Fluoride – the next tobacco?

What do cigarettes and fluoridation have in common? Much more than meets the eye according to Fluoride Action Network NZ (FANNZ), the non-profit health-focussed community organisation campaigning against fluoridation.

Dr Jeffrey Wigand, the tobacco industry whistle-blower made famous in the movie "The Insider" details the tactics used by Big Tobacco to push their cause and profits.

These include destroying careers, lying about alleged safety, commissioning bogus 'research' to 'prove' their claims, and a huge PR campaign, orchestrated by the father of public relations, Edward Bernays - all in the pursuit of profit.

Similarly, fluoridation began because big corporations were being sued for damage from fluoride waste, facing hugely expensive disposal problems as well as law suits. They had their own "insider", Oscar Ewing, appointed to the US Government, to implement fluoridation as a 'containment' strategy. A 1983 US EPA memo called water fluoridation "an ideal environmental solution to a long-standing problem."

They also used Bernays for their PR strategy. His advice: get doctors and dentists to believe in and promote fluoridation. People will believe them no matter how ill-informed.

A 1991 US Senate investigation documented that government scientists had been coerced to change their findings and portray fluoride more favourably

They also destroy the careers of those who expose fluoridation as ineffective and a health hazard. In NZ, Dr John Colquhoun, formally head of the Government's fluoridation implementation committee, was forced into early retirement when he blew the whistle

In the USA, any doctor or dentist who opposes fluoridation runs the risk of losing their license to practice medicine or dentistry.

EPA scientist Dr William Marcus was fired on trumped up charges, and later reinstated following a wrongful dismissal case.

Dr Phyllis Mullinex had her career and laboratory destroyed when her research showed fluoride was neurotoxic, causing ADD/ADHD in new-born laboratory rats. She successfully sued the Dental School for wrongful dismissal.

On the legal front "it is predicted that lawsuits over fluoridation will make the tobacco lawsuits look like child's play' " confirms Mark Atkin from FANNZ Lawsuits are already in early stages of preparation in the USA and Australia.

“With tobacco, people had a choice to smoke or not, and juries had little sympathy for claimants. But fluoride is put in your water without your consent, and promoted as safe by Governments (in the English-speaking world)” points out.

“The world should be grateful to whistleblowers like Dr Wigand and others. It is a pity it seems to take 50 years for these deceptions to finally be acted on, just like asbestos and lead in petrol. Fluoride’s 50 years is just about up” says Mr Atkin.

~ Press Release: Fluoride Action Network ~