Many in Durango have likely seen the debate over the fluoridation of Durango’s public drinking water. This is a complex issue, with numerous valid and understandable concerns being raised on both sides. While it is beyond the scope of this letter to argue for or against the potential benefits or risks of fluoride, it is crucial that the decision to include it or not in our water supply be discussed among community members and decided democratically through a vote.
The addition of fluoride to public drinking water is rooted in good intentions based on the perception that its inclusion has accompanied numerous dental health improvements over the last half-century. On the other side of the issue, there is still much understandable concern over the potential risks involved with the actual ingestion of fluoride via drinking water. Fluoride is a topically-applied medicine, and has no positive benefits from actually being ingested.
Aside from its potential positive or negative health impacts, fluoride on its own contributes nothing to water treatment itself. Given this, fluoride is best viewed as a preventative medicine – being administered publicly via drinking water – and should not be categorized as an inherent part of potable drinking water supply. It is a medical additive to our already potable water supply.
While there are numerous beneficial medicines in the world, administering any of them to the public, via the water supply or through any other public service, should always require our input and consent. Given the ongoing debate about this issue over the past few years, it is time to create a system whereby Durango citizens can discuss, weigh pros and cons, and then voice their opinion democratically on any public medicine, fluoride or otherwise, administered to the population via the public water supply. Ethics and laws dictate that consent must be obtained before administering medications; fluoride is no different.
If you would like to voice your consent (or not) on which medicines are added to our public water supply, please consider signing the petition to put fluoridation to a vote, and visit http://www.cleanwaterdurango.org.
David Sparkman
Durango
