Stop the Fluoridation of Gainesville's drinking water

Water fluoridation is an outdated practice that carries with it serious health risks and offers little to no benefit. Current studies clearly demonstrate that that populations living in communities with fluoridated water are showing dangerously high levels of dental fluorosis, the physical manifestation of systemic fluoride toxicity.

This medicine comes with no control as to how much each individual is receiving. People who depend on high water intake such as infants on formula and athletes are consuming much more fluoride than someone that is older and more sedentary. This puts them at higher risk of fluorosis which has a myriad of chronic and debilitating symptoms. Municipalities with or without fluoridated water show statistically equivalent tooth decay rates.

Water fluoridation also carries serious ethical and legal issues. First and foremost citizens of Gainesville are being forced to ingest a medicine without their consent and many without the knowledge of it. There are also no warnings provided by GRU or the city alerting mothers to not use tap water for infant formula., something the CDC is advising Americans.

There are much better alternatives to water fluoridation. Tooth decay is not caused by lack of water fluoridation. It is caused by poor diet and dental hygiene. Proper dental hygiene should be taught in schools and made part of the daily routine in elementary schools. If in fact an individual needs fluoride supplementation, they can pursue that treatment individually or be prescribed a treatment plan by a dentist.