NewsTarget | July 31, 2006

(NewsTarget) An open letter to the public from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) published at Foodconsumer.org, warns that the already dangerous levels of fluoride in our food supply could be increased if Dow Chemical Co. gets its way, and calls for action to prevent this from happening.

The author of the letter, EWG President Ken Cook, says that the current allowable levels of fluoride in tap water are dangerous and should be lowered, according to the National Academy of Sciences. But Dow Chemical Co. wants the EPA to allow high levels of sulfuryl fluoride to be used as a food pesticide, which has prompted the EWG to file a motion with the EPA to suspend the use of the chemical.

In response to their motion, the EPA has decided to open the issue to public opinion via email, and the EWG is calling for all concerned citizens to take the opportunity to have their voices heard through an online petition, available here: http://www.ewg.org/newsletter/fluoride/

Despite the common myths about its benefits, the NAS has found fluoride can interfere with brain function; weaken bones and teeth; cause disorders in the thyroid and pineal glands; exacerbate diabetes; and increase the risk of a rare bone cancer in boys by up to 500 percent. Its connection to health risks such as cancer, IQ deficits, dementia and immune system disorders have not yet been determined.