“Knowledge is Power”

The Ethics of Public Drinking Water Fluoridation

Ethical Considerations Regarding
Public Drinking Water Fluoridation.

The ethical argument is clear. The canons of medical ethics require that a drug or procedure, before administration, must have been approved by an appropriate body (usually, in North America, by Health Canada or the Federal Drug Administration in the USA) for its specific use and must be administered under supervision of a qualified professional (physician or dentist in this context).

The recipient must have been informed of the reason for the drug or procedure, the expected benefits and possible side effects and risks.

The recipient must have been informed by a qualified professional and must have been able to question said professional and must have given consent for taking the drug or procedure.

The recipient must have the choice of stopping the administration at will. The effects of the drug or procedure on the individual must be monitored by a qualified professional and such information must be available to the recipient.

The administration must be controlled with respect to dose or intensity and safety.

Clearly the artificial fluoridation of public water supplies does not meet any of these requirements.

Author: Dr. James Beck

References:
* Chapter 1 of The Case Against Fluoride. 
* The Canadian Medical Association Code of Ethics
* The Canadian Dental Association Code of Ethics.