Virgil, Aeneid Roman epic poet (70 BCE – 19 BCE)
Council members rely on the input of experts when making policy decisions because they must make decisions on a variety of issues and topics – all of which they can’t possibly be fully experts on. They must depend on outside sources to make informed decisions, they must do their due diligence to seek out these sources and they must use their critical thinking skills to apply the information when forming policy.
With respect to fluoridation, our council relied on the endorsement of the public health unit. Bill Marra, council member and chair of the Windsor Utilities Commission wrote “Fluoride was first introduced into the Windsor water supply at the request of the Public Health Unit in 1953.”
Are health unit personnel credible experts?
The current voice of the Public Health Unit comes from the Medical Officer, Dr. Heimann who we are aware has made FALSE and MISLEADING statements with respect to fluoridation. Can we blame Dr. Heimann for being misinformed or unaware of the facts, science or law with respect to artificial water fluoridation? – after all, he is not a fluoride expert. Having spent a significant part of his career in Public Health (scroll down), he may be an expert of the policy that endorses fluoridation. As the Medical Officer of Health part of his job is to promote fluoridation as safe and effective. However, Health Canada does not regulate hydrofluorosilicic acid nor are they able to provide a toxicological study that would prove the chemicals being added to our water are, in fact, safe for us to ingest every day of our lives. Indeed, no government or health authority on either side of the border has conducted a legitimate toxicological test nor conducted clinical trials to determine that ingesting hydrofluorosilicic acid is safe.
Is there a difference between being an expert on fluoride and being an expert on endorsing fluoridation?
Most proponents of artificial water fluoridation imply that the whole of the academic community supports fluoridation, but this is definitely not the case. There are many academics who have conducted, and continue to conduct, studies examining the effects of fluoride exposure, and these academics loudly warn of the hazards of fluoridation. A recognizable body of these folks would be the 12 selected scientists who were assembled by the National Academy of Sciences to review the existing literature on fluoride safety. After more than three years of painstaking analysis, they produced the 2006 NAS report, Toxicological Risk of Fluoride in Drinking Water. Their report was very skeptical of the claims that fluoridation is both ‘safe and effective’. These academics (one of which whom we’ve exchanged much correspondence with) warned of serious issues with fluoride safety, citing concerns about fluoride’s links to bone and soft tissue cancers, hypothyroidism, Alzheimer-like symptoms, and IQ deficits just to mention the short list. Their report urged that more research get underway quickly to closely explore all of those apparent risks. Often we hear fluoridation proponents give the impression that water fluoridation is accomplished using a natural product (calcium fluoride) but again, the academic community can help clarify that Windsor, Tecumseh and Lasalle residents are being ‘medicated’ with a toxic industrial waste by-product called hydrofluorosilicic acid.
So what does constitute an EXPERT?
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines expert as follows:
: having, involving, or displaying special skill or knowledge derived from training or experience
With respect to fluoridation the field of expertise belongs to those who have examined the biological effects of swallowing fluoride.
Whose area of expertise includes that study? No Faculty of Dentistry has in its curriculum the study of biological effects of ingested fluoride. Many dentists have independently sought that knowledge, and several have become pre-eminent authorities on the effects of fluoride. Those dentists would be ‘experts in this field’.
But dentists are required to promote the use of fluoride and support fluoridation as safe and effective, to do otherwise puts them at risk of being reported to the Royal College of Dental Surgeons. So while they are not trained about the effects of ingesting fluoride, and while they are not experts in the field of fluoridation they are required to promote it all the same and are discouraged from speaking against it should they have concerns about the supposed safety and effectiveness. Indeed, when we’ve asked dentists who have spoken publically in favour of water fluoridation to speak to the safety and effectiveness of the fluoride product, hydrofluorosilicic acid, used in the practice they promote, they are unable to do so and often will direct us to the water supplier: who fluoridates at the instruction of council, who fluoridates at the endorsement of these folks that can’t speak to the safety and effectives of the actual product being used in the practice they endorse! (A vicious circle of ‘passing the buck’ it seems)
Interestingly, Dr. Peter Cooney, Health Canada’s Chief Dental Officer, when questioned by Thunder Bay council (who went on to reject water fluoridation) had to admit that never fluoridated Vancouver has fewer dental caries than Toronto who has been fluoridating their water supply for over 30 years. However, he is not a fluoride expert either, yet continues to promote fluoridation as safe and effective as is required by his position as Chief Dental Officer.
Can we agree that we expect our policy makers to seek the input of experts that have demonstrated ‘special skill or knowledge’ in the field of swallowing fluoride when making the decision to mass medicate the population with this industrial by-product?
And can we agree that our policy makers should seek input from experts that are allowed to speak to their training and experience with respect to fluoride; rather than rely on experts that are instructed to disregard their experience or opinions in favour of policy endorsements as mandated by their position/access to income, or rely on experts that don’t have any special skill, knowledge, training or experience with respect to ingesting fluoride?
Do such fluoride and fluoridation experts with special skill, knowledge, training and experience exist?
And if they do exist, are they accessible to council members so that their knowledge and expertise may be applied to policy making with respect to artificial water fluoridation?
We’re pleased to inform that indeed, these experts not only exist, but they’re willing and able to assist Windsor, Tecumseh and Lasalle council members. We’ve been in contact with them, they’ve provided their phone numbers, their email addresses, their Skype addresses, their credentials – they are waiting for their expert advice to be courted…
So who are they, you’re wondering? They are scientists that have published peer-reviewed papers on fluoride and fluoridation, they are researchers, they are doctors, they are dentists, they are professors, they are lawyers…they have all the expected credentials and education one would hope to find in an expert but they have so much more than that!
They have courage to speak out about the truth in opposition to heavily funded and desperately defended worn-out policy. They have the integrity to offer their expertise for free and ask only for their travel costs to be covered should their appearances be requested. They have veracity even when it has hurt their professional career potential. Windsor, Tecumseh and Lasalle council members are very fortunate to have such a class of individuals to seek the advice and expertise of – now all they need to do is pick up the phone or send an email and ask any and all questions with respect to the health authority claims that fluoridation is safe and effective or to ask questions about the water supply system license and the Ministry of Environment, or to inquire about the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Fluoridation Act or any other pertinent legislation, or to learn about all the recent studies linking fluoride to lowered IQ, increased lead levels in blood and cancer….or any imaginable questions with respect to the politics, science, law and practice of artificial water fluoridation.
While we will not be posting the personal contact information of these professionals who were kind enough to make themselves and their expertise available to our area policy makers, we will share with you their names and a link to but one place on the internet where you can see how they qualify as fluoridation experts. We would encourage you to search out other articles, videos and offerings from this esteemed group:
Dr. Hardy Limeback Dr. Paul Connett Dr. James Beck Dr. Pierre Jean Morin Dr. Bill Osmunson
Heather Gingerich Carole Clinch Peter Van Caulart John Remington Graham
UPDATE: We have a new expert, willing to help our council members, to add to our list, Dr. David Kennedy
If you are a Windsor, Tecumseh or Lasalle policy maker reading this and have not received a list of these experts please contact us at fluoridefreewindsor@hotmail.com and we’ll be happy to forward you the contact information and credentials for this list of distinguished professionals.
Fluoride Free Windsor-Essex 