DEPRESSION AND SUICIDE

In her opening address, the World Health Organisation's Director General Dr Gro Harlem stated: "…initial estimates suggest that about 450 million people alive today suffer from mental or neurological disorders…. Major depression is now the leading cause of disability globally."

There is of course no question that depression blights the lives of millions around the globe. A million people commit suicide every year, with between 10 to 20 million suicides attempted annually. Suicide in the US for males between the ages of 35-49 is the number three cause of death, outstripping even diabetes, iatrogenic death (physician-induced) and motor vehicle accidents.

Canada has a particularly bad problem with depression and suicides, with a person killing themselves every two hours. Hospital records for 1998/1999 show that females were hospitalised for attempted suicide at one and a half times the rate of males. Around 9% of those hospitalised for a suicide attempt had previously been discharged more than once following an attempt on their own life in that same year. Physicians wrote out 3 million prescriptions for Paxil (paroxetine) alone, one of the most common anti-depressant medications. Sales for Paxil in 2000 exceeded those in 1999 by 19%.

DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS: Feelings of doom, the inability to take action, listlessness, and that thick lead blanket of despair wreck the lives, not only of the sufferer, but their family, friends and co-workers too.

HISTADELIA
On the physical front, nutrient deficiencies, glucose intolerance and allergy are extremely common in those suffering from depression. One major cause is an excess of the neurotransmitter hormone histamine - a condition known as histadelia. Dr Carl Pfeiffer asks: "Do you sneeze in bright sunlight? Cry, salivate and feel nauseous easily? Hear your pulse in your head on the pillow at night? Have frequent backaches, stomach and muscle cramps? Do you have regular headaches and seasonal allergies? Have abnormal fears, compulsions and rituals? Do you burn up food rapidly and sometimes entertain suicidal thoughts? ...If a majority of these apply to you, you may benefit from a low-protein, high complex carbohydrate diet (fruits and vegetables), 500mg of calcium, am and pm, 500mg methionine am and pm and a basic supplement program. Avoid supplements containing folic acid as these can raise histamine levels."

Some of our most loved stars, such as Marilyn Monroe and Judy Garland, were likely histadelics. Drawing from over 30 years' experience, Pfeiffer estimates that at least 20% of schizophrenics are histadelics and these are often the problem patients in psychiatric hospitals, since they do not respond to the usual drug treatments, electroshock or insulin coma 'therapy'.

Blood histamine levels can be analysed and often, the compulsive obsessions, blank mind, easy crying and confusion may highlight an underlying chemical addiction to cane sugar, alcohol or drugs. Histadelics experience high saliva discharge and rarely have cavities. Often they are seen wiping saliva from the corners of their mouth. Excess histamine presents rapid oxidation in their body, and their high metabolic rate and subsequent attractive body shape are sometimes potential indicators for the underlying condition. Marilyn Monroe was often heard to remark to photographers: "You always take pictures of my body, but my most perfect feature is my teeth - I have no cavities."

A high sex drive characterises the histadelic, who achieves orgasm and sustains it easily. Drug addicts and alcoholics also tend to be histadelic. Heroin and methadone for instance are both powerful histamine-releasing agents. A severe insomnia also characterises the condition, and sufferers often use heavy doses of sedatives in order to get to sleep. The sedatives themselves often become an addiction problem, further compounding the plight suffered by those with depression.

DEPRESSION - THE NUTRITIONAL LINK
Traditional psychiatric treatments are mostly useless for the histadelic depressive. Electroshock, examined in detail in Part 1, traumatises the patient further. Lithium in lower doses of 600-900mg is partially effective, but does not have greater efficacy at higher dosages. Anti-depressant drugs are simply mood ameliorators and can be addictive. Nor do histadelics respond to B3 mega-doses usually recommended for schizophrenics. B9 (folic acid) definitely worsens the condition.

What has been shown to work however are treatments which modify how the body releases and detoxifies histamine. Calcium supplementation releases the body's stores of histamine and the amino acid methionine detoxifies histamine through methylation, the body's usual method of breaking down the neurotransmitter. Laboratories can test for histamine levels in the blood and this is often one of the first best steps a practitioner can take to determine if histamine is a player in their patient's depression.

Maes et al also found that serum levels of zinc in 48 unipolar depressed subjects (16 minor, 14 simple major and 18 melancholic subjects) were significantly lower than those in the 32 control volunteers.

HELPING THOSE WITH SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
The major problem with those suffering from chronic depression is suicide. Today, such family members are often consigned to psychiatric care, which, as we have seen, can create problems of its own for the patient. Research group Truehope states:

"One of the particularly tragic outcomes of a mood disorder is suicide. Over 90% of suicide victims have a significant psychiatric illness at the time of their death. These are often undiagnosed, untreated, or both. Mood disorders and substance abuse are the two most common. Around 15-20% of depressed patients end their lives by committing suicide."

In times gone by, caring family members gathered around and gave the depressed relative the assurance and attention to talk things through. Often drug addiction or substance abuse were key factors. Today, with the fracturing of the family unit, the denigration of religion, and the separation of many families from each other with the hectic pace of 21st century life, psychoanalysis has simply taken over the task of counselling that used to be carried out by caring relatives or the neighbourhood minister. I strongly believe that this has had a deleterious effect on our society, in view of the medications prescribed which appear to have a quieting effect, but underneath are propagating a roiling of the emotions.

I further believe that a neighbourhood pastor/minister, or the equivalents in the other religions, also have a pivotal role to play in maintaining the mental stability of their parishioners. It simply has not worked the psychiatric way, with psychiatrists themselves, as we have seen, committing suicide more often than the public they are supposed to be treating. Later in this book, we will examine motivation and the spiritual issues connected with taking action, which have been so able to assist those suffering from depression in regaining control of their lives and starting forward once again.

COMBINING NUTRITIONAL
GOOD SENSE WITH COUNSELLING
In our current times, more than ever, it is essential for the depressed to have an understanding friend or relative with them constantly. Ideally this should be someone the depressed person looks up to, and from whom they can take guidance. Measures should be taken to remove influences that can have a depressing effect on the patient. These include newspapers, TV news, video and computer games, heavy metal, rap, pop and other 'culture' music. Instead, positive influences, serene surroundings, such as countryside outings and an active, outdoors lifestyle with plenty of exercise, far removed from those settings which have surrounded the patient during their bouts of depression, are ideal for setting the tone for recovery.

Extracted from The Mind Game by Phillip Day
Available at www.credence.org

THE $20,000 VACCINE CHALLENGE

Readers may remember a January 2001 EClub article which featured the following story:

THE FOLLOWING OFFER is made to U.S.-licensed medical doctors who routinely administer childhood vaccinations and to pharmaceutical company CEO's worldwide. Jock Doubleday, president of the California non-profit corporation Natural Woman, Natural Man Inc., hereby offers the sum of $20,000.00 to the first medical doctor or pharmaceutical company CEO who publicly drinks a mixture of standard vaccine additive ingredients in the same amount as a six-year-old child is recommended to receive under the year 2000 guidelines of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and prevention.

The mixture will include, but will not be limited to: thimerosal (a mercury derivative), ethylene glycol (antifreeze), phenol (a disinfectant dye), benzethonium chloride (a disinfectant), formaldehyde (a preservative and disinfectant), and aluminum. The mixture will be prepared by Jock Doubleday, three medical professionals that he names, and three medical professionals that the participant names. The mixture will be body-weight calibrated. The participant agrees, and any and all agents and associates of the participant agree, to indemnify and hold harmless in perpetuity any and all persons, organizations, or entities associated with the event for any harm caused, or alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly, to the participant or indirectly to the participant's heirs, relations, employers, employees, colleagues, associates, or other persons, organizations, or entities claiming association with, or representation of, the participant, by the participant's participation in the event.

We recently contacted Jock Doubleday to find out if there had been any takers on the offer. His reply is as follows:

"Dear Steve, Thank you for writing regarding the status of my $20,000.00 vaccine offer. As of this date, there are no pharmaceutical company CEO candidates who are actively pursuing my offer. Two medical doctors, one from Ohio and one from Washington State, have sent hard copy documentation showing that they are indeed US-licensed medical doctors who routinely administer childhood vaccinations. After receiving Part A of the contract detailing the terms as mentioned in the original January 29, 2001 offer, they have dropped out of the running. "

Sincerely,
Jock Doubleday

Now there's a surprise.

For further details on the $20,000 vaccine challenge, contact Jock Doubleday at jockdoubleday@aol.com.

THE QUACKERY OF LABELS:

Mandated Mental Health Parity;
Coverage from Peanut Butter Phobia to Nose-Picking

LOS ANGELES, June 18th /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following is commentary by Jan Eastgate, president, Citizens Commission on Human Rights International:

Today, mankind is at a watershed of scientific endeavour. Geneticists unlock the human genome. Astronomers map planets in distant solar systems. The Internet brings the world instantly to everyone's doorstep. And what have psychiatry and psychology brought us?

Psychologists say they can now diagnose your mental state by... the colour of your car: "Owners of pastel coloured cars such as lilac, lime and beige are eight times more likely to have suffered depression than people driving blue or silver ones."

Psychiatrists have labelled everything as a mental illness from nose picking (Rhinotillexomania) to altruism, lottery and playing with "action dolls." Happy people are certifiably insane. Psychiatrist Robert Foster, says, "Happy people are out of tune with reality - they simply do not see the ugliness of the world around them or they wouldn't go through life with such a naively cheery attitude."

While mental difficulties do exist, psychiatrists would have you believe that insurance should be mandated to cover treatment of all 374 mental disorders in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) at a cost of more than $23 billion to taxpayers over the next 10 years. With DSM-V and mandated mental health parity both on the horizon, those costs will skyrocket out of control.

Psychiatrists market the spurious idea that DSM disorders such as spelling, written expression and mathematics disorders, caffeine withdrawal, and "Phase of Life Problem" are as legitimate as cancer and diabetes. By lobbying heavily for the political enforcement of these diagnoses through mandated mental health parity, psychiatry ensures that millions of lives conform to its yardstick for 'treatment.'

Although these "disorders" could be considered laughable, if mandated mental health parity passes, it's psychiatry which will be laughing - all the way to the bank. None of the disorders can be medically proven. According to the Washington Times' Insight Magazine, "If there is no way to prove that a single psychiatric mental illness exists in life or death, how does one diagnose something that doesn't exist and then require insurance companies to pay for it?"

This is diagnostic fraud. And like virtually all fraud, money is involved. Big money. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) publishes the DSM. In 1993, sales of DSM grossed the APA more than $22 million. DSM-IV sales were estimated at $40 million, while DSM-V is predicted to reap $80 million. Add "parity" to the mix and the profits will be even higher as more and more practitioners grab for this billing bible to make a buck.

Consider these "disorders" that could make it into DSM-V: One in eight people apparently despair at choosing a dinner menu and suffer "Kitchen Performance Anxiety." Eat peanut butter and you may experience Arichibutryophobia -- the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth.

This comes at a time when DSM is under increasing attack for its lack of scientific veracity. Professors Herb Kutchins and Stuart A. Kirk, authors of Making Us Crazy, found that DSM as a clinical tool is "unreliable and therefore of questionable validity as a classification system."

Dr. Thomas Dorman, a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada, says, "In short, the whole business of creating psychiatric categories of 'disease,' formalizing them with consensus, and subsequently ascribing diagnostic codes to them, which in turn leads to their use for insurance billing, is nothing but an extended racket furnishing psychiatry a pseudo-scientific aura. The perpetrators are, of course, feeding at the public trough."

Enormous pressure is being brought to bear on politicians by psychiatry's alarmist statements and statistics about the state of mental health in our nation. However, parity is not a problem of battling stigma against or providing desperately needed services for the mentally ill, or even of disparity between physical and mental medicine. Parity is simply an initiative by psychiatrists to achieve enhanced prestige, power, diagnostic influence and ultimately monetary reward for psychiatrists.

This underlying agenda and immense costs of this initiative are being buried in rhetoric that is artfully designed to play on the sympathies of concerned politicians.
U.S. Newswire 18th June 2002

PHILLIP DAY COMMENT: Although nothing should surprise us any more, eyebrows are certainly starting to twitch at psychiatry's latest cash cow, in the form of the coming DSM V, the industry's newly updated diagnostic manual. But then, it's business as usual with psychiatry, this fraudulent science that seeks to pathologise every quirk of human behaviour into a mental disorder, each coming naturally with the obligatory insurance billing code.

For a frank and eye-opening account of psychiatry's past and present human rights abuses, please obtain a copy of my new book The Mind Game. If any member of your family or anyone you know suffers from a 'mental disorder', please reach for the good news contained in my new release. Don't be taken in by pseudo-science and impressive sounding diagnoses. Maybe it's all just Fictitious Disorder Syndrome.

CITRUS CANKER
An eerie resemblance
to the criminal treatment of foot and mouth?

Eyewitness News 25 at http://www.wpbf.com/wpb/news/stories/news-20001011-092519.html brings us a story of 'a dreadful disease' breaking out in the Florida citrus orchards. Citrus canker is threatening the orchards of thousands of people. The page tells us fearfully that citrus canker is spread by:

· windborne rain
· lawnmowers and other landscaping equipment
· animals and birds
· people carrying the infection on their hands, clothing or equipment
· moving infected or exposed plants or plant parts

What is citrus canker?
Basically, citrus canker is a minor affliction that is entirely harmless to humans, which can cause early leaf fall and early fall of fruit. It can also blemish the fruit with brown scars (making it unsaleable in our shiny, plastic, bleached-white bread, everything sparkly clean and scrubbed for today's discerning shopper-type environment). There is no evidence that citrus canker is spread on the wind, by lawn-mowers, etc.

State law says that any citrus tree healthy or otherwise, within 1,900 feet of a so-called infected tree, must be chopped down. This has led to forced entries onto private residences, with government officials chopping down trees without permission of the owner, ruining lives and livelihoods in an instant. The simple truth is that the thousands upon thousands of trees currently being destroyed DO NOT NEED TO BE CHOPPED DOWN.

A recent report in Florida's Naples Daily News tells of a group of attorneys who charge that the Florida State program to remove uninfected citrus trees to prevent the spread of canker is based on faulty science and should be stopped.

Attorney Mal Misuraca told Circuit Court Judge Leonard Fleet that the state agriculture department cannot prove it's policy of cutting down all citrus trees within 1,900 feet of a canker-infested tree will stop the disease's spread. "The state is slaughtering millions of trees ... based on junk science," Misuraca said. (exactly the same scenario in the recent UK foot and mouth 'outbreak') The attorneys also argued that a newly enacted law allowing the state to obtain countywide search warrants to enter yards and remove uninfected citrus trees violates the constitutional rights of individual property owners. "People have an inalienable right to preserve and protect property," said Andrew Meyer, an attorney for Broward County. Naples Daily News, 4th May 2002. Full story at
http://www.naplesnews.com/02/05/florida/d769484a.htm

Draconian measures
Once again, draconian laws have been rushed through, under the pretext of wanting to protect the individual, but which resemble all too clearly the cynical moves by big business and big governments to destroy all private means of food supply at any cost. The various farm crises, such as foot and mouth, BSE, swine fever, chicken flu, bovine TB etc, have all taken on the same shape as "the citrus canker threat!" Big headlines, doom and gloom virus forecasts, "this disease is carried on the wind to all orchards everywhere." etc., etc.- all these false statistics have created the perfect climate for officialdom to savage and kill everything in its path. This is the exact blueprint for the UK foot and mouth 'epidemic', where millions of perfectly healthy head of cattle have been destroyed, along with the livelihoods of thousands of farmers - the mass cull fitting neatly into the EU plan to depopulate the UK of its farming communities and of an independent means of food supply.

Should citrus canker be any different? As the USDA issues its orders on the cull of thousands of fruit trees, please bear in mind that Dan Glickman's department has a proven history of deceit and collusion in a variety of vested interest escapades in the past. Basically, the USDA must be trusted as far as you can throw a lawn-mower.

All those afflicted by the citrus canker 'outbreak' should acquaint themselves with the other side to the recent foot and mouth outbreak in the UK. Please visit www.whatareweswallowing.freeserve.co.uk/footandmouth.htm You might never see citrus canker in the same light again.
Credence international correspondent

DENTIST THE MENACE

Exposé on mercury use shows dentists among largest sources of mercury pollution; American Dental Association obstructs protection efforts

A first-of-its-kind comprehensive report that looks at the environmental impacts of the dental industry's use of mercury was released on June 5th, 2002, by the Mercury Policy Project and Health Care Without Harm. Among the significant findings, the report reveals that dentists are now the third largest users of mercury in the U.S. and are the single largest polluter of mercury to the nation's wastewater treatment plants.
The report - 'Dentist the Menace? The Uncontrolled Release of Dental Mercury' - also charges the American Dental Association with working vigorously to impede regulations that would protect the public.

"Despite substantial scientific evidence that mercury is dangerous to the environment and human health, the American Dental Association is actively working against safety measures that would require dentists to trap and recycle this toxic metal," said Michael Bender, director of the Mercury Policy Project.

Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that can affect the brain, spinal cord, kidneys and liver. One in ten reproductive-age American women already carry so much mercury in their blood to pose a threat of neurological damage to the foetus if they got pregnant, according to a 2001 Centres for Disease Control & Prevention study.

"While many other industries, including hospitals, are phasing out the use of mercury products, dentists continue to use large amounts of mercury and dispose of it improperly. We call on ADA, and on dentists everywhere, to pledge to stop polluting our environment and endangering our health," Bender said.

In the process of restoring teeth with so-called 'silver' fillings - which are actually 50% mercury - dentists use approximately 40 metric tons of mercury each year, most of which is eventually released into the environment.

Fortunately, alternative filling materials are available, and there are cost effective devices to properly manage waste dental mercury. "For about $50 a month, slightly less than the cost of a single filling, dentists could stop mercury from going down the drain," Bender said.

Yet only a small percentage of dentists nationwide are taking steps to collect and recycle mercury waste, including installing amalgam separation filters necessary to reduce mercury discharges.

The report is available at www.noharm.org/library/docs/Dentist_the_Menace.pdf

CTM COMMENT: The book, Toxic Bite, by dentist Bill Kellner-Read is an excellent resource to advise the public about the hazards of dentistry and what you and your dentist can do to help move the public towards sensible, preventative measures and sterling good health (www.credence.org). The vast majority of today's dentistry is completely avoidable if a few simple measures are taken to preserve dental health. It is because the public is prepared to continue its old destructive lifestyles that dentistry, with all the best intentions, thrives and pollutes the patients it seeks to help, which in turn propels the sick into the arms of conventional, drug-based medicine. Once again, we see the endless, destructive, health-sapping cycle, which must be broken in each of us with a return to plain, old-fashioned common sense.

ANTI-FLUORIDATION WORLDWIDE - THE VICTORIES

Dear All,

While this battle at times seems overwhelming, it is useful to take stock how far we have come over the last few years. Michael (web master for the Fluoride Action Network web page http://www.fluoridealert.org) has been reviewing recent fluoridation campaign activities around the world and prepared the following list of events. With so much going on there are probably many omissions. If you spot any would you please let us know so that we can continue to update this list.

1. CITIZEN PETITION and INITIATIVE DRIVES.
2. LEGAL VICTORIES.
3. HEALTH DEPARTMENT MANDATES.
4. RECENT REJECTIONS OF FLUORIDATION.
5. QUESTIONING/DEBATING FLUORIDATION.
6. COMMUNITIES WITH FLUORIDATION PROPOSALS.
7. SUBVERSIONS OF ANTI-FLUORIDATION VOTES.

Every victory counts whether it is a village or a large city or a whole country. A victory anywhere gives us hope everywhere. Fluoride free by zero three!

Paul Connett.

1. CITIZEN PETITION AND INITIATIVE DRIVES:

Davis County, Utah: Davis citizens have gathered enough signatures (8000+) to force a revote on its mandatory countywide fluoridation program this November. This is a major victory. Hats off to Utah Citizens for Safe Drinking Water.
See: http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/utah/davis-revote.htm

Redding, California: As with Davis County, Redding Citizens for Safe Drinking Water have gathered enough signatures to put the fluoridation issue to a public vote. They were compelled to do this after the Redding city council voted 4-1 last September to fluoridate the water.
See:http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/calif/redding-petition.htm http://www.redding.com/top_stories/local/20020626toplo045.shtml

Watsonville, California: In a proactive twist, with precedent-making potential, Watsonville citizens have gathered enough signatures to put a safe drinking water initiative to a vote this November. The Watsonville Safe Drinking Water Initiative prohibits the addition of any substance to the public water supply for the purpose of treating people, rather than the water, that has not been specifically approved by the U.S. FDA for safety and effectiveness in accordance with health claims made, at all levels of consumption.

In addition, the proposed citizen-created ordinance would prohibit adding any substance to the public drinking water for treating humans that contains contaminants that exceed already-established California and U.S. public health goals. This has obvious implications for Watsonville's current plans for fluoridation.
See:http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/calif/watsonville-initiative.htm

Billings, Montana: As with Davis Co, Redding and Watsonville, it looks like Billings citizens will be able to gather enough signatures to force a public referendum. They were compelled to do so after the Billings city council voted 9-1 this May to fluoridate Billings water.
See:http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/mont/council-petition.htm
http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/mont/billings-council.vote.htm

Fond du Lac, Michigan: Like Billings, Fond du Lac residents are hoping to replicate the success of Davis County, Redding CA, and Watsonville CA, by petitioning for a public vote this November on fluoridation. The Fond du Lac city council voted 5 to 2 against the public referendum, and so residents have had to go on a petition drive to make it a reality.
See:http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/wisconsin/fdl-petition.htm

2. LEGAL VICTORIES:

Manchester, New Hampshire: A New Hampshire Superior Court judge has ordered an injunction against the fluoridation program in Manchester NH, on the grounds that the city violated state law by fluoridating adjacent communities without allowing the communities their right to referendum. According to Judge Robert J. Lynn, "It necessarily follows that where a single supplier services more than one municipality, there must be a hearing and vote in each of said municipalities."
See:http://www.theunionleader.com/articles_show.html?article=11717
http://www.theunionleader.com/articles_show.html?article=11832

Woods Cross, Utah: In June, Woods Cross won a court case which allows them to not take part in Davis County's current fluoridation mandate.
See:http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/utah/woods.cross.june-02.htm

Israel: The Israel Union for Environmental Defense and the Union of Local Authorities have won some needed breathing room in their campaign against mandatory fluoridation in Israel. A judge ordered a freeze on all regulations compelling water suppliers serving more than 5,000 residents to fluoridate. According to the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz, "The order, issued Tuesday by Justice Eliezer Rivlin, will remain in force for three months until the court has debated a petition by the Union of Local Authorities, Herzliya council and the Israel Union for Environmental Defense to annul these laws on grounds that fluoride is dangerous to humans and the environment."
See: http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/israel/court-ruling.htm

3. HEALTH DEPARTMENT MANDATES:

Tacoma-Pierce County, Washington: In light of the difficulties proponents of fluoridation are having in winning public referendums, it looks as if they may now begin trying to avoid public referenda by getting Health Departments to simply mandate the measure. This was the approach taken recently by the Tacoma-Pierce County Board of Health in Washington State. Of particular concern is that "Since the April vote, health department directors across the state have congratulated the county on its stand and said they will follow suit if the mandate stands up in court...They're all waiting to see what happens here."
See:http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/WA/TP-mandate.htm
http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/WA/TP-salmon.htm

Lakewood, Washington: Lakewood Washington, located within Tacoma/Pierce County, is one of the towns challenging the Health Department's mandate.
See:http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/WA/lakewood2.htm
http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/WA/lakewood.htm

Methuen, Massachusetts: Under very questionable circumstances, the Methuen Board of Health followed the same path as Tacoma/Pierce County by mandating fluoridation. This despite the fact that Methuen's citizens have twice voted against fluoridation, the most recent rejection being just 5 years ago. The secretive nature of the Board's vote sparked quite a bit of controversy in Methuen - and thanks to the efforts of the Mayor - the mandate has since been rescinded.
See: http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/mass/methuen2.htm
http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/mass/methuen.htm

4. RECENT REJECTIONS OF FLUORIDATION:

Ashburton, New Zealand: See IFIN bulletin #521 (Ashburton voted to stop fluoridation in February , 02, letter from Bill Wilson).

Inglewood and Kaitake, New Zealand:See IFIN bulletin #538. Allerdale and Buttermere, West Cumbria, UK. See IFIN bulletin # 537, but also see subversion of vote by United
Utilities in section 7.

Kumezima,Okinawa prefecture, Japan: See IFIN bulletin #568. Mount Alexander Shire, Australia:http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/australia/mt-alexander.htm

Franklin, North Carolina:http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/NC/franklin.htm Missoula, Montana: http://www.fluoridealert.org/ifin-557.htm
http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/mont/missoula2.htm

For a comprehensive list of US & Canadian communities that have rejected fluoridation in the last few years, see:http://www.fluoridealert.org/communities.htm

This list was compiled by Maureen Jones, Citizens for Safe Drinking Water in San Jose, California.

Victories since 1990.

Franklin, North Carolina 5/02
Plainville, Massachusetts 4/01/02
Monroe, Louisiana 2/26/02
Colorado Springs, Colorado 1/16/02
Kennewick, Washington 1/15/02
Benninton, Vermont 1/8/02
Lanai, Hawaii 01/02
Cobalt, Ontario 12/11/01
Erie, Colorado 11/01
Modesto, California 11/7/01
Worcester, Massachusetts 11/7/01
Flagstaff, Arizona 11/7/01
Sutherlin, Oregon 11/7/01
Kamloops, British Columbia 10/13/01
White Salmon, Washington 9/01
Goldendale, Washington 9/01
McPherson, Kansas 4/3/01
Norridgewock, Maine 3/5/01
Blue River, Wisconsin 2/01
Willamina, Oregon 1//0
Ithaca, New York 11/7/00
Spokane, Washington 11/7/00
Brattleboro, Vermont 11/7/00
Wenatchee, Washington 11/7/00
Shawano, Wisconsin 11/7/00
Nibly City, Utah 11/7/00
Hyrum City, Utah 11/7/00
Providence City, Utah 11/7/00
Smithfield City, Utah 11/7/00
Logan City, Utah 11/7/00
River Heights, Utah 11/7/00
Pequannock, New Jersey 11/7/00
Ozark, Missouri 11/7/00
Wooster, Ohio 11/7/00 (4th time voting No)
Squamish, British Columbia 10/16/00
Woodside, California 9/00
Ste. Genevieve, Missouri 8/8/00
Winfield, Kansas 3/6/00
Wilmington, Massachusetts 2/15/00
Santa Barbara, California 11/23/99
Johnstown, New York 11/19/99
Tooele, Utah 11/2/99
Wichita, Kansas 10/26/99
Boca Raton, Florida 10/25/99
El Carjon, California 4/27/99
Escondido, California 4/7/99
Helix Water District, California 4/7/99
Lakeside Water District, California 4/6/99
Hutchinson, Kansas 3/30/99
Riverview Water District, California 3/24/99
Wenatchee, Washington 3/8/99
La Mesa, California 3/9/99
Santa Cruz, California 3/4/99 ...banned
Bremerton, California 2/2/99
Olympia, Washington 12/15/99
Seward, Nebraska 11/3/98
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada 7/28/98...quit after 30 years
Ste. Genevieve, Missouri 7/1/98...quit after 13 years
Grand Island, Nebraska 5/13/98...quit
Norfolk, Nebraksa 5/13/98
North Platte, Nebraska 5/13/98
Washington, Missouri 4/7/98
Kitmat, British Columbia, Canada 3/98...quit
Hot Springs, Arkansas 2/98
Ridgefield, Oregon 12/22/97
Methuen, Massachusetts 11/04/97
Brisbane, Australia 10/01/97
Spokane, Washington 8/25/97
Largo, Florida 7/15/97
Clearwater, Florida 7/15/97
North Redington Beach, Florida 7/15/97
Amsterdam, New York 5/21/97
Suisun City, California 5/1/97
Yardly, Pennsylvannia 4/16/97
Erie, Pennsylvannia 3/21/97
Village of Orfordville, Wisconsin 12/9/96
Western Nassau County, New York 11/21/96...quit after 23 years
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada 11/16/96...quit after 42 years
Gothenberg, Nebraska 11/96
Worcestor, Massachusetts 11/6/96
Bloomer, Wisconsin 11/6/9
Kodiak, Alaska 7/12/9
Carle Place, New York 2/1/96...quit
Winter Springs, Florida 1/10/96
Pasco, Florida 12/14/95
York, Pennsylvannia 7/29/9
Thurmont, Maryland 2/3/94
Albany, New York 12/8/94
Middletown, Maryland 11/93...quit
Sarnia, Ontario, Canada 1/30/93
Barnstable, (Cape Cod) Massachusetts 11/4/93
Wagoner, Oklahoma 6/17/93
Redwood Valley, California 2/6/93
Los Altos Hills (Purissima) California /93
Campbell River, British Columbia, Canad 4/93...quit after 33 years
Port Hardy, British Columbia, Canada 11/93...quit after 19 years
Squamish, British Columbia, Canada 11/93...quit after 20 year
Fort Smith, Arkansas 11/3/92
Milltown, Wisconsin 10/17/92
Bellingham, Washington 5/19/92
Washoe County, Nevada 7/15/92
Comox/Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada 2/92
Palm Beach County, Florida 10/22/91
Ketchikan, Alaska 10/2/91
Suffolk County, New York 8/15/91
Davis, California 12/14/90...5th rejection
Morgan Hill, California 3/7/90...quit

5. QUESTIONING/DEBATING FLUORIDATION:

Durban, South Africa: http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/south-africa/durban.htm
Centerville, Utah: http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/utah/centerville-06.07.02.htm
West Jordan, Utah: http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/utah/west-jordan.htm
Bolton, England: http://www.npwa.freeserve.co.uk/Bolton_Evening_News.html
Ireland: http://www.fluoridealert.org (see home page)
South Africa: See recent IFIN bulletins.
Methven, New Zealand. See IFIN bulletin #580.

6. COMMUNITIES WITH FLUORIDATION PROPOSALS:

Texarkana, Texas & Texarkana, Arkansas:
http://www.fluoridealert.org/news/texarkana1.htm

Kennebunk & Kennebunkport, Maine: http://fluoridealert.org/news/maine/kennebunk.htm

Edwardsburg, Indiana: http://www.southbendtribune.com/stories/2002/06/23/local.20020623-sbt-
MICH-C3-Edwardsburg_consider.sto

Timaru, New Zealand: See IFIN bulletin #580.

Geelong, Australia: Persoanl correspondence with Philip Robertson carmoora@bigpond.com>.

South Africa: See recent IFIN bulletins # 585 et seq.

7. SUBVERSIONS OF ANTI-FLUORIDATION VOTES.

Allerdale, West Cumbria, UK See IFIN bulletins #581, 595.

June 29, 2002.

FLU SHOTS FROM 6 MONTHS OLD COMING SOON!

The scare tactics used by the vaccine manufacturers have all but erased the dim and distant memory that good nutrition is the key to combating illness. As with most illnesses, a tiny minority can prove fatal in some individuals, but when it comes to flu, a strong immune system will usually overcome this relatively minor threat with ease. And remember, as human beings, we cannot always avoid illness. Unfortunately though, the pharmaceutical advertising agencies have built on parental fears to such an extent, that we seek a pill or an injection to protect us from illnesses to which, in days gone by, our parents were exposed without fear.

Today, between twenty five and forty mandated injections of varying toxicity will have been squirted directly into the blood stream and nervous system of US children by the time they start junior school. Is it any wonder that auto-immune illnesses and bizarre behaviours are being reported with such staggering increase? In the case of the UK MMR drive, long-term injury from this vaccine appears to be a bigger threat than the illness itself. We await the outcome of this latest nonsensical US flu vaccination drive with similar trepidation. For the full story, please visit
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/friday/news_d321adb8105360d3009e.html

GRADUAL AND PROGRESSIVE ADOPTION OF ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

Despite the public's reported widespread use of acupuncture, herbs and other complementary and alternative medicines, many physicians lack the information they need to counsel their patients about such treatments.

Physicians are fielding lots of questions from their patients about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and they would like to know enough about these various practices to be able to steer patients away from harmful treatments and, to a lesser extent, towards ones that might be beneficial.

Nearly one quarter of the physicians said they had used CAM and roughly two-thirds said they had patients who used CAM.

Yet only one third of the physicians said they felt "somewhat comfortable" discussing CAM use with their patients and only 35% said they had "somewhat positive" feelings about such discussions, study findings indicate. The remaining physicians felt uncomfortable or neutral or had negative or neutral feelings.

Underscoring these findings was the fact that 84% of the doctors indicated an interest in learning more about complementary and alternative medicines.

Overall, doctors who said they used one or more CAM were reportedly seven times more likely to recommend CAM to their patients. Further, those interested in learning more about CAM were more than four times more likely than their disinterested peers to recommend CAM to their patients.
Archives of Internal Medicine May 27, 2002;162:1176-1181

DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT: This is encouraging news. Increasing numbers of traditional physicians are realising that the traditional paradigm does not work and they are seeking options that will treat disease at the cause.

Doctors are just not happy with their current circumstances. They are becoming more and more inclined to consider alternatives, and believe me, there are major ones planned for them on this site (www.mercola.com).

I hope to help most of these doctors understand how simple it is to help people recover from disease by applying basic health principles.

HEALTHY EATING 'CAN CUT CRIME'

Encouraging healthier eating could be the government's secret weapon in the fight against crime, according to experts.

A study by researchers at the University of Oxford has found that adding vitamins and other vital nutrients to young people's diets can cut crime. They found that improving the diets of young offenders at a maximum security institution in Buckinghamshire cut offences by 25%.

The study - one of the first to show a scientific link between healthy eating and crime - has now been extended to see if the findings can be applied to the population in general. Bernard Gesch and colleagues at the University of Oxford enrolled 230 young offenders from HM Young Offenders Institution Aylesbury in their study. Half of the young men received pills containing vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. The other half received placebo or dummy pills.

The researchers recorded the number and type of offences each of the prisoners committed in the nine months before they received the pills and in the nine months during the trial. They found that the group which received the supplements committed 25% fewer offences than those who had been given the placebo. The greatest reduction was for serious offences, including violence which fell by 40%. There was no such reduction for those on the dummy pills.

HUGE DIFFERENCE
The authors described the finding as "remarkable". Writing in the British Journal of Psychiatry, they said improving diets could be a cost-effective way of reducing crime in the community and also reducing the prison population. Mr Gesch said: "The supplements just provided the vitamins, minerals and fatty acids found in a good diet which the inmates should get anyway. Yet the improvement was huge." He added: "This approach needs to be re-tested but looks to be cheap, highly effective and humane." He said that given that nutrients were the building blocks of the brain and its associated structures, it was highly likely that a good diet would have a direct impact on behaviour.

The study was organised by Natural Justice, a research charity set up in 1991 to investigate the social and physical causes of crime. Its chairman Bishop Hugh Montefiore of Birmingham, said: "The study is of great importance not only to those who work inside prisons but also more widely in the community."

He added: "There are many causes of anti-social behaviour. But our project has shown that an important factor is the lack of proper nutrition. The reduction of disciplinary offences by 25% among those who took the supplements cannot be shrugged off as insignificant."

STRONG EVIDENCE
Sir David Ramsbotham, former chief inspector of prisons, urged officials to consider the findings. "It must make sense for the prison service to explore every avenue that might enable every prisoner to live a useful and law abiding life. If healthy eating is part of a healthy lifestyle, and a healthy lifestyle is a crime-free lifestyle, I hope that they will look seriously at exploiting the evidence presented to them."

Ron Blackburn, professor of clinical psychology at the University of Liverpool, said: "Efforts to reduce offending usually require major resources. This research programme promises to have an impact on antisocial behaviour with minimal intervention and deserves full support."
BBC NEWS, Tuesday, 25 June, 2002

PHILLIP DAY COMMENT: Hot to trot on the heels of Oxford University then remarking that 'vitamin pills are useless' comes Bernard Gesch's excellent work on nutrition and behaviour. This is one of the many fascinating subjects we analyse in detail in my new book The Mind Game. In the meantime, do not be spooked by the intellectual inconsistency that often comes out of Oxford and Cambridge, as well as other universities, whose researchers often financially prostitute themselves to the highest bidder. It's all about grant money and the continuation of the slush-funded researcher species, after all. But the real scientists are in there and doing great work. The rest of the pack need the heat turned up under their expanding backsides and named and shamed for the intellectually inconsistent parasites they have become.

HOW TO AVOID HAVING A PREMATURE BABY

Directing more healthcare dollars to prenatal care and reproductive services might improve survival rates of premature babies in the US.

Low birth weight babies are at risk for a host of health problems and medical complications, and may also face developmental problems.

The US has a higher percentage of physicians, including those trained to treat premature newborns, than other countries. The US has about 6 neonatologists for every 10,000 live births, compared with 3.7 in Australia, 3.3 in Canada and 2.7 in the UK. Similarly, the US has more intensive care beds than other nations.

But when it came to the survival rates of infants weighing less than 2,500 grams (5.5 pounds), there was no notable difference between the US and other countries. In fact, the US had a higher infant death rate for infants born weighing more than 5.5 pounds, or normal-weight infants, the authors note.

Rates of infant mortality have declined in all developed countries as technology has improved over the past two decades. In the US, where more money is devoted to neonatal care, rates of infant mortality and low birth weight have remained higher than in other countries.
Pediatrics June 2002;109:1036-1043
British Medical Journal June 8, 2002;324:1353

DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT: If the US spent more on prenatal care and reproductive services, then less money and resources would be needed for babies with problems associated with premature birth. Instead of trying to cure sick babies, we should be focusing on the cause of the problem. Preventing premature births begins with promoting a healthy pregnancy and helping women carry their babies to term.

Earlier this year, the British Medical Journal confirmed the answer I discovered just two years ago: Fish oil supplements will help prevent premature births. EPA and DHA deficiency are major factors to prevention. Women who had less than two grams were 400% more likely to deliver prematurely. Women who took more than two grams showed even better results.

Another important piece of information is that, not only pregnant women, but everyone should avoid fish. Most fish are irreversibly contaminated with industrial mercury and it's too bad researchers continue to miss the incredible opportunity for promoting truth.

The US doesn't have to spend billions to resolve the problem of premature births, just some simple cod liver oil for most pregnant women would save billions of dollars in this area alone. This is not even considering the massive reduction of autism, learning disorders, ADHD, cancers, heart attacks and just about every malady known to man that would result from increasing omega-3 fat intake.

So, don't wait ten years for scientists to do more research just to tell you something you already know. If properly dosed this is incredibly inexpensive with virtually no toxicity.

So, help save a life and convince a pregnant woman (or for that matter anyone) to start taking fish oil. (www.mercola.com)

FLUORIDE WARS - DOWN IN THE TRENCHES IN NEW ZEALAND

by Paul Connett

Dear All,

On Saturday June 8 I flew from Auckland in the North Island to Christchurch in the South Island. In Christchurch I was met by Don Church who filled me in on the recent victory in his home town of Ashburton.

Ashburton had been fluoridated for many years. Don Church has always been uneasy about fluoridation. He is an accountant and a very well known and respected member of the community. The turning point in the anti-fluoridation effort came when Don published a series of eight weekly articles in the local paper. I have read these articles and they are well researched and easy to read. They are also packed with references. I plan to distribute these articles via the IFIN bulletins as I think they will help crystallize the issue for many other communities in New Zealand and beyond. I hope Don will also distribute them in a booklet form. Shortly after these articles appeared the vote came before the council and they voted to halt fluoridation in Ashburton.

With fluoridation stopped in Ashburton it leaves only two cities and one small community fluoridated in the South Island. The two cities are Dunedin and Invercargill and the small community is Methven.

Methven is about 30 minutes from Ashburton. The population is about 1000. Recently the council there, in the wake of the Ashburton vote, voted 4 to 2 to continue fluoridation. I spoke in the local church in Methven on the evening of Saturday June 8. Even though we were competing with two major sporting events on TV we still managed to get about 25 people to the meeting. As usual all the local dentists and health district officials who support fluoridation in the area refused Don Church's invitation to a debate. Instead I donned my "dead chicken" tie in lieu of any "live" opponent. However, one of the councillors who voted for fluoridation, but who his well known for his fairness and open-mindedness, agreed to chair the meeting. After exposure to about two hours of the case against fluoridation citizens are hopeful that this councillor will change his mind. Meanwhile local campaigners, including a Green Party candidate, are organizing a door-to-door petition/questionnaire.

On Sunday, June 9, Don and Robin Church drove me to Timaru where we met up with anti-fluoridation legend Imelda Hitchcock. I was tempted to call her Dame Imelda because her voice was identical to that hilarious comic "Dame Edna". Imelda is 75 years old and is a great example of "grey power" in non-stop action. She has opposed fluoridation in Timaru for over 20 years.

Fluoridation began in Timaru in 1973. In 1985 after an informal poll organized by Imelda and other citizens, the council voted to remove fluoride from the water without a formal referendum because they realized the citizens would win the vote. But, those promoting fluoridation didn't throw in the towel and finally forced a formal referendum in 1995. However, after a three-on-three debate between the team of Dr. John Colquhoun, Dr. Mark Disiendorf and Dr. Bruce Spittle and local pro-fluoridationists, the citizens of Timaru voted over 2 to 1 to maintain their anti-fluoridation status. Still the pro-fluoridation forces haven't given up and continue to push for re-fluoridation. They are supported by the local health board and more recently by Ms Karen Poutassi (see part I). Like a rock Imelda has hung in there organizing a letter writing campaign to keep the pro-fluoridationists at bay.

For my visit Imelda organized a meeting on the evening of Monday June 10 at the Institute of the Blind , where she is an official. Imelda had hoped to get a debate but once again a whole host of people on the other side declined to participate and the "chicken tie" had to come out again. A coloured picture of myself wearing this chicken tie appeared on the front page of the local the newspaper the next day (see <http://www.fluoridealert.org> for an account of my visit to Timaru).

On Tuesday June 11 I travelled by bus from Timaru to Dunedin. It was a beautiful sunny day and the scenery on the journey was breathtaking. For much of the four hour journey the sea shore was on my left and mountains on my right, with gentle rolling hills in between.

In Dunedin I was met by Dr. Bruce Spittle who works in the department of Psychiatric Medicine at the Otago Medical School. Bruce had also attempted to get a debate on fluoridation at the Medical School but despite very polite and persuasive letters to various deans and officials at both the Otago Medical School and the Otago Dental School, there were no takers.

This was extremely unfortunate for several reasons; 1) the Otago Dental School has been at the forefront of promoting and supporting fluoridation in New Zealand; 2) their refusal to accept the challenge to debate certainly lessoned both press and public attention to the event. Strange isn't it? I would have thought that this would have heightened press attention, and 3) the Dunedin council takes its cue from the famous Otago Dental School. It would be a brave council which ignored the advice of the mighty citadel in its midst.

Ironically, the day before my visit, a suburb of Dunedin (Brighton) had its water supply fluoridated. This generated a little TV coverage and Bruce was able to talk about the meeting in a short interview.

Despite heroic efforts by Bruce - small ads in several papers, letters to the editor, and small posters around the centre of town - there was a relatively small attendance at the meeting - about 30. It seemed to be evenly split between local citizens and students and a couple of professors from the Dental school. Again I wore my chicken tie and suggested that the University change its motto from Sapere Aude (Dare to be wise) to Nolite Auctoritatem Interrogare (Don't Question Authority)! Ironically, the hall in which I spoke is called the "Colquhoun Lecture Hall" but it is not the same John Colquhoun, who tried so hard to reverse fluoridation until he died in 1999. When I asked people here how it was that the New Zealand authorities ignored John's work, they told me that the government spokespersons say that John's work has been "discredited"! It seems to me that this would be extremely difficult to do considering how meticulous John was in everything he said and did.

Among other evidence I cited in my talk were 4 modern reviews which showed the lack of effectiveness of fluoridation: 1) From the US, the Brunelle and Carlos (1990) finding of 0.6 tooth surface difference (out of 128 tooth surfaces in a child's mouth) between children who lived all their lives in fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities, a finding which was probably not statistically significant.

2) From Australia, a review by Spencer, Slade and Davis (Community Dental Health 13, Supplement 2, 27-37, 1996) which cites "recent evidence that lifetime exposure to fluoridation is associated with average reductions of 2 dmfs (first teeth, PC) and between 0.12 to 0.30 DMFS (permanent teeth, PC) per child compared with non-exposed children". This latter figure would mean less than a 0.3% saving of the 128 tooth surfaces in a child's mouth, while the authors admit to dental fluorosis rates in excess of 56% of 12 year olds in South Australia (1992-3) and in 40% of 12 year olds in Western Australia (1990). I queried how anybody in their right mind would countenance a practice with such a slight benefit at the cost of damaging the tooth enamel in 40-56% of the children in question.

3) From New Zealand, a review by Betty de Liefde, who reported a difference of DMFT for 12 year olds in fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities (1.3 versus 1.5) of 0.2 teeth which she described as being of "no clinical significance".

4) From Canada, a review by Dr. David Locker ( commissioned by the Ontario Government) in which he said that, "The magnitude of the effect is not large in absolute terms, is often not statistically significant and may not be of clinical significance". I further went through the four recent studies published between 1997 and 2001, showing no increase in dental decay after fluoridation has been halted in several communities in former East Germany, Finland, Cuba and Canada.

I also outlined the many health concerns resulting from systemic exposure to fluoride as well as the CDC's major concession that the miniscule benefits (such that might exist) of fluoridation, are predominantly achieved topically not systemically.

Throughout my talk the dental professors remained stony faced. One left about half of the way through. I got the occasional chuckle from the dental students and most of the reactions and questions came from the local citizens. I was surprised that the professors did not fire questions at me, or come back with any kind of defence of fluoridation. Perhaps, like Karen Poutassi, they will wait until I am safely out of the country!

The Dunedin paper did not report on the meeting.

During my stay Bruce Spittle showed me the venue (Knox College) for the next conference of the International Symposium for Fluoride Research which will be held in Dunedin January 21-24, 2003. This should be an exciting conference. It is expected that Hardy Limeback, Anna Strunecka, Bill Hirzy, Albert Burgstahler and Mark Diesendorf will be there.

On June 12 I flew to Christchurch at the invitation of the group Sustainable Cities to help fight the proposal by the Christchurch council to build a huge trash landfill instead of sticking to its Zero Waste by 2020 commitment. On arrival I was met by an associate of the group who was not only into alternative methods of handling waste but was strongly anti-fluoridation (Christchurch is unfluoridated). He drove me from the airport to Sustainable Cities office.

I gave two talks on Zero Waste: one in the evening of the 12th at the Conference Centre (about 40 people) and another the next day at lunchtime to a variety of city and local officials and activists. The meeting got very heated when local officials tried to explain how they could defend a policy of supporting Zero Waste 2020 while at the same time forming a consortium with Waste Management and Envirowaste to build a giant landfill to last for 35 years or more! This gave a whole new definition to "pragmatism"! Unlike the fluoridation debate, my presence in Christchurch and my very vocal opposition to the building of this landfill generated a great deal of press attention: three local newspapers, two local radio stations, one local TV station; one national TV station and one prime time interview on national radio. The pro-landfill councillors were furious and are rumoured to be attempting to disband the Target Zero group on the council who had been persuaded by Sustainable Cities to pay my airfare from Dunedin to Christchurch.

On the 13th I flew to Invercargill. There I was met by my original hosts for the NZ trip: Julian and Jill Mess. They had organized my going to New Zealand in order to testify in a hearing on a proposed incinerator near their home in Kennington, just outside Invercargill. Even though the incinerator company withdrew before my arrival we decided to go ahead with the trip anyway. Julian works at Southern Institute of technology. On Friday June 14 I gave two talks (one on zero waste and one on fluoridation) to some students studying for a diploma in environmental technology. The talks went on for over two and a half hours. Both the students and professors were very attentive and shocked by what I had to say on fluoridation (Invercargill is fluoridated). After the talks I had a meeting with the Southland Regional District representative who had rejected the incinerator (the hearing was to hear an appeal by the incinerator company). And then a meeting with a local journalist, and then a haircut, fried oysters (!) and then more world cup football on TV.

Today (June 15) my tour (at least the work) ended with a videotaped interview so that other communities faced with a similar incinerator proposals will be armed with some useful information and arguments and will not to have to re-invent the wheel. And tonight we have a victory party at the little Kennington Community building!

Tomorrow, I leave for Auckland on the return journey to the USA. I will be stopping off in Honolulu to get some R & R and meet up with the indomitable fluoridation foe Thelma Martindale and the other fluoridation fighters in Hawaii. One more talk and back to Canton on June 21.

As far as the fight against fluoridation in New Zealand is concerned, I am extremely optimistic. There are some tremendous activists here: Linda Kennington, Mary Byrne and others in Wellington; Andrew Montgomerie and others in Taupo; Linda Sandford, Siggi Henry and others in Hamilton; Bill Wilson and Tim Leitch in North Shore City; Laurie Brett in Wangerai; Don Church in Ashburton; the Greens in Meethven; Imelda Hitchcock and her group in Timaru and Bruce Spittle in Dunedin. They are all fighting like tigers in their own communities but practically none of them have met each other. When they do the collision (coalition) will send light waves through New Zealand's forces of darkness on the fluoridation issue. The proponents can only hold onto this silly practice by keeping the public and the press in the dark. Their days are numbered. It was significant when New Zealand became the second to North America to start fluoridation in 1953, it will be equally significant when they stop.

Paul Connett's New Zealand Tour - Part II, 16th 2002.
www.fluoridealert.org

HEALTHY AT 100! WITH PHILLIP DAY

Perth - Adelaide - Melbourne - Canberra - Sydney - Darwin - Brisbane - New Zealand
(and everywhere in-between)

After his highly successful and mammoth, no-holes-barred Antipodean Health Wars tour of 2001, internationally acclaimed health researcher, and world-class lecturer Phillip Day is once again turning his sights on Australia and New Zealand. Phillip's hugely popular health presentations, known and loved around the world, come together in a blockbuster lecture set for the forthcoming tour which will also contain explosive material from his new book, The Mind Game.

Phillip is author of Health Wars, World Without AIDS, Food For Thought, Cancer: Why We're Still Dying To Know The Truth and The Mind Game. Famous for dealing with awkward subjects and explaining solutions in his own unique style, Phillip is currently undertaking a monster 166-date tour of the UK and Ireland ("We even got helicoptered out to the Scilly Isles in a Force 8 gale!"). Phillip has decided to compact his current NINE-HOUR, THREE-SESSION extravaganza of incredible, uplifting and empowering health and wellness information into a one-evening blockbuster Australians and New Zealanders are going to remember for the rest of their lives. The title of the talk? HEALTHY AT 100.

For those new to the Phillip Day experience:

"My subject is Life Management: all the things we should have been taught at school about how to survive in the outside world, but weren't. How many of us are dying unnecessarily? How many of us are not living, but just existing? How many are crippled with the misery of illnesses to which we know the answers? How many enslaved by debt when a simple strategy can move us through the woods to the green pastures beckoning? Who among us is terrified by what is happening in the world today? How many are fearful of violence, fearful of what our nations have become, fearful of losing our security.… How many are just plain fearful?

This is a wake-up call to all the ordinary, decent citizens out there who want to take their precious country back from the violence, the sleaze, the pop-pornography, the fiscal rape of the tax-payer and from a healthcare system still following the wrong course with the maximum of precision. If you feel outraged over what your nation has become, do you know that millions of people think the same way you do, but have stayed silent over issues our grandfathers took for granted? These millions are now stirring and are determined to say 'Enough!' Come along and discover how you can join us and make a difference."

THE WORKSHOP - (Bring a notepad and a sharp pencil!)
Come prepared! Use Phillip's famously unique, hilarious, poignant and intelligent insights to learn and master the tools and skills you can use IMMEDIATELY to make incredible, positive and lasting changes in your life. WHATEVER YOU DO, don't miss this chance to hear the talk that has been educating and ENTHRALLING AUDIENCES EVERYWHERE. This information can literally change your life!

DON'T PANIC IF YOU CANNOT WRITE FAST ENOUGH! BOOKS AND TAPES WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR SALE AT THE MEETING VENUES.

SO WHAT'S IT ALL GOING TO BE ABOUT?

Find out the SIX ASTOUNDINGLY SIMPLE REASONS why the Karakorum, Abkhasians and Hunzakuts are routinely LIVING TO A HEALTHY AND MOBILE 100+ in the absence of Western healthcare, and how you can too!

Why are 1 in 2 over 70 years of age expected to get Alzheimer's disease and other 'mental impairment problems'? WHAT CAN YOU DO to prevent this? How does the liver play a vital role?

What are the twelve foods you must AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE?

Find out the ten ways you can BURN BODY FAT RAPIDLY!

How can the number one killer, heart disease, BE SO EASILY AND CHEAPLY PREVENTED? Why is this life-saving information, researched to the highest levels of biochemistry, NOT BEING CIRCULATED?

What can you do naturally to PREVENT AND TREAT CANCER, according to leading experts? Why is the public deliberately denied this life-saving protocol?

Discover the HARMFUL TOXINS we innocently allow into our bedrooms and bathrooms that are contributing to our misery, physical handicap and early death.

Why are women today SUFFERING an astonishing increase in hormonal problems, breast cancer, cysts, fibroids and gynaecological problems? WHAT CAN BE DONE simply to remove this misery from so many lives?

How is psychiatry behind the DAMAGING OF OUR SOCIETIES today? Why can this branch of 'medicine' justifiably be labelled A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY?

Who are the 'Dark Gods' of psychiatry, who spawned two world wars, have revolutionised the educational system TO PREVENT CHILDREN LEARNING CORRECTLY, introduced political correctness, LEGALLY REPLACED PARENTS as the arbiters of the family, maimed and brain-damaged HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF TRUSTING PATIENTS with drugs, psychosurgery and electrocution, and today preside over the DOPING UP OF OUR SCHOOLKIDS AND ELDERLY, the destruction of our RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS, the non-effectiveness of our political and legal systems and THE SUBVERTING OF OUR LAWS? What can be done to expose them and GET SOCIETY BACK ON TRACK?

What's really behind 'mental illnesses', such as ADD/ADHD, Aspbergers, autism, schizophrenia, over-eating, epilepsy, addictions, depression, insomnia, anxiety, anorexia, bulimia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ALS (motor neuron) and others? Are there SIMPLE AND STRAIGHT-FORWARD MEASURES you can use for yourself to help or reverse these conditions?

What about AIDS, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, osteoporosis, asthma, heartburn, diabetes, Crohn's, vaccination mania, stroke, foot and mouth disease, mad cow and other ailments afflicting our societies today? What is the GREAT NEWS we can bring to bear to eradicate these from our own bodies, our families and our nations?

Why do people do what they do? Why are some MOTIVATED AND SUCCESSFUL and some aren't? Why are some POPULAR and some aren't? Why do people get addicted to moods and destructive behaviour in relationships and business? What can be done to coach ourselves to avoid these painful blights on our lives and set ourselves on the road to peace, laughter and progress? What can we do TODAY to TURN THE CORNER, climb out of the rut and enjoy a healthier, wealthier, happier, fulfilling and LONGER life and RECLAIM OUR NATIONS?

Phillip Day: "My job for the past 17 years has been to understand human behaviour and assist people to develop the TOOLS AND SKILLS to HELP THEMSELVES, regardless of the condition in which I found them. My message to you for 2002 is simple: Whether you are sick, unhealthy, depressed, demotivated, disliking your job, fed up with a relationship, broke, fearful, beset by feelings of doom or just plain, flat-out BORED WITH YOUR EXISTENCE, if you do only ONE POSITIVE THING for 2002, start the revolution in your life and your nation with a visit to any one of my meetings for a complete mental and physical 60,000-MILE SERVICE! Let's get you up on the rack, change your oil and get the wheel nuts off to see WHAT CAN BE DONE. Get ready for some action and let's have some fun!"

Ticket sales are at: http://www.credence.com.au/tour/

The tour schedule is being constantly updated, so please check regularly

Please note: Admission will only be granted to those in possession of a valid ticket.
Please arrive in time to ensure that you secure a suitable seat.
No recording devices are permitted without express permission from Credence Events Management. All net door proceeds will go towards the Campaign for Truth in Medicine and Cancer Prevention Coalition, assisting these two worthy organisations in their missions to press for real medical and scientific reform.

PUBLIC CITIZEN RELEASES DATABASE WITH NAMES OF 6,700 'QUESTIONABLE DOCTORS' IN 12 STATES - MOST STILL PRACTICING

The consumer advocacy group Public Citizen today released new information on approximately 6,700 physicians who have been disciplined by medical and osteopathic boards in 12 states and by other agencies for incompetence, mis-prescribing drugs, sexual misconduct, criminal convictions, ethical lapses and other offences. Most of the doctors were not required to stop practising, even temporarily. The states are California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Public Citizen has been publishing national and regional editions of the Questionable Doctors database in book form for more than a decade. But June 5th marked the database's debut on the World Wide Web. The web site is www.questionabledoctors.org Consumers will be able to search the list of disciplined doctors for free. For $10, they can view and print detailed disciplinary reports on up to 10 physicians within a three-month period in any of the states listed.

"For many of the most serious offences by doctors, the disciplinary actions imposed by state medical boards have been dangerously lenient," said Sidney Wolfe, M.D., director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group. "Choosing a doctor is one of the most critical decisions a consumer will make, but unfortunately, finding good, reliable information about physicians has been exceedingly difficult. We believe that to make the right choices about health care, consumers need to know whether their doctor has been disciplined for any offence and the details of the offence."
From Public Citizen, 5th June 2002
More at www.questionabledoctors.org

CTM COMMENT: Rather than examine the credentials of even the most exalted conventional doctor, time would be better spent examining the curriculum of 'respected' conventional medicine. Doing so reveals an approach to illness and disease which focuses almost entirely upon prescribing drugs, which are supplied by the very institutions that also happen to fund the nations' most prestigious medical colleges. Sadly, vested interests are seeing to it that little or no sensible teaching is being given to trainee doctors on the link between human ill-health and nutrition. Instead, doctors are being taught that there is a pill for every ill. So what benefit is there in being able to secure the services of even the most unimpeachable doctor whose disease management strategy relies almost entirely upon dangerous, (often life-threatening) toxic-based pharmaceuticals? Take cancer for instance. Latest reports indicate that cancer is on the rise. If you know somebody with cancer or you yourself are currently undergoing conventional cancer treatment from a trusted conventional establishment, this link will make you think again.

WANT TO REDUCE BREAST CANCER? FISH OIL IS A MUST

BRCA1 (breast cancer gene 1) and BRCA2 (breast cancer gene 2) are two tumor suppressor genes that, when functioning normally, help repair damage to DNA (a process that also prevents tumor development).

In 1994, researchers discovered that women who carry mutations of BRCA1 or BRCA2 are at higher risk of developing both breast and ovarian cancer than women who do not have these genetic mutations. Currently, women with BRCA1 mutations account for 5% of all breast cancer cases.

Differences in the actions of omega-3 and omega-6 fats have been observed on these genes. Omega-3 fats have been described to reduce cancer cell growth and the omega-6 fats have been found to cause cancer growth.

The researchers examined the expression of BRCA1 and BRCA2 in breast cell lines after treatment with both omega-6 and omega-3 fats. They found that omega-3 fats (DHA and EPA) were able to induce increases in BRCA1 and BRCA2 but omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid did not.

The researchers believe that there is a possible transcriptional or post-transcriptional regulation of the cancer protection genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 after omega-3 fat treatment in breast cancer cells.

The second study reviews new evidence on the biological mechanisms as to how fish oil can protect against breast cancer. It appears that omega-3 fats activate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) which are capable of influencing the growth of breast cancer cells.
British Journal of Nutrition April 2002, vol. 87, no. 4, pp. 281-289(9)
British Journal of Nutrition, March 2002, vol. 87, no. 3, pp. 193-198(6)

Phillip Day's Comment: Here is yet more data which demonstrates the need for a balanced, natural diet rich in all the good stuff. Fish oil can be taken in supplementary form, if you are suspicious of potentially contaminated, commercially farmed fish. An organic diet replete with 70-80% fresh vegetables, legumes, pulses and fruits along with their seeds is the order of the day (see my book Health Wars for more information on the Science of Natural Hygiene).

THE FRIGHTENING ROAD AHEAD FOR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
and the Implications for 'Real' Alternative Health
by Nicholas Regush

Here are some of the people who need a refresher course in the history of prescription drugs:

• Federal politicians who have been pushing the Food and Drug Administration to speed up their review of drugs.
  
• FDA bureaucrats who speed up review of "me-too" drugs to placate the drug industry. (The "me-too" drugs are essentially those that are very similar to existing drugs.)
  
• Drug company marketeers who hype the value of new drugs.
  
• Doctors who get caught up in sales pitches and do not take the time to do basic research that would indicate the marginal value (if any added benefits) of most new drugs.
  
• Business leaders and doctors on the "alternative" medical front that are helping to grind the FDA into the ground by arguing that the agency is stopping BREAKTHROUGH drugs from being used in the U.S.
  
• Patients who are rallied by the drug industry to pressure the FDA to approve questionable drugs.
  
• Anyone who believes that the FDA is stopping tons of terrific new life-saving drugs from getting on the market has no idea what he or she is talking about and badly needs a history lesson, not to mention a few tips on how to conduct some basic inquiries.

This notion that there are all these extraordinary drugs in the medical pipeline is pure propaganda - whether it's coming from drug company low-lifes or the other low-lifes - the shameless hucksters of what I like to call the "quasi-alternative" health movement.

There has been so much evidence gathered for years to prove this point - that the vast majority of drugs approved by the FDA have little or nothing to do with saving lives or even improving lives beyond what is already available on the shelves - that it is amazing that the propagandists still have some influence in the U.S. Congress.

On the "conventional" front, the FDA gets new drug applications for so-called life-saving drugs once in a Blue Moon. The rest of the NDAs are for me-tools or drugs of questionable and marginal value.

On what I like to call the "real alternative" front, the real progress that is being made in healthcare comes from those health professionals who are attempting to provide a level of care that takes the entire being into account - and often this does not require drug therapy of any kind.

Proper nutrition, for one thing, will go a long way in helping someone become healthier.

If conventional drugs are deemed necessary, there are more than enough on the shelves that have been around long enough to determine the side-effects patterns, to help a patient.

What all the people referred to above have succumbed to is a mantra that keeps repeating how valuable chemicals are in making people well. Yes, there are certainly important drugs out there, but probably not more than 100 of them are really needed. The rest are candy for someone's bank account.

Not only is drug prescription out-of-control, but with an FDA that has been reduced to an arm of the drug industry, there will be many more drugs out there before long - and many of them will be needlessly harming people who have simply become market-targets for the most prosperous business in the world.

The new vision of health that is slowly emerging looks at the entire body as a dynamic entity, one that requires a wide range of sustenance, including good nutrition, clean air, unpolluted water and a far more equitable society that doesn't ravage the mind with endless pressures about success and consumption.

Unfortunately, before this real alternative model of medicine takes hold, huge numbers of people will die needlessly because of toxic insults produced by drugs. And many of those who die will not have had the opportunity to test out other modes of less toxic treatment.

My take on conventional medicine has always been that it has become so drug-driven that any therapy now becomes a crapshoot.

My take on alternative medicine is that there are essentially two forms of it: one is close to the conventional-toxic model (the "quasi-alternative") and insists on all these extraordinary new drug and drug-like remedies out there that will prevent illness and cure disease; the other (the "real alternative") is a more intelligent approach to the body in its efforts to understand how an individual UNIQUELY responds to all the inputs in his or her environment.

In some ways, the drug charlatans on the conventional side have a lot in common with their remedy-pushing brothers and sisters on the quasi alternative side. What is unfortunate is that some of what is referred to as "alternative medicine" is not alternative at all; it is merely more of the same bad research, market-targeting and money grubbing.

Also, unfortunately, the money grubbers on the quasi alternative side are helping to do great damage to the FDA by questioning the need for its existence. Well, folks, take the FDA away and you'll see a drug free-for-all the likes of which has never been seen on this planet.

I'm well aware of the fact that the FDA prosecutes many doctors who are probably in the alternative camp who I find admirable. These are doctors who try to help the patient heal the entire body, rather than foolishly carving it up into bits and pieces like chopped meat.

However, these prosecutions will only escalate now that the FDA is about to expand its program - namely to get drugs passed more quickly through its review pipeline.

With almost no public debate, the agency agreed with the drug industry to let them foot even more of the review bill. Not only does this make the FDA far more dependent on the drug industry, and not only will the FDA likely approve many more drugs that will harm or kill people, but the agency will also likely go on a rampage against many health practitioners that are trying to escape the conventional mode of medicine by offering new therapies, including many involving nutrition.

Rather than work closely with those types of doctors to determine if there is a place where some compromise can be reached, the FDA will now more than likely play Big Brother more than ever.

The FDA, I suspect, will also take a real bead on nutritional supplements - far more than ever - because of pressures from the drug industry to allow only prescription sales for many of those products, and sales that will likely end up going to the conventional drug industry. Well, what did you expect?

The doctors in the real alternative movement who apply holistic principles will have their drug and remedy peddling "friends" in the quasi- alternative movement to thank, in part, for that new direction, as a direct result of all the lobbying that has been done to get drugs through the FDA much more quickly. And that has turned out to require drug industry support. Reciprocity will be the name of the game here! What great irony!

Few, I'm sure, in this drug peddling bunch have much of a notion about what Thalidomide, the Dalkon Shield and Breast Implants did to people. Few will even remember that in recent years the FDA had to yank 9 damaging drugs from the market.

This culture is fast becoming a war zone between those on the "drug" side and those on the "holistic" side.

Where do you stand? Have you got it straight yet?

PHILLIP DAY'S COMMENT: Nicholas Regush's piece serves to illustrate the rapidly polarising war that is on the way between the use of drugs and the use of natural foods and products to regain or maintain health. The 5th July's Daily Mail in the UK reports its headline to the world "Vitamin Pills are Useless", after 20,000 people, with no lifestyle changes, were apparently 'studied' by Oxford University professors (some of the most unhealthy and sick looking individuals I have ever seen).

Interestingly, this constant gadding of the vitamin does not seem to prevent the European Union in the least from trying to muscle in on the global vitamin, mineral and herbal action. There will of course be those who ditch their vits with hot hands after reading the inconsistent and incompetent Mail (how long ago was it when the Mail ran its piece on "Vitamins That Help Beat Cancer"?). These will darkly mutter: "I knew vitamins were quackery!" Citizens 'in the know' however, who understand the grand manoeuvring and the battle approaching, will remain resolute and heed the voice of their sergeant as the enemy and their drugs become visible along the hilltop. "Hold it, you 'orrible lot. Don't shoot till you see the whites of their bottle labels!"

Today's wars are about information and the control of the people with it. In my new book The Mind Game, we discuss these 'Silent Wars', and how they have gained so much power over us. You will learn the truth about drugs versus vitamins, and the countless studies done to prove that you become what you absorb. Now, more than ever, truth must be recognised and protected at all costs. After Enron, WorldCom, Xerox, and other crooked companies have euphemistically 'restated their earnings' (try, 'committed criminal fraud'), truth and honesty have become unfashionable and unpopular in areas of our society where integrity was once expected and a given. Today, 40% of corporate executives will actually cheat at golf, so great is their desire to 'win at any cost'. Don't be taken in. It's still a world controlled by greed and money; a world in which spin and lies can be couched in whatever format deemed necessary to win the point with the public. You will see the pace hotting up now as the drug czars close in on the alternatives and grab the business. The chemical industry has suffered massively as a result of people turning their backs on drugs and pursuing more healthy lifestyles and diets. What is left for a drug-dealer to do, but to attempt to wipe out all opposition?

There is only one way to win this war, and that is for the public to mobilise with mass indignation and show the criminals that the game is up. It's going to get messy, and you're going to need all your vitamins to stay the course.

URGENT: SOUTH AFRICA NEEDS OUR HELP

Dear All,

We have received an urgent request from Richard Weeden in South Africa for FAN members and others to write letters to President Mbeki and the press there urging them not to fluoridate their drinking water. After Durban's request to the SA government to hold off on imposing fluoridation on their city, it has given Richard and others fighting this issue renewed hope that they can turn this issue around nationwide.

The issue is red hot in the press right now and I am sure that this is a situation where thoughtful letters can make a huge difference. So may I urge all of you to go to the well once again and send e-mailed letters to the following addresses. You might wish to refer to my letter below and elaborate on one or two specific points most dear to you.

If time is really short, you might wish to send my letter with a one sentence preface, such as "I have read the letter that Dr. Paul Connett has sent to you (below) and I concur with his sentiments". Your own wording would be better.

Thank you all so much.

Paul Connett.

The e-mail addresses:

To: President Mbeki, President@po.gov.za
From:
Subject: Fluoridation in SA.
Cc: Vice President Jacob Zuma Deputypresident@po.gov.za,
The Minister of Health - Dr Tshabalala-Msimang hozaz@health.gov.za>,
scribe@sunday.independent.co.za
stletters@sundaytimes.co.za
wealet@ctn.independent.co.za
arglet@ctn.independent.co.za
ctletters@ctn.independent.co.za
tyger@dieburger.com
dbmening@dieburger.com
editor@sowetan.co.za
letters@witness.co.za
tribletter@nn.independent.co.za
DNLetter@nn.independent.co.za
letters@mg.co.za
MercLetter@nn.independent.co.za
gayed@capetalk.co.za
info@kfm.co.za
jaco@kfm.co.za
bennie@kfm.co.za
fairallm@sabc.co.za

Bcc: fluoride@streetkids.org.za
ggvideo@northnet.org
mconnett@fluoridealert.org
_______________________________________________________________

Paul Connett's letter.

Dear President Mbeki and Members of the SA Press,

I have visited your beautiful country twice and have been truly inspired by the spirit of reconciliation propagated there since the peaceful resolution of your many years of racial strife.

However, I am saddened to hear that the government of South Africa has been encouraged to fluoridate its water. As a scientist who has now spent over six years investigating this controversy with an open mind, may I urge all responsible government officials and journalists in your country to do their homework carefully and thoroughly on this serious issue.

It is impossible in a short letter to do justice to the arguments involved and thus I urge readers to examine the massive amount of the scientifically based information we have accumulated on the web page of the Fluoride Action Network ( http://www.fluoridealert.org) which I helped to establish just over two years ago. In particular, I hope you will review the "50 Reasons for Opposing Fluoridation" which I compiled with my son. This has yet to receive any serious rebuttal from proponents, including a forum set up by the Irish Government.

Suffice it here to stress that the benefits of fluoridation have been wildly exaggerated and the risks outrageously downplayed.

According to the largest survey carried out in the US (Brunelle and Carlos, 1990) the "benefits" (if any) amount to less than 0.5% of the permanent tooth surfaces in a child's mouth. The most recent epidemiological surveys in Australia reveal even less savings, while at the same time producing dental fluorosis levels of 40-56% (Spencer et al, Community Dental Health, 13, Supplement 2, 27-37, 1996). This damage to the tooth enamel is 4 -5 times higher than the original goal of those who launched the fluoridation program in the US. Betty de Liefde (1998) described the difference in tooth decay between children living in fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities in New Zealand as being of "no clinical significance" and Dr. David Locker (2001) in a review commissioned for the Ontario (Canada) government stated that, "The magnitude of the effect is not large in absolute terms, is often not statistically significant and may not be of clinical significance".

Only a handful of countries worldwide have succumbed to this practice. For example most European countries do not fluoridate their water supplies and yet according to WHO figures (available online) their children's teeth are just as good , if not better, than fluoridated countries.

The fact that, in four recent studies (1997-2001), communities which have stopped fluoridating their water in Finland, Cuba, former East Germany and Canada, tooth decay has not gone up should clinch the matter. At best, this is a waste of time, money and effort. At worst, it imposes unnecessary and dangerous risks on the health of the population, especially the poor who are more vulnerable to fluoride's toxic effects, because of malnutrition. Fluoride accumulates in bones, making them more brittle and increasing hip fracture rates (Li et al, 2001). Fluoride lowers the activity of the thyroid gland (Galleti and Joyet, 1958) and accumulates in the human pineal gland, and lowers melatonin levels in animals (Luke, 1997, 2001).

The shock for me as a chemist, was to find that the fluoride ion, which is chemically rather benign, is biologically devastating. That is probably why the level in mothers' milk is naturally so low (less than one hundredth of the levels added to water). Fluoride forms strong hydrogen bonds which lie at the very heart of biological function; it inhibits enzymes and it interferes with many ions like magnesium our bodies need and helps to get toxic metal ions across the blood brain barrier. In the presence of aluminium, fluoride switches on G-proteins which are intimately involved in vital signalling mechanisms in our bodies.

Promoters usually dismiss every health concern by stressing that it is "the dose that makes the poison". However, an honest investigation of fluoride's toxicity indicates that the margin of safety for several serious outcomes is less than four and is thus ridiculously small for a substance that is put in the drinking water of every man, woman and child in society.

For benefits which are so difficult to demonstrate scientifically, why would any government take such risks and why would they impose this practice on those who don't want it, thereby removing their right to "informed consent"?

I would be more than happy to come to South Africa and debate this issue with any promoter with the confidence to defend their position. Unfortunately, they usually decline, which leaves one wondering how it is that governments can support a practice which cannot be defended in open public debate. Failing a debate, proponents should be challenged to provide a written and fully referenced response to the "50 Reasons for Opposing Fluoridation" mentioned above. On such a serious matter should we expect anything less?

The full citations for the references in this letter can be found using the search button on the web page http://www.fluoridealert.org

Sincerely,

Dr. Paul Connett,
Professor of Chemistry,
St. Lawrence University,
Canton, NY 13617
USA
315-379-9200
ggvideo@northnet.org

SOY WEAKENS YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

A hormone-like compound found in soy products, including soy-based infant formulas and menopause remedies, may impair immune function.

When mice were injected with the "plant estrogen" genistein, which is found in soy products, levels of several immune cells dropped and the thymus, a gland where immune cells mature, shrank.

Of course, people eat rather than inject soy products, but the thymus also became smaller in mice that consumed genistein in their diet. This is particularly concerning, researchers say, since the resulting blood levels of genistein in the mice were lower than those reported in human babies fed soy formula.

A few reports from the late 1970s and early 1980s suggested that a soy-based diet impaired infants' immune functions. About 15% of infants in the US, or roughly 750,000 children, consume soy-based formula each year.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences May 21, 2002;99:7616-7621

DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT: It is quite amazing that this study was actually published as the findings were quite negative for soy and yet it was funded by the United Soybean Board and the Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research.

Amazing, it seems that eventually the truth on soy does reach the service, despite the massive funding by the edible oil industry to convince the public that soy is the greatest thing that ever hit the planet to improve your health.

A 1997 Lancet study showed that soy has glycosides of genistein and daidzein or plant-based chemicals that mimic estrogen. They possess a wide range of hormonal and non-hormonal activities. The daily exposure of infants who consume soy formulas was 6-11 times higher than adults consuming soy foods.

The blood concentration of these hormones was 13,000 to 22,000 times higher than estrogen in the blood. The authors of this article speculate that this concentration may be sufficient to exert biological effects, whereas the contribution from breast-milk or cow-milk is negligible.

Soy formula is one of the worst foods that you could feed your child. Not only does it have profoundly adverse hormonal effects as discussed above, but it also has over 1000% more aluminium than conventional milk-based formulas.

It is also important to note that when breast-feeding it is wise to avoid drinking milk as it has been shown for several decades that the milk will pass directly into the breast milk which can cause potential problems in the infant.

WHAT SIMPLE STEPS CAN YOU TAKE TO
LOWER OBESITY IN YOUR CHILD?

In the United States, nearly one quarter of low-income children younger than 5 years are overweight. A team of doctors recommends a simple step that parents can take to lower their preschooler's risk of obesity: removing the TV from the child's bedroom.

Their study of low-income youngsters aged 1 to 5 years found that kids with TV sets in their bedrooms watched nearly 5 hours more TV and videos a week and were more likely to be overweight than their peers without bedroom TV sets regardless of the parents' education.

The researchers believe parents should not put TVs in their child's bedroom and should limit their child's TV viewing to 1 to 2 hours a day.
Pediatrics June 2002;109:1028-1035

DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT: I disagree with researchers on this one. I don't believe in just limiting TV, I believe there should be no TV in the home at all. I know this is an extreme thought, but one I firmly believe.

TV should be eliminated from our homes because, not only it is an addiction that most of us cannot handle, it has incredibly negative consequences. My main objection to TV is that it steals what little free time you have left. Does anyone think I could do this newsletter if I was watching TV regularly?

LEARN WHY THE MYTH OF THE SUN CAUSING
SKIN CANCER CAN HURT YOUR HEALTH

A recent study in the prominent US dermatology journal tell us that only a small fraction of US schools have implemented policies that protect students from over-exposure to the sun, and few provide shade, sunscreen, or other ways to avoid ultraviolet rays.

Since severe sunburns occur during childhood, which may promote melanoma later, these experts recommend that policymakers and school administrators encourage and implement sun protection policies at schools nationwide.

The authors of this study recommend that schools without a sun protection policy adopt one, and at least implement minor changes that could help shield students from the sun, such as allowing staff to put sunscreen on students, and permitting hats and sunglasses when outdoors.
Archives of Dermatology June 2002;138:771-774

DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT: Most of us have been bombarded about the dangers of the sun by experts and the media. However, because it is one of the most pervasive and inaccurate myths persisting in most of the patients I see, I can only assume you are under the same misunderstanding. Unfortunately, this myth has contributed to massive amounts of disease and illness in our society.

Can sun exposure cause skin cancer? Absolutely. However, appropriate sunlight actually prevents cancer. Exposure to the sun provides many benefits such as promoting the formation of vitamin D. We also have strong evidence that sunlight is protective against MS and breast cancer.

The key is never to burn.

Although the American Academy of Dermatology will have you bathing in sunscreen, it is one of the LAST things you want to put on your body. It comprises toxic chemicals that can cause problems in your system. Even if it didn't contribute to disease, the central issue is that it doesn't even work.

A British dermatologist published an article earlier this year which showed no clear indication that sunscreens worked. Another study in the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology last year found the same thing. A far more logical solution would be to use clothing to protect you against the sun.

So what is the cause of skin cancer and the deadly melanoma? I may sound like I am on my soapbox again but, it is the omega 6:3 oil ratio.

I quote from Cancer Res 2000 Aug 1;60(15):4139-45:

"Epidemiological, experimental, and mechanistic data implicate omega-6 fat as stimulators and long-chain omega-3 fats as inhibitors of development and progression of a range of human cancers, including melanoma."

Last year, the prestigious National Academy of Sciences published a comprehensive review showing that the omega 6:3 ratio was the key to preventing skin cancer development. An Australian study done ten years ago, showed a 40% reduction in melanoma for those who were eating fish. And this was without any attention to lowering omega-6 fats.

So, do I recommend you pop some fish oil pills and go out and get as much sun as you would like? Absolutely not. You must exercise caution. At the beginning of the season go out gradually, perhaps as little as ten minutes a day. Progressively increase your time in the sun so that in a few weeks, you will be able to have normal sun exposure with little risk of skin cancer.

Remember never to get burned, that is the key.

Remember also never to use sunscreen, another key. You can creatively use your clothing to block the sun's rays during your build-up time.

The bottom line is, please avoid getting sucked into the hype that sunlight is dangerous. It is only dangerous if you are clueless about fat nutrition, which most medical doctors are. If you choose to ignore your omega 6:3 ratio and stay out of the sun, you could limit your risk of skin cancer, but is that worth the risk of getting MS, breast or prostate cancer?

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR INFANT CRIES PERSISTENTLY

Children who cry for abnormal periods of time during much of their infancy are more likely than their peers to exhibit hyperactivity and academic problems during their middle childhood.

Although most children termed persistent criers during their infancy did not develop behaviour problems later in life, they did exhibit an increased risk relative to their peers.

The findings indicate that in those infants who persist in their crying beyond 4 months of age, and where this is associated with persistent feeding or sleeping problems, there is an increased risk for attention/hyperactivity problems.

Infants were considered persistent criers if they regularly cried for many hours a day, and the period of unexplained crying lasted longer than the normal colic period for babies, which occurs in the first 3 months of life.

Colicky babies -- who can also be fussy and seemingly inconsolable -- have not been found to exhibit any long-term consequences from their early crying.
Pediatrics June 6, 2002;109:1054-1060

DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT: Obviously infants do not have the ability to communicate in words. Crying is the only way they know how to communicate. Crying is the clue for parents that something is wrong and needs to be changed. I don't believe children are born with "irritable genes", more often than not this is related to their diet and some type of biochemical abnormality that is making them uncomfortable.

Vaccines are a major factor of the autism epidemic that we are currently experiencing. It is highly likely that the rate of autism would be dramatically decrease, despite vaccines, if children had a rich supply of DHA and EPA in their brain to compensate for the damage.

Please note, I mention fish oil supplements, not fish. Fish should not be eaten, especially by pregnant women. It has been my experience that virtually all fish are contaminated with mercury and are best left alone.

Many children develop eczema or atopic dermatitis. You can review my recent letter to the British Medical Journal that reviews how the diet can be changed to correct the dry skin that is frequently a cause of infant crying. (www.mercola.com)

PHILLIP DAY'S COMMENT: It is my experience too that essential fats help marvellously in the prevention and treatment of behavioural problems (especially primrose oil for properly diagnosed hyperactivity). Children may also be suffering from casein (cow's milk) intolerance, which can trigger the 'terrible two's' syndrome. Facial swelling, eczema, excessive mucus and other tell-tale signs should be fairly obvious. Please see Health Wars for a full chapter on the hazards of cow's milk for the child. Remember, we are the only creature on Earth that gets weaned off our mother's milk only to spend the rest of our lives stuck under the udders of a completely different species. Sounds like the ad boys in Madison Avenue and Kingsway have pulled off a marvellous marketing coup.

WELCOME MAT

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