Evening star., 1951-05-15
Donohue Shifts
Stand, Fayors
FIuoridation
Tells Commissioners
Water Supply Should
Be Treated at Once

District Commissioner F. Joseph
Donohue today recommended toI
the Board of Commissioners that
sodium fluoride be mixed with the
city's drinking water to prevent
tooth decay.
His written recommendation
indorsing the proposal reversed
his earlier stand on the matter
On March 20, Mr.. Donohue had
advised against fiuoridation of
the water supply as an unjusti-
fed expense.
Commissioner Donohue told re-
porters yesterday he had made his
first decision on the basis of in
formation that the fluoridation
process was still in the expert
mental stage. Since then, he said.
he had received bulletins from the
United States Public Health Serv-
ice and the American Dental As
sociation. favoring the process. In
addition, he had read 20 studies
on various aspects of fluoridation.
he said.
Answers Satisfactory.
1.-TWO questions concerned me,
he declared. Does 1t work, and
is it harmful?" Mr.. Donohue said
he had found satisfactory answers
to both questions.
Referring to the March 20 deci-
sion as a mistake. he told re-
porters:
II am going to recommend to
the Board of Commissioners thatl
they reverse my original error and
recommend f1uoridation of the
water supply as soon as possible. |
He estimated that the equipment
and the chemical can be OBJ
tanned and the process in opera
tion within a matter of weeks,
If the board gives its approval.
Noting that. in controlled ex-
periments, the use of sodium
fuoride has been shown to re-
duce tooth decay by IS per cent
in children, the Commissioner
declared that ''this is a program
we not only can afford, but one
that we cannot afford to do with
out" The yearly cost has been
estimated at $130,000.
Mr.. Donohue said his chief
concern now is for those who may
still fear some Ill effect from the
chemical.
Sees Fears Allayed.
ST think it's important to get
across the fact that some 2 mil
hon people have been drinking
water for years that contains
many times more huoride in it
naturally than what we propose to
use here" he explained. The mix
ture in the District woul6 be one
part of the chemical to one mil
lion parts of water.
The mixture is entirely tasteless,
odorless and has no discoloring
effects on the teeth, Mr.. Donohue
said.
I'm a way" he added, my first
decision may have been a good
thing. If we had approved it the
first time, no one would have
known anything about it. Now
there has been enough free discus
sion of the process to allay much
of the fear that people might have
had at first"
Mr. Donohue said he had re-
ceived many letters from indi-
viduals and organizations on the
subject of fluoridation - "over-
whelmingly in favor of it,"
Endorsed by Falls Church.
Fluoridation of the District
water supply also has the indorse-
ment of the city council of Falls
Church, which draws it's water
from the District system.
The council at a meeting last
night adopted a resolution agree
ing to pay the city's proportionate
cost of adding the chemical for
the water supply at Dalecarlia
reservoir.
Falls Church draws it's water
from the Arlington supply at
Chain Bridge, and Arlington is
supplied from Dalecarlia
Councilman Samuel E. McCrary,
who sponsored the Falls Church
resolution, said fluoridation has
been indorsed by health author
tiles.
Copies of the councils resolution
were ordered sent to the Arlington
County Board and the Fairfax
County Board of Supervisors.