Posts from — July 2009

     On July 20th 2009 I went to city council’s meeting to hear the Thunder Bay District Health Unit’s response to city administration’s report on fluoridating city water.
    At the end of the night it seemed councilors had three choices. Take administration’s recommendation to do more studies on the effect of fluoride on the water pipes, put the question of fluoridating or not to the citizens of Thunder Bay on the ballot at the next election or do nothing at all. The question of providing leadership and voting to fluoridate the water based on the deputations and research was never considered.
    Mayor Peterson and Councillors Johnson, Hebert, Pullia, Giertuga, McKinnon, and Rydholm chose to do nothing at all challenging the Health Unit to get 8,900 people to sign a petition saying they want fluoride added to the water.  Then they are required by law to put the question on the ballot at the next election. Based on the research and the benefits of fluoride, my guess is that the health unit will probably do that. The problem is that it is going to take a lot of administrative time and dollars to organize the petition and get it out in the community… time and money which could and probably should be going to other things.
    No less than 10 professional organizations had deputations explaining the benefits of fluoridating city water. There were two deputations against fluoridation. I think it is fair to say that the two opposing deputations while valid were based more on emotions than on factual research.… and yet city council voted to not act.
    The meeting went until around 3 a.m. and for a guy who usually dozes off around 10 p. m. I was captivated until the very end. I couldn’t help but wonder why council decided as it did. While the outcome surprised, disappointed and left me questioning the democratic process, it was the process that fascinated me.
    I like this council. I think they work hard to do what is best for the city. There is a wonderful cross section of the community represented and I think it is fair to say that both the right and left of the political spectrum are represented. The discussion was animated, lively and to the best of my knowledge no-one snoozed. Not bad.
    So why did they say no to putting the question to Thunder Bay citizens during the next election? 

Here’s my take on it.

• The mayor and Linda Rydholm had made up their minds long ago and they were not open to having the “experts” influence that.
• Each of the councilors had received more, if not many more, emails from the anti fluoride lobby than from the pro fluoride lobby.
• There are other ways to get fluoride. Toothpaste, rinses, fluoride varnish. Frank Pullia didn’t seem to understand that these methods weren’t as effective as putting fluoride in the water system and were far more expensive. He seemed to be saying that the right and responsibility of the individual should take precedent over the common good.
• Most people’s gut reaction is to say “no” to adding anything to the drinking water system. Education plays such an important part in this. I spoke with a couple of the workers at the auditorium and one commented he didn’t want it before but that after hearing the deputations he was going to make sure his kids get fluoride.
•  Councilors have been beaten up over the water front and just aren’t prepared to take on another debate as controversial as putting fluoride in the water.
• The Bare Point water treatment plant is state of the art and every effort is being made to reduce the number of chemicals added to the water to purify it. City administration, specifically the city chemist, is an outspoken anti fluoride proponent. He spoke at an anti fluoride meeting saying that he would do what he could to keep fluoride out of the city’s drinking water and this is borne out by the questionable testing he did on fluoride and lead.  He’s been pretty unprofessional. Research done properly has shown that fluoride in the quantities recommended for municipal water has no impact on city water pipes.
•  The Federal Government has made their recommendation as to safe levels of fluoride in drinking water.  The Province is planning to do a consultation on this … so it is a convenient out to say let’s wait and let the Province take a stand.
• Many Thunder Bay residents have dental plans. Of the 14,000 kids examined by the health unit in the schools each year, roughly 2000 needed to have their parents called to say their child had visible cavities. While fluoride benefits everyone, the less fortunate benefit the most and they are a much smaller segment of the voting public.

    All or at least some of the above concerns led to councilors making the decision they did. It was interesting watching Councilor Ruberto struggle with his decision. He wanted to do what was best for the city. At points he was sold on fluoride, at times he just didn’t know and at times he was opposed. I appreciated his honesty and desire to know more.
    In my opinion councilors didn’t show the leadership I had hoped they would.  All the systematic research supports fluoridating municipal water. Researchers have had 60 years to test and establish optimal levels for fluoride in drinking water, given the increased availability of fluoride through other sources.  In my opinion based on the deputations, given the health benefits and the huge financial savings to us as citizens, council should not have considered a plebiscite but simply showed leadership and added fluoride to Thunder Bay’s water system.
    The Thunder Bay District Health Unit is the health arm of municipal government  and is expected to do sound research and make sound recommendations to city council on health issues. In fact, Councilor Virdiramo chairs the Board of Health for the Health Unit.  I sure hope city council doesn’t tuck tail and run on the tough issues when the Health Unit makes recommendations around H1N1 flu issues.
    The U.S. Centers for Disease Control identifies community water fluoridation as one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century.  www.cdc.gov/fluoridation
    Dr. Kirshen, President of the Ontario Dental Association wrote the following letter to the editor to give his views on the opportunity our city council missed to save tax payer dollars and improve our community’s health.

July 23, 2009
Ignorance is Never Bliss
An open letter to the people of Thunder Bay
    In ignoring proven scientific facts, your Thunder Bay City Council has failed you.
    The concept of municipal government is to establish a council of responsible and enlightened individuals that will provide its public with progress, protection and direction.
Sadly, Monday night’s council meeting in Thunder Bay was the poorest example of these attributes that I, and many other delegates who attended, have ever seen.
    With the presence of various respected experts and professionals, from Health Canada to university professors, endorsing the benefits of fluoridated water — somehow, a small majority of your council, led by your elected mayor, was able to vote on the side of misinformation.
    Monday night’s council – despite all of the evidence provided by trusted national and international health bodies such as Health Canada, the U.S. Surgeon General, the Centers for Disease Control and the U.N. World Health Organization – chose to ignore the facts and remain committed to a flawed and misguided view of fluoride.
    Seventy percent of the population in Ontario currently receives fluoridated water.
In none of these populations have there been proven health issues, water quality issues or public safety issues with respect to the addition of acceptable levels of fluoride in the public drinking water.
    In fact, the only proven change has been an improvement in community health. Sudbury has been fluoridated for more than 20 years, and has seen a three percent drop in decay rates over a five-year time frame while Thunder Bay has seen a 21 percent increase in dental decay rates within the same time frame.
These are the facts.
    Many of those listening to uneducated hyperbole on Monday night worried about affecting the water quality of Lake Superior. Despite what your mayor professes, fluoride is a naturally occurring basic element in all of the freshwater lakes in Ontario. The addition of fluoride at the quantity specified by Health Canada would be so small as to not have an impact on our Great Lakes — a fact that has been confirmed by one of your own, Professor Stephen Kinrade, Past Chair, Chemistry Department at Lakehead University. 
    On Monday night, your council had the opportunity to make a difference in your children’s lives — to provide them with the same benefits in oral health that 70 percent of other children in Ontario receive. A few council members stood up for fluoride, understanding the benefits it would bring their constituents. But, for the love of money and the bliss of misinformation, a small majority of your council decided to shirk its responsibility in ensuring progress, protection and direction for the people of Thunder Bay. They have left parents and seniors to pay out of pocket in dealing with a regional tooth decay rate that is almost double the provincial average. For every dollar your municipality would spend on fluoridation, you would save $38-$50 on future dental care. This is money that will now be coming out of your own pocket.
    But there is still a chance for you to improve the health of your children and their children. The Thunder Bay District Health Unit will continue to look at water fluoridation options to ensure that you and your children can receive the benefits that so many others in Ontario already receive. Your council failed to stand up for you. It’s time you take matters into your own hands and stand up for yourselves.
    Call your local councillor and voice your concern over this misguided decision.

Dr. Ira R. Kirshen
President
Ontario Dental Association