Water Fluoridation

In 1951, at the March 8th Town meeting, a vote to fluoridate our town water supply was adopted. Templeton was one of three towns to adopt water fluoridation in 1951 ; the other two towns are Middleton and Danvers. The public drinking water in Templeton has been treated with water fluoridation chemicals for almost 75 years. It is time to end this harmful practice.

Here is a list of cities and towns in Massachusetts that do or do add fluoride to drinking water: https://www.mass.gov/doc/2021-list-of-massachusetts-citiestowns-by-community-water-fluoridation-status/download

Current research demonstrates the negative effects of water fluoridation on human beings in addition to IQ loss: https://fluoridealert.org/key-topics/health-effects-of-fluoride/

The Lawsuit (The Petition)

In 2017, Dr. Paul Connett PhD and Dr. Bill Hirzy PhD, on behalf of the Fluoride Action Network (FAN), Food and Water Watch (FWW), Moms Against Fluoridation (MAF), as well as several individuals, served the EPA with a petition calling on the agency to ban the addition of fluoridation chemicals to public water supplies due to the risks these chemicals pose to the brain.

The Petition was submitted under Section 21 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) because it authorizes EPA to prohibit the “particular use” of a chemical that presents an unreasonable risk to the general public or susceptible subpopulations. TSCA also gives EPA the authority to prohibit drinking water additives.

Seven Years Later – The Judgment

On September 24, 2024 the court ruled on behalf of the Fluoride Action Network and the plaintiffs. A U.S. federal court has now deemed fluoridation an “unreasonable risk” to the health of children, and the EPA will be forced to regulate it as such.
The decision is written very strongly in our favor.

Below is an excerpt from the introduction of the ruling: "The issue before this Court is whether the Plaintiffs have established by a preponderance of the evidence that the fluoridation of drinking water at levels typical in the United States poses an unreasonable risk of injury to health of the public within the meaning of Amended TSCA. For the reasons set forth below, the Court so finds. Specifically, the Court finds that fluoridation of water at 0.7 milligrams per liter (“mg/L”) – the level presently considered “optimal” in the United States – poses an unreasonable risk of reduced IQ in children..the Court finds there is an unreasonable risk of such injury, a risk sufficient to require the EPA to engage with a regulatory response…One thing the EPA cannot do, however, in the face of this Court’s finding, is to ignore that risk.”

Court Ruling

In the past, there have been a few citizen petitions at Templeton Town Meeting to remove water fluoridation chemicals from our public water supply. There will be another citizen petition at the May 2025 Annual Town Meeting to end water fluoridation in Templeton.

Until then here are some ways to avoid IQ loss*:

• Stop Drinking Fluoridated Water • Don’t Let Your Child Swallow Fluoride Toothpaste • Do NOT Get Fluoride Gel Treatments from the Dentist • Eat More Fresh, Less Processed Food • Buy Organic Grape Juice and Wine • Reduce your Tea Consumption (and/or Drink Tea with Younger Leaves) • Avoid Cooking with Non-Stick Pans • Don’t Take Cipro and Be Mindful of Other Fluorinated Pharmaceuticals • Minimize Consumption of Mechanically -Deboned Chicken • Avoid Fluoridated Salt

Sources: https://fluoridealert.org, https://www.mercola.com

*The information on TCATW is not intended as medical advice. Please consult with your doctor prior to any health actions.