Commission decides not to fluoridate water in Florida county

(http://hernandotoday.com) Commissioner Diane Rowden of Hernando County, Florida, recently made a motion to consider mandatory fluoridation of the county's water supply, but she was impressed by the response she got from the community.

As expected, there were pro-fluoride "experts" and dentists extolling the "benefits" of adding industrial waste to drinking water, but the majority of those who attended the two-hour debate on the matter were opposed to fluoridation. At the end of the meeting, not a single person chose to second Rowden's motion, which thus died.

Knowledgeable citizens spoke to the commission about the science-proven dangers of ingesting fluoride, including dental fluorosis, weakened bones and lowered IQ. They also said that people should have the right to choose for themselves what to put in their bodies, and water fluoridation would amount to forced medication.

According to Hernando Today, "Retired doctor Robert Broe said not only is fluoride harmful when ingested by mouth but it is absorbed into the skin and ultimately the bloodstream when showering."

If the water were to be fluoridated, then most of it would not even go into people's mouths. Susan Goebel-Canning, the county's director of environmental services, said that between 85 and 98 percent of the fluoridated water would end up in irrigation and sewage, thus posing an environmental risk in addition to health concerns.