In the News--Portland Oregon vote down water fluoridation

People of Portland, Oregon voted against adding fluoride to their water supply recently.  This city of 900,000 population voted 60% against adding fluoride after their city council had decided to begin adding fluoride to the city water supply. 

When I began researching the topic of fluoride in our water supplies, I thought fluoride in water supplies was a good thing.  After reading more from both sides of this topic, I recognize it is a complicated topic.  I suspect we will hear more in the future about the dangers and benefits of fluoride in drinking water.  In the meantime, let’s look at what we do know: 

·        Sources of fluoride are more plentiful since the 1960s. 

·        The Department of Health and Human Services lowered the recommendations for fluoride content in community water supplies to 0.7mg/liter. http://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/fact_sheets/cwf_qa.htm dated 12-2011)

·        Bottled water may or may not contain fluoride.  The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t require bottle water manufacturers to label fluoride contents unless the manufacturer adds fluoride.  If the bottled water contains fluoride in the amount of 0.6 mg/L to 1.0 mg/L, the label will read, “Drinking fluoridated water may reduce the risk of tooth decay.”  Bottled water without that label contains less fluoride.  

·        Consumers who want to learn the fluoride content in their favorite brand of bottled water can contact the company, using the toll-free phone number or website. 

·        If you want to know the fluoride content of your community’s drinking water, you can find this information at CDC’s “My Water’s Fluoride” website at http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/MWF/index.asp?Warn=Select+a+valid+State

 More next time about fluoride in our public water supply.