DUBOIS – Representatives from the Coalition for Drug Free Water confronted DuBois City Council again seeking an end for water fluoridation. Gary Guerndt and Terry Cook had approached council three years ago over the same topic.
Water fluoridation is the process of adding fluoride to the water in order to help prevent cavities. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fluoridation reduces tooth decay by 25 percent and began in the 1945.
Currently, three out of every four U.S. water systems fluoridate their water. DuBois began its fluoridation program after a referendum vote in 1964.
Guerndt and Cook stated that fluoride does not help teeth, and is actually dangerous to one’s health. They cited an article from the July 2000 issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association, “Fluoride incorporated during tooth development is insufficient to play a significant role in caries protection.”
Both Guerndt and Cook stated that fluoride’s benefits are that of a topical, and fluoridated water does not remain in the mouth long enough to provide a benefit. Its other side effects include that:
- it’s as poisonous as arsenic and more poisonous than lead.
- fluoride consumption can lead to cancer.
- it increases bone fractures, learning abilities, dementia risk and infertility.
- it induces thyroid and glandular disease.
“People want to make a change, and you can’t make a change if you are poisoning yourself daily,” stated Guerndt.
Guerndt and Cook asked for the opportunity to have another vote on whether DuBois City should fluoridate its water system. Guerndt stated that the youngest person who had a say in the last vote would today be 64.
The city’s initial response was the same as in 2012 – it can’t end fluoridation on their own. It was started with a referendum and would need one to end it.
While DuBois City provides water to several communities within two counties, Clearfield and Jefferson, it would also need to be put to vote in those areas, too, such as Sandy Township, Sykesville and Falls Creek.
Council urged Guerndt and Cook to go speak to the Clearfield County Elections Board.
“The city solicitor is the one who has to add the question to the ballot. Dawn Graham then approves the question,” stated Guerndt. “It’s tyranny. People got to wake up,” added Cook.
Guerndt stated that he had talked to Graham, and was told he had to get DuBois City to petition to have the issue added to the ballot.
“Did she give you a section of the election code?” asked City Solicitor Toni Cherry.
After some discussion, no one indicated familiarity with the process of having the matter put on an election ballot. Guerndt and Cook were asked if they had started to get petitions yet.
“We haven’t really pushed this. We wanted to come to you first to see if you agree,” said Guerndt.
Guerndt and Cook stated they did have 800 supporters so far. When asked by Councilwoman Diane Bernardo if they were all registered voters, Cook shrugged as he shook his head back and forth. Eventually, he stated that “Some are.” “If you want our support come prepared,” commented Bernardo.
“We can’t vote it off, and we’re just looking for the procedures to do it somehow. We don’t know how to do it,” said Councilman Jim Aughenbaugh.
“I am sorry to bother you over something as insignificant as forcing drugs on the public,” said Cook
When the discussion ended, Cook and Guerndt quickly left the meeting after City Mayor Gary Gilbert asked them to sit down.
Cherry stated after they left that normally citizens get their own lawyers and handle the process themselves.
“As having worked many years with Dawn Graham, she is not the type of professional to say it is up to the city,” said Bernardo.