December 16, 2013
Dear Supporter:
Our
annual fundraiser got a big boost this morning with the mail bringing
us $2,745 from 7 very generous donors. That, with donations over the
weekend, brought us to a grand total of $38,411 from 260
donors. We are still a long way to go to our ambitious goals of $120,000
from 600 donors by midnight Dec 31. However, we have received another
morale boost from our supporting angels who have pledged to double the
next $2,000 donated. So donate today and your donation will be worth
double to us.
We
have also received pledges amounting to $6,000 if we reach our
mini-goal of $80,000 by Christmas Eve. We know this is an uphill battle
(like fighting fluoridation!) but we always have fun trying to achieve
the impossible and are very moved by the support you give us each year.
If you wish to make a tax-deductible donation – large or small -you can either:
• Donate by sending a check - payable to Fluoride Action Network – to: FAN, 104 Walnut Street, Binghamton, NY 13905
21 States Targeted for Fluoridation by the CDC's Oral Health Division
While you may currently
live in a state that does not mandate fluoridation, and a community that
does not practice fluoridation, it doesn’t mean that you’re safe from
the threat of forced fluoridation. We have already described the lengths
that the Pew Charitable Trusts will go to, and the huge amounts of
money they will spend in their effort to fluoridate every public water
supply in the U.S., but a new threat has emerged this year that could
make the campaign much more difficult for all of us.
In September, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced plans to provide $6.2 million dollars in grants annually
for the next 5 years to 21 states to “improve state oral health
services…such as community water fluoridation.” Meanwhile, the CDC
reports that at least 41% of children aged 12-15 years
of age have dental fluorosis (with another 19.7% in the “questionable”
range) for a possible 60% of this age group with dental fluorosis,
caused by overexposure to fluoride.
The states awarded CDC grants include:
Colorado,
Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland,
Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New York, North
Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia
and Wisconsin.
Three
states – Hawaii, Idaho, and New Hampshire – are getting CDC oral health
grants for the first time ever, and will receive $230,000 per year for
up to five years, totaling $1,150,000 million in each state. It should
come as no surprise that these three states are some of the least fluoridated in the U.S. According
to the CDC, the grant money for these states will go to “developing an
oral health surveillance plan, providing additional staff, developing a
state oral health plan, strengthening partnerships and establishing a
diverse state oral health coalition, and implementing communication
strategies to promote oral disease prevention.” In other words, the
money will go towards public relations, coalition building, and
lobbying, rather than directly to effective oral health prevention, like
sealant programs or free dental programs for children.
The
other 18 states will be receiving an average of $310,000 per year (up
to $1.5 million total) to conduct additional activities, including
“increasing the proportion of the population with access to fluoridated
water.”
According to the American Dental Association’s “Action for Dental Health”
2013 booklet, “The New York State Bureau of Dental Health used its 2012
CDC grant to support, strengthen and improve its fluoridation program,”
and “CDC funding also supports the Bureau’s promoting fluoridation
through a statewide network of volunteer dentist speakers.”
Another excerpt from the
ADA booklet is from Maryland Director of Oral Health Dr. Harry Goodman,
who said, “We used [the grant] to do a lot with our fluoridation
program. I can’t imagine where we’d be without the CDC.”
It’s important to keep in mind that the $31 million dollars the CDC is awarding in grants over the next five years is all taxpayer money approved by Congress for the CDC’s budget. It’s also important to keep in mind that this $31 million
will be going directly into the hands of the organizations, lobbyists,
and community leaders that promote the expansion of
fluoridation. Clearly, fluoridation promotion is a big business that
offers financial benefit, influence, and additional staff and resources
for those involved.
According
to FAN director Paul Connett, the CDC's Oral Health Division is
Tweedledum to the ADA's Tweedledee. They work hand in hand in their
fluoridation promotion efforts. It might be more efficient if the CDC
were to move the Oral Health Division to Chicago!"
So
to reiterate, no one is safe from fluoridation, especially if you live
in one of these 21 states. The recent battles in Portland and Wichita
should be a reminder that those who support fluoridation aren’t just
trying to protect it, but are working aggressively to expand it. They
will continue to go down the list of unfluoridated cities, and states
without fluoridation mandates until they reach their ultimate goal of
100% of community water systems having “optimal fluoride levels.”
To combat these efforts by America’s fluoridation promoters, we will
need to work even harder to organize our own local and statewide
campaigns, create more educational resources for campaigners, and
communicate directly with more decision-makers than ever before. While
we don’t have the millions of dollars our opposition does, we do have
momentum on our side, with more than 135 fluoride-free victories in just
the past 3 years. More importantly, we have the truth on our side, as
well as passion rather then profit motivating our campaigners around the
country. Please help us maintain this momentum and protect these states
from the expansion of fluoridation. Please make a tax-deductible donation today, don’t wait until your town is fluoridated.
Sincerely,
Stuart Cooper
FAN, Campaign Manager
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