Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-07-25

Dirksen Asks Study
By Senate Of D. {.
Wafer FIuoridation
A Senate suggestion that a
new study be made of the Dis
trict water fluoridation program
was cheered today in some quar-
tiers but left city authorities won-
dering what would be accom-
plished.
Senator DirkSen, Republican,
Of Illinois. said yesterday that
the Senate wanted legislative
committees to examine the 13-
month-old program, so it can be
evaluated by all interested par
ties.
Cheers came from citizens I'M
alterably opposed to fluoridation,
a group still organized and hop
ing to kill the program.
Miss Vera E. Adams, president
of the Citizens Committee on
Fluoridation, said the recon .
mendation lends encouragement
to the ITS members of her group
who are fighting the chemical
treatment Of water.
Seckinger's View.
On the other hand, DR.. Daniel
L. Seckinger, the District health
officer, said the beneficial effects
Of fluoridation are well estab-
nshed.
DR.. Seckinger said the bene-
fits were determined before the
District Commissioners adopted
the program last year. He said
the plan was approved by many
leading medical and health au-
thorities as a means Of reducing
the tooth-decay among children.
Noting complaints that fluor-
ide is a dangerous poison when
taken in large quantities, DR..
Seckinger said there is no chance
that the District program would
endanger lives. The health Of
ficer said the amount of sodium
Silicofluoride added to the water
supply is carefully controlled. It
is added at the rate of one part
in a million.
Checks Made.
In addition to the control, DR..
Seckinger said, water samples
are checked constantly at Health
Department laboratories.
The Appropriations Committee
request for a study of FLORIDA
ton apparently Stemmed from
complaints received at budget
hearings late in June. The wit
nesseS were Miss Adams and
Claude N Palmer, member of
the board Of directors of the
Citizens Committee on Fluorida-
ton.
A statement they filed at the
time recommended that Con-
gress institute a thorough in
vestigation of compulsory f1uori-
dalton, under impartial scientific
auspices, to determine it's pos
sible benefits and potential haz-
ards. to ascertain who are its
principal proponents and COM
mercial benef1ciaries, and to de-
termine whether this form of
compulsory mass medication
should be prohibited by Federal
law"
The statement urged the Sen
atorS to eliminate the budgetary
item for fluoridation in the Dis
trict. (The cost is running about
100000 a year,
It also asked that the Public
Health Service be forbidden to
spend any money to promote or
advocate huoridation unless the
necessity and safety of the
chemical treatment were estab-
lished beyond all reasonable
doubt.
Miss Adams fatty denied to-
day that the opponents of fluori-
dation are all Christian Scien-
lists. She said the members of
her committee come from "all
walks of life and are people of
many different religious beliefs. I"
She said the Commissioners
lacked authority to adopt the
program under its police powers
because no emergency" existed,
such as contagious disease.
The committee contends fluo-
ridation is still in the expert
mental stage, with the proponents
uncertain as to probable bene-
fits and potential dangers.
The committee contends the
program is a waste of tax money.
It says that any benefits that
could result are limited to chill
dren, who constitute small seq
ment of the population. It argues
that only a small amount Of all
water consumed is used for drink
ing, with the net result that only
one-half of per cent of the
money spent on the program
could possibly be of any benefit.
The opponents of fluoridation
say there are other ways to COM
bat tooth decay without wasting
money and encountering hazards.
DR.. Seckinger said his Office
had received only a few scattered
complaints on the program since
it's adoption.
A~lsn~ln~ n.nu,ln.