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

49, hbSStS& 49, ttSS
District Commissioner F. Joseph
Donohue today recommended tc
the Board of Commissioners that
sodium fiuoride 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 90. Mr.. Donohue had
advised against fluoridation Of
the water supply as an unjusti-
fed expense.
J Commissioner Donohue told re-
porters yesterday he had made his
first decision on the basis of in
formation that the fiuoridation
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 huoridation,
he said.
Answers Satisfactory.
1.-TWO questions concerned me- p
1 he declared. Does it work, and
As it harmful" Mr.. Donohue said
he had found satisfactory answers
to both questions.
n Referring to the March 20 deci-
sion as a mistake. he told re-
porters:
Il am going to recommend to
the Board of Commissioners that
they feverse 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.
s. Noting that, in controlled ex-
periments. the use of sodium
f1uoride has been shown to re-
duce tooth decay by 65 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 $4,000.
MIR. Donohue said his chief
concern now is for those who may
still fear some Ill effect from the
chemical.
Sees Fears AIlayed.
81 think it's important to get
across the fact that some 2 mil
lion people have been drinking
water for years that contains
many times more fuoride in it
naturally than what we propose to
use here" he explained. The mix
ture In the District woule 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.
In 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"
Y Mr.. Donohue said he had re.
ceived many letters from indi.
viduals and, organizations on tht
s. subject of f1uoridation - "over.
whelmingly in favor of it,"
Endorsed by Falls Church.
Fluoridation of the Distric
water supply also has the indorse
5 ment of the city council of Fall
Church. which draws it's waite
from the District system.
The council at a meeting las
night adopted resolution agree
ing to pay the city's proportional
cost of adding the chemical TO
the water supply at Dalecarli,
reservoir.
Falls Church draws it's wate
from the Arlington supply a
Chain Bridge, and Arlington i
supplied from Dalecarlia
Councilman Samuel E. McCrary
who sponsored the Falls Church
= resolution. said fluoridation ha
been indorsed by health author
tiles.
Copies of the councils resolution
were ordered sent to the Arlington
County Board and the Fairfa.
CofYy1fv Raord of SI1parvicorc