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Florida county debates fluoridation of municipal water
Alums have a bone to pick with Harvard
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Category Archive
November 29, 2006
Fluoridated water for infants
still on shelves
In a little-noticed but dramatic turnaround, the nation's leading fluoride advocate, The American Dental Association (ADA), issued an alert on November 9th urging parents to avoid fluoridated water when reconstituting infant formula.
The dentists are concerned that fluoride exposure at this age will permanently damage teeth, not protect them. A growing body of research also links fluoride to weakened bones, reduced thyroid activity, and possibly bone cancer in boys.
The advice, however, has gone largely unheeded. Nursery Water, the nation's leading fluoridated water for babies still markets its product nationwide at Wal-Mart and other major retailers.
In light of the new ADA recommendation, join me in signing this letter to Wal-Mart asking them to stop selling this product.
Continue reading "Fluoridated water for infants
still on shelves" »
November 15, 2006
American Dental Association concedes: Excessive fluoride a risk to children
After years of downplaying the risks of excessive fluoride intake, the American Dental Association (ADA) has just released new guidelines that dramatically reduce the recommended fluoride exposure for infants and children. Though not ready to condemn fluoride entirely for its role in enamel fluorosis, the ADA has issued an “interim” advisory on fluoride intake until more research can be done. This is a promising step for the ADA, which has resolutely promoted the fluoridation of water in the past. While it's commendable that the Association is alerting parents to the risks of fluorosis, a primarily cosmetic condition, it would be even better to issue a similar moratorium on account of the recent research tying fluoridated water to bone cancer in boys.
Until further notice, ADA recommends the following measures to reduce the risk of fluorosis:
Continue reading "American Dental Association concedes: Excessive fluoride a risk to children" »
October 26, 2006
Harvard ethics investigation violates federal law
Last month we reported on the outrage of some distinguished Harvard alums over a suspiciously closed-door “investigation” that cleared Harvard professor Chester Douglass of charges that he covered up links—revealed by federally-funded research—between fluoridated water and bone cancer in boys. He's the same Harvard doc who is a paid consultant for Colgate toothpaste, which is clearly pro-fluoride, and who donated $1 million to the university's dental school in 2001.
Well, it turns out Harvard’s “investigation” violated federal law. Because Douglass misrepresented the results of taxpayer-funded research, the review process must follow guidelines set out by the U.S. government. The rules for federal ethics investigations state clearly that the review panel must contact and seek testimony from the party that brought the charges under review (which, in this case, is EWG). Not only were we not contacted, but we know of no other party that was interviewed by any member of the panel. We don't know for sure how the panel conducted its "investigation," because its final report has been kept hidden from the public.
Continue reading "Harvard ethics investigation violates federal law" »
October 11, 2006
Florida county debates fluoridation of municipal water
"After being alerted to a scientific report linking high fluoride levels in drinking water to tooth and bone ailments, the Martin County Commission decided Tuesday to reconsider adding fluoride to the county's water in early 2007."
[ Link : TCPalm Local News ]
September 15, 2006
Alums have a bone to pick with Harvard
Harvard professor cleared of ethics charges is million dollar donor
It looks like Environmental Working Group aren’t the only ones that have a bone to pick with Harvard. At least 17 Harvard alumni, including several leading public health experts, have voiced serious concerns about the ethics inquiry of Dr. Chester Douglass by the university. Douglass has been accused of misrepresenting the research of one of his graduate students that linked fluoride to bone cancer in boys. Why might he do this? Douglass is an employee of Colgate toothpaste, a leading advocate of fluoride.
While the Harvard alums that are outraged aren’t sure Douglass is guilty, they are sure of one thing: a closed-door investigation by his peers raises more questions than it answers. And here’s the latest: It turns out Douglass is one of only six million-dollar donors behind Harvard’s newest dental school building-- a fact that only darkens the shadow of dubiousness surrounding Douglass’s treatment by the secret review board.
[ Link: Fox TV coverage ]