Green Glossary: Fluoride

Fluoride is "the reduced form of fluorine. Both organic and inorganic compounds containing the element fluorine are considered fluorides...Fluorides range from severe toxins such as sarin to life-saving pharmaceuticals such as efavirenz and from refractory materials such as calcium fluoride to highly reactive sulfur tetrafluoride."

According to the American Dental Hygienists' Association, "Community water fluoridation is an effective, safe, and inexpensive way to prevent tooth decay. Fluoridation benefits Americans of all ages and socioeconomic status."

The folks at FluorideAlert.com beg to differ. They see fluoridation as unethical because "individuals are not being asked for their informed consent prior to medication" and they go on to offer 50 Reasons to Oppose Fluoridation. For example:

"Despite being prescribed by doctors for over 50 years, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has never approved any fluoride product designed for ingestion as safe or effective. Fluoride supplements are designed to deliver the same amount of fluoride as ingested daily from fluoridated water."

"I am quite convinced that water fluoridation, in a not-too-distant future, will be consigned to medical history," says Nobel Laureate in Medicine and Physiology, Dr. Arvid Carlsson. "Water fluoridation goes against leading principles of pharmacotherapy, which is progressing from a stereotyped medication—of the type 1 tablet, 3 times a day—to a much more individualized therapy as regards both dosage and selection of drugs. The addition of drugs to the drinking water means exactly the opposite of an individualized therapy."