The Ballot Summaries

Voters have received in the mail and will see at the polling places "proponent" and "opponent" statements on the seven ballot questions, including Question 6.  Voters should take note of clarifications on the "proponent" summary, and be aware of the distortions, mischaracterizations, and misrepresentations in the "opponent" statement.


Quotations from the Proponent Statement

  • "Locally, Yarmouth Town Boards support fluoride."
          Clarification - Specifically, those boards are the Board of Selectmen
          which unanimously voted in support of fluoridation on January 9, 2007,
          and the Board of Health, which voted in support of fluoridation on
          June 18, 2007.
  • "Community water fluoridation is safe.  It is endorsed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, American Dental Association, U. S. Public Health Service, American Medical Association, the American Cancer Society, and the American Academy of Pediatrics along with the World Health Organization."
          Clarification - Just some of the professional organizations that should
          be added to this list are the American Nurses Association, the Centers
          for Disease Control, the Office of the Surgeon General, and the
          American Water Works Association, to which the Yarmouth Water
          Dept. belongs.  Other supporting organizations can be found on the
          "Who Supports Fluoridation" page.


Quotations from the Opponent Statement
  • "Our elementary school children already have available a no cost weekly fluoride rinse, partially paid for by the state, through a program in operation in our schools since the late 1970s."
          Correction - Only some schools and some children are in this program,
          and the children do not receive the benefit over school vacations or
          when school is out.  Weekly fluoride rinses are not so effective as
          water fluoridation, and the entire community (all ages) does not have
          access to this program. 
  • "Water should be pure and contain no additives."
          Correction - A variety of ingredients are added to all public water
          supplies, as can be attested by the Yarmouth Water Dept., following
          state and national standards so that the water is safe and clean. 
          Chlorine, a chemical relative to fluorine, is added to water to prevent
          disease; fluoride is added to prevent disease as well, tooth decay.
  • "Although, courts have not found a violation yet, we believe fluoridation is a violation of the individual's right to informed medical consent."
          Correction - The highest courts of more than 12 states have confirmed
          the constitutionality of fluoridation.  In addition, the U. S. Supreme
          Court has denied review of fluoridation cases 13 times stating there
          are no federal or constitutional questions involved.  The American court
          system has also ruled that fluoride is a nutrient and not a medication.
  • "Fluoride products are plentiful, inexpensive and readily available for those who wish to use them."
          Correction - There are only a limited number of ways one can obtain
          fluoride products: they are in toothpaste, professionally applied topical
          fluorides, fluoride rinses, fluoride pills by prescription, and some
          bottled water.  Each is tens to hundreds of times more expensive on a
          per capita basis than community water fluoridation, and not everyone
          is able to afford them, as a significant portion of the population simply
          does not have the means to obtain fluoride through these other, less
          efficient and more costly ways.
  • "In 2006, the American Dental Association issued an alert advising against using fluoridated water for infants up to 12 months, or for use in infant formulas, indicating potential danger."
          Correction - There is no "potential danger."  The American Dental
          Association guideline refers to the small possibility of developing faint
          white markings, often hard to detect and of cosmetic significance only,
          a sign from drinking significantly more than the recommended amount
          of fluoridated water with reconstituted infant formulas.
  •  "Keep out of reach of children under 6 years of age.  If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away."
          This statement has nothing to do with community water fluoridation. 
          The American Dental Association states that the total amount of
          fluoride allowed in any one tube of toothpaste is limited to ensure
          safety.  Some younger children eat toothpaste, therefore children
          under age 6 years should be supervised when they brush their teeth,
          and use only a pea-sized amount of toothpaste until they develop the
          habit of spitting out after finishing brushing.
  • "Benefits have been exaggerated and risks have been ignored by the medical community."
          Correction - This statement is not true.  It's a bit of stretch to see
          how a measure termed one of the "Ten Great Public Health Achieve-
          ments of the 20th Century," included among them vaccinations
          and prenatal, maternal, and infant care, is an exaggeration.  The bene-
          fits of community water fluoridation have been known and consistently
          documented in the scientific and medical literature for several
          decades.  Similarly its sole risk has been described and documented for
          decades, that being the small chance of developing small white spots on
          the teeth, called fluorosis, often difficult to notice except by the
          trained professional, and of cosmetic nature only, having no effect on
          the structure of the tooth.
  • "Some individuals and alternative medical professionals believe that fluoride aggravates some allergies or other medical conditions."
          Correction - There are no confirmed cases of allergies to fluoride in
          the medical literature, nor does fluoridation "aggravate other medical
          conditions."  Again, "Fluoridation Facts" from the ADA clearly and
          expertly addresses these and other falsehoods.
  • "Pure, safe drinking water is fundamental to every citizen's existence.  Vote 'No' on any effort to add chemicals to the drinking water of Yarmouth."
          Correction - This mischaracterization was discussed above and merits
          no further comment.