I remember when the question of adding fluoride to the water came up in Greenfield 15 or 20 years ago. The research I did then is still valid. I think it is a bad idea.

Fluoride is a naturally occurring but toxic substance — there is a poison control label on your toothpaste — and is not an essential nutrient. The benefit for teeth is mainly topical; in other words, it needs to be delivered directly to the tooth, not swallowed.

A U.S. National Institute of Health-funded study (2009) found no relationship between tooth decay and fluoride intake, and there are no randomized trials to demonstrate its safety or effectiveness when added to the water supply. None.

Fluoride is accumulative over one’s lifetime. In people with kidney function issues, including the elderly, it accumulates faster. Fluoride has been linked to numerous health issues, including arthritis, thyroid problems, gastrointestinal issues and thinning bones.

While not linked specifically to fluoridated water, certain cancers have been linked to high levels of fluoride in the body. It is a hormone disrupter. There are links to ADHD and low IQ in children with elevated levels. The list goes on … .

It seems to me that it would be putting some of our population at real risk in ways that they cannot control, with little evidence that it really does any good. There is a reason why so many communities and countries have decided not to add fluoride. In 2001, a Union of Scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency stated that it was an “unreasonable risk.”

Please don’t put fluoride in my drinking water.

Tracey Brockett

Greenfield