Lawsuits threatened over forced fluoride

Attorney warns water group to preserve legal evidence
By Chelsea Schilling
World Net Daily
Jun. 21, 2008

Concerns about fluoridation are quickly surfacing as the National Kidney Foundation withdrew its support of the chemical additive at the same time the largest association of water professionals in the world was warned not to destroy evidence that may be required in legal actions filed by individuals harmed by drinking fluoridated water.

Following reports of the NKF's acknowledgement that patients with kidney disease "should be notified of the potential risk" to their health from drinking fluoridated water, the American Water Works Association has been given notice that it must not eliminate or tamper with documents or recordings, indicating lawsuits could be filed in the near future.

Attorney Robert Reeves delivered a fluoride evidence preservation notice to the 60,000-member water association last week. The document named AWWA's Denver headquarters, regional offices and national and regional officers as "potentially responsible parties" who might be named in lawsuits filed on behalf of kidney patients and other individuals injured by ingesting fluoride.

Daniel Stockin of the Lillie Center Inc., a public health training firm that works to end fluoridation, said organizations should immediately withdraw support for use of the water additive.

"The letter from attorney Reeves to AWWA should make people aware that there is a rapidly closing window in which cities or health officials can act to end fluoridation without being held accountable for continuing to support fluoridation," Stockin told WND. "The news is out that there are sensitive groups such as kidney patients, diabetics and infants who need to be protected."

A 2006 National Research Council report indicates people with kidney disease are more susceptible to fluoride's bone and teeth-damaging effects. Dialysis machines cannot use fluoridated water because it is known to be potentially dangerous to patients. An NKF statement indicates some people receiving dialysis treatments died or were poisoned from fluoride after it leeched through machine filters.

As WND previously reported, there is growing and fierce opposition to plans to fluoridate public drinking water after shocking new studies that seriously question a practice routine among U.S. municipalities for nearly the last 50 years. Emerging ranks of concerned groups and individuals have been protesting widespread water fluoridation as the chemical has been designated a health risk to infants, kidney patients and people with thyroid conditions. Some reports indicate it can lead to dental fluorosis, brittle bones, cancer, kidney disease, neurological problems and other ailments, including lower IQs.

Stockin said children are at high risk of developing fluoride-related illness, because the chemical concentration is higher in their small bodies.

"Think about it: If a 230-pound man and a 15-pound baby each drink one glass of water, they each receive the same dose of fluoride," he said. "Does it make any sense at all to give both of them the same amount, regardless of body size or health history, and to not know or monitor how much fluoride they're drinking or ingesting from other sources?"

The notice to the AWWA shows that attorneys across the U.S. have become alerted to the health risks of fluoride, a chemical that is said to be equivalent to arsenic and lead in terms of toxicity. The document also addresses the AWWA's claim of being "the authoritative resource on safe water," noting that such a statement would require that the water association reveal even the negative impacts of fluoride use.

The AWWA responded to the notice, claiming it relies on other organizations for information about the health risks of fluoride.

"AWWA looks to the medical and dental communities, the U.S. EPA, the Centers for Disease Control, and other … organizations for their information and research on medical and dental health," the statement said.

Stockin said the association has ignored obvious conflicts between the research and glowing reports on the safety of fluorides and will likely face lawsuits on behalf of kidney patients and other groups. He suggests other organizations immediately rescind support of fluoride.

"This was bad science and bad policy from the beginning, and I would suggest cities and organizations that lend their name to supporting fluoridation very quickly and emphatically change positions," he said. "Attorney Reeves' letter should be a wake up call – to act quickly to stop fluoridation."