they have job security? Serious?

Oh my. If all of the anti-fluoride people are trying to look legitimate they are are doing a poor job of it. Conspiracy, lol. Good science backs literally every part of the fuoridation program. Good, upstanding medical professionals in your community are trying to ensure that the health of the community is supported.

Cooney nailed it with the whole ‘flat earth society’ thing. Anti-fluoride people are the same anti-flu shots, dinosaurs never existed, archaically-minded, crazies that infiltrate society.

Civilized society should ensure that all of the anti-fluoride people must wear tinfoil hats to clearly identify themselves when out in public.

Where is the indignation from dentists that their services are NOT covered under BC Medical? One would think that if they were so intent on improving the dental health of all citizens, why not pressure the government to include necessary treatments in BC medical?
Could it be that insurance companies pay MORE per visit than the Gov would offer, so they NO incentive to actually provide a service for anybody that doesn’t have a fat wallet or an insurance plan?
They will cry from the heavens the perils of poor dental heath, but ask them to cover the uninsured? Yeah right.
Also, why is the dental field just finds it so hard to innovate? This field has to be the slowest and most unmotivated to create solutions to dental problems. Any idea or treatment that limits a person’s need to frequent this terribly important dental visit, cuts into the profits of these small business people.

Did our tax dollar actually pay someone to fly into PG to give us a talk on how wonderful fluoridation is? If not who did?

Oh my Summit has taken the path of the witless, by labeling all with any degree of skepticism, as uninformed.
The flat earth society, as the uneducated one used early, would be the group who wish to keep the status quo. Not the people who are bending at windmills trying to effect change. Still taking Thalidomide during pregnancy? Well it was about the same time fluoride began to be introduced into the water supply. I bet the same health care professionals heralded its use too. How did that work out?
I spent years in Africa and never took a Malaria pill, but I was advised by all our heathcare professionals that it would be tantamount to guaranteeing a near death sentence if I resisted.
The point is, most “professional” are too meek to stand up and offer and alternative opinion due to the herd mentality that says straying from the norm of the day is frowned upon.
Finally: I would hazard a guess from most recent events that Northern Health cares more about their staff and their working conditions, than the health of any local citizens.

Oh goody, grenade dropped, fish are biting, time to leave.

Smoking and thalidomide have nothing whatsoever to do with the decades of documented benefits of fluoridation, but this is a common strawman argument/talking point against it.

If there is a conspiracy in the medical profession and world’s medical authorities to hide the evidence that fluoridation at approvaled levels is bad, I would like to see the peer reviewed proof.

Only 6% of the world`s population receives fluoridated water, more than half of those who do live in North America! That is hardly representative of the world`s medical authorities!

Tin foil hats – only if you want the state of Israel to be wearing those tin foil hats as Israel just now (2014) stopped and banned all water fluoridation, calling it unethical, ineffective and potentially harmful!

North America is the odd man out! Better to open our eyes and look around to observe what the rest of the world is doing!

Don’t like it, don’t want it, nuff said.

The ‘yes’ side cannot produce one study that points directly to fluoride being a benefit. Natural levels of fluoride are probably beneficial. Artificial, probably not.
Look at vitamins. Naturally occurring vitamins in what we eat are far more effective than synthesised ones.
This stuff they put in the water came from industrial waste. They had no other way to dispose of it. I guess it looks similar enough to naturally occurring fluoride, that they decided to use it too.

I will vote no.

You’re right, give more, there isn’t 1 study showing the benefit of fluoride, there are hundreds of them. You of course won’t find them on disinformation sites that try to appeal to emotion rather than logic and often try to sell you things surreptitiously, like water filtration systems. You can find them on public health sites though, in fact, you can find fluoride studies on most public health sites. Actual peer reviewed work, not the unsubstantiated claims made by hysterics that will try to sell you everything under the sun, helpful or harmful, like the kind of nonsense you’ll find at Ave Maria.

To all the “professional” how many of the studies you talk about did you actually read? If you read them are you trained to read them? All those who battle against what I have just asked have not read studies and are not trained to read the papers.

In my experience few have actually put time in to reading the studies. Those that actually read and examine the studies usually come up with a conclusion that is different from what the “professionals” are saying. It takes guts to go against what your profession say. Many on here with strong opinion I suspect have never read the scientific research they spout. They are right there is some junk science, but I have read even from people who are recognized as experts.

I ask all you “experts” and “professionals” one more time have you read the reports? That is what I thought.

If you are saying you are an expert and giving advice please make sure you are an expert not just a loud voice. We have made far too many mistakes because of loud voices.

This is on we should vote for the general population who do not “need” fluoride. Those that “do” you “professionals” should work with them and do not put others at risk.

“This is on we should vote for the general population who do not “need” fluoride. Those that “do” you “professionals” should work with them and do not put others at risk.”

Great comment! One would expect professionals to provide persuasive evidence to support their arguments! Resorting to ridicule and ad hominem attacks contributes nothing.

@thinkingagain: So you’re saying if one hasn’t read all of the studies in support of fluoridation, then you must naturally assume the opposite of the findings? Sorry, I don’t follow that logic.

PG: “JB, data collected by the World Health Organization shows that the dental health of people worldwide has improved (due to reasons well known) equally in countries which still fluoridate and those who do not!

The WHO supports water fluoridation. Remember, not everyone has access to top notch dental care.

PG: “Can’t say that I enjoyed commenting to your comments as they were far too dismissive and often designed be direct personal attacks!”

Once again, you take my comments as personal attacks when they are not. I have tried many times to steer away from the usual rhetoric and misinformation and more towards whether fluoride works. The current science says it does. As I’ve said many times, your beef isn’t with me, but with the world’s scientific and medical authorities.

Have a good day.