Decision to end Fluoridation in Milwaukee Would Impact Greenfield

Greenfield Health Director Darren Rausch is adamantly opposed to a effort by a Milwaukee alderman to stop the city's fluoridation of Milwaukee's drinking water.

Ald. Jim Bohl believes residents are receiving too much fluoride, a mineral long used in combination with water to prevent decay.

Bohl's proposal to immediately stop fluoridating the city's drinking water is to be heard by the Common Council's Steering & Rules Committee at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, in Room 301-B at City Hall, 200 E. Wells St.

Greenfield's water is purchased from Milwaukee Water Works, which provides water to 16 communities and nearly 1 million residents, according to Rausch, who issued this letter to the committee Wednesday:

"Dear Steering and Rules Committee Member:

"As the Health Officer for a community of 36,672 residents served by Milwaukee Water Works, I urge you to continue the use of fluoride in Milwaukee. Please place this letter of support in the City’s official file regarding this topic.

"Fluoridation has been repeatedly cited as one of the leading public health achievements over the past century, and a practice that positively contributes to dental health and public health throughout metropolitan Milwaukee. Research studies have repeatedly demonstrated that drinking water with optimal fluoride levels (1.0 parts per million) reduces the incidence of tooth decay by up to 30 percent. Since dental health care is lacking for many population subgroups, fluoridation is an important component of dental health within the region. Additionally, though not always realized, fluoride provides benefits for adults as well as for children. Studies have indicated that adults that consume fluoridated water throughout their lives will have much less tooth loss and tooth decay than do adults in non-fluoridated communities.

"The cost-benefit of community water fluoridation makes it one of the most economical public health measures. For every $1 invested in fluoridation, an estimated $38 is saved in dental treatments. Furthermore, these benefits impact all residents, not only the affected individual, due to a variety of services provided by health departments, welfare clinics, health insurance premiums, and other publicly supported programs.

"Over fifty years of sound scientific evidence supports the effectiveness of community water fluoridation. The Greenfield Health Department urges you to ignore the hysteria and mediocre research of the fluoride opponents. Please maintain active fluoridation of the Milwaukee water system that effectively serves 16 communities and nearly 900,000 residents within the metropolitan area."