The Sidney herald., 1955-12-08

with you on the SdIeLy OF efficacy
Of taking fluorides; He might
even call you a fool. Your bridge
partner might say next week she
thought you were throwing your
money away, but 1 say again,
in a free land, in a great Democ-
racy like ours, where freedom Of
choice on personal matters is the
rule, and the rights of the indi-
vidual have been respected and
are protected by the Constitution,
you as individuals, have every
right in the world to take any
medication you desire, and no
city should ever pass an ordinance
or law forbidding you this right.
What about the person sit
ting next to you? Suppose he
doesn't wish to take this medica-
ton. Should he be forced to
take it? Think about the little old
lady down the street who has
worn false teeth for the past 20
years. Suppose she fears to take
sodium fluoride every day as an
excess poison. She doesn't need
it since fluoride is supposed TO
work on teeth only in the forma-
tive stage or about eight to ten
years of age. Should she have
the right to reject this medlca-
ton. or should she be forced to
drink it in her water?
"Or let us think of the mother
with a sick child, who is very
much against having her child
drink this poison because of his
poor physical condition. Can a
CITY Council force her child to
drink this chemical? No doubt
there are thousands of people in
our community who + bitterly
opposed to drinking fluorides in
their water. What about THEIR
RIGHTS? Does democracy work
for all Of us or for just a seq
ment Of the population? Are the
rights of those individuals who
wish to take fluorides guaran-
teed while the rights of those in
dividuals who wish to reject them
are denied or ignored? Are the
rights of some individuals guar
anteed or are the rights of all
guaranteed?
"Fhe field of medicine is ever
changing. What is considered
beneficial today my be discard
ed tomorrow. What is believed
safe today may prove to be harm
full tomorrow. The trouble comes
when medication for a non-con-
tagious disease is forced upon the
population. Fluoridation is COM
pulsory medication without a
parallel in the history of medi-
cine. AS a dentist said recently: II
I prescribe this drug for a patient
and he goes to a pharmacist and
has my prescription filled, he
thinks he is taking medicine and
so do I. If the government puts
an inferior quality of this same
drug not fit for human consump-
ton in the water, suddenly it IS
not medication. To continue to
argue that fluoridation is not
medication is rather silly in view
Of the facts.
Incidentally, fluoride tablets
which this dentist is prescribing
for patients who think they neec
fluorides ara chemically pure
fluorides and must be bought I'M
der prescriptions he gives free tc
those who wish them.
1 would like to ask the pro-
ponentS of fluoridation one ques-
ton:
"Aside from the moral issue
involved, which do you thinl
is the more scientific way Of solv.
ing the fluorine question: tt
dump raw, impure fluorides il
the drinking water of every.
one in a community, or t.
give fluorides in a chemical form
! to those who think they neeC
them?
mo dentist or doctor wcul,
think Of prescribing fluoride tab
lets to adults over the age o
eight or ten; thus you eliminat
the potential harm that Nigh
come from ingesting raw fluor
ides for a lifetime. Also no den
list or doctor would think of pre-
scribing them for the chronic sicl
or the aged with impaired bod.
functions; thus you eliminate tn
possibility of harm to the sic
and the aged. Where then is tn
: argument for dumping thes
: fluorides into everyone's drink
ing water?
eve all realize you can neve
stop some people from wantin
to take medicine. The America.
people enjoy taking medicine
There will always be some peopl
who are anxious to be the frs
to try any new medication Q
drug on the market. We cannc
deny them this right and priv
lege, even though we may nc
agree with them. By the same to
ken, there will always be othe
people who wish to go slow 0
9 new panaceas offered as a substi
tute for other things which ar
& neglected in our care of the hu
man body. Those people r jul:
as sincere in their opinions &
those who wish to take any an
all new indications which appes
on the market. The trouble arise
when n Of these groups tries
inflict their opinions and wishe
4 on the other group.
Solution
Voting on a proposition sue
as fluoridation solves nothing