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Do you know that fluoride is a toxic waste? Do you know that an overdose of only 1 p.p.m. can have serious effects? Are you aware that water treatment plant operators, ‘being human, can and do make mistakes? Also, that the technical equipment for dosing is decidedly not failâ€"safe? Do you know that several cases of fluoride poisoning have been documented during the past few years? Questions infallibility of treatments Davis wishes success to UNICEF drive Proâ€"fluoridationists argue that there are many toxic chemicals used in the water treatment process. True, some chemicals are Again this year, 1 note with interest that the Ontario UNICEF Committee has deciared the week of October 24 â€" 31, 1982, to be UNICEF WEEK FOR SAFE DRINKING WATER. During this week UNICEF will promote citizen awareness of the United Nations "International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitaâ€" tion Decade, 1981 â€" 1990", and I wish the Committee every success on behalf of the Government of Ontarâ€" The goal of this U.N. â€" declared Decade is to eliminate by 1990 the threat of death and disease which continues to endanger the lives of approximately 500 million children in the developing world. 1 urge the people of Ontario to join with me again in offering encourâ€" agement and support toâ€" UNICEF during UNICEF WEEK FOR SAFE DRINKING WATER. Your generosâ€" ity will help UNICEF to achieve the goal of clean water for all, thus ensuring a healthy future for chilâ€" dren less fortunate than our own. William G. Davis Queen‘s Park Toronto, Ont. 10. During 1981, the first fundraising year of this Decade, UNICEF Canâ€" ada supported eleven projects in all parts of the developing world to provide safe water and sanitation for more than one million people. Ontarians, through their donations to UNICEF, contributed over $400,000 toward these projects. Prior to this week‘s opening of Parliaâ€" ment, we have been hearing a great deal about the role which increased internaâ€" tional trade must play in Canadian ecoâ€" nomic recovery. _ Last week, the Prime‘Minister used nationâ€"wide radio and television appearâ€" ances to underline the need for Canada to become more competitive in international markets. His remarks, however, did not deal with how some of his Government‘s policies have threatened Canada‘s comâ€" petitive capability generally, and the specific relations with our most important trading partner: the United States. What he chose not to adds:ss were the policy directions of his Government which have exacerbated, rather than streamâ€" lined, Canadaâ€"United States trade relaâ€" tions. The most commonly cited of these are the role of the Foreign Investment Review Agency (FIRA) and the National Energy Program (NEP). Various minâ€" isters in the Trudeau Government have complained that the Americans have ‘misunderstood‘ these two initiatives. Some of the reasons for this are quite clear. We have set in place no regular consultative mechanisms through which to explain Canadian trade policy changes to American legislators. We would do well to look at the way in which the European Parliament opens trade communications WALTER McLEAN necessary to remove the impurities from water,; but that is not the purpose of flueoride. Also, unlike the other substances used in the water conseqgently . 1 overdosing has Swan River, Manitoba, will be celebrating its 75th anniversary in Highlighting the year‘s activities will be Homecoming ‘83 on July 22, 23, 24. treatment process, fluoride is gress, the individual has been deâ€" nied his democratic right to decide whether he wants an unnecessary, and potentially very dangerous toxic chemical added to his water. Marcel G. Ouellette Waterioo, Ont. All former Swan River residents are invited to join us in making this 75th birthday a memorable occaâ€" sion. * For more information, please write Box 2183, Swan River, Maniâ€" Re ‘Nurses urging fluorides for all water supplies‘ (Kâ€"W Record Oct. 15). Since the above item appeared, I have heard many uncomplimentary Question of democratic society There have been rumors circulatâ€" ing that there is a link to fluoride and learning disabilities. At no time, has the Ontario or Kitchenerâ€"Waterâ€" loo chapter of the Association for Children with Learning Disabilities been presented with an accredited paper which draws this concilusion. Deryk J. Farrell _ President Kâ€"W Association for Children with learning Refutes claim â€" of link to disabilities Swan River celebrates anniversary Once again, in the guise of proâ€" The Homecoming Committee Swan River, Manitoba between members of the European Ecoâ€" nomic Community, other governments and elected representatives. U.S. Conâ€" gressmen have no similar onâ€"going contact with Canadian Members of Parliament. We must rely on informal relationships like those I have been able to establish on my own ... The end result of this lack of a formal consultative process between elected leâ€" gislators is that most policies affecting Canadaâ€"US trade are carried out and explained by one country‘s bureaucrats to the other‘s. This is where large problems begin. The bureaucrats can only defer questions concerning the intent behind a given policy to the Minister responsible. As time goes on, misunderstandings and media ‘supposition‘ take the place of businessâ€"like negotiations. One example which was recently brought to my attention serves to demonâ€" strate the potential for damage. There are currently 52 different pieces of legislation before the U.S. Congress which were introduced in ‘retaliation‘ against FIRA and the NEP. One of these bills has alarmed the Government Policies Comâ€" mittee of the Kitchener Chamber of Commerce. Committee Chairman Sidney Bergstein asked me to determine the impact on our region of Bill HR 5133, introduced by New York Representative Richard Ottinger. That bill provides for Open communications! In the waiting room of our family doctor I saw recently a poster which read: Medicines (and umbrelias) only as needed. Claims that common sense should dictate The Kâ€"W Record editorial (Ocâ€" tober 23), Doctors act responsible by backing fluoridation, appears to suggest that doctors do not support what they advertise. Even the dentists suppose that fluoride is mainly effective when the teeth grow in children, and conâ€" sequently indeed the dentists must admit that the rest of Waterloo‘s population consumates the stuff without need. In addition, it was written in the Waterloo Chroncile (Oct. 20), WSWS prez questions comments, that the children of Kitchener, which does not fluoridate the drinking water, have statistically only one half cavity more than the children of Waterloo. By common sense then it is not needed to have even children drink the stuff to prevent a mysterious one half cavity per child. primanded in no uncertain terms. Can this form. of dictatorship be good for the populace heaithwise? Many doctors, dentists and nurses oppose fluoridation, but are unable to voice their opinion for fear of reâ€" respective bodies. And individual thinking is frowned upon. (compulsory) one must abide by the laws of said Union or resign. If one Does this make for a democratic society . Think about it! As with the Medical and Dental Association, the Canadian Nurses‘ Association (or Union) take their This is unfair! volume limitations on imported parts and components for products assembled in the U.S. â€" for example, automobiles. If approved, this legislation would contraâ€" vene the 1965 AutoPact interpretation of the domestic content in U.S. manufactured automobiles. That might lead to the introduction of tariffs on auto parts manufactured in Kitchenerâ€"Waterlo for assembly south of the border. The potential impact on Waterloo reâ€" gion‘s auto parts industry would be crippling. However, the introduction of this bill must be put into context of the midâ€"term Congressional elections coming up in November as well as the stated opposition of the U.S. Administration. My inquires have revealed these facts: 1. This year, for the first in many, the terms of the AutoPact are running in Canada‘s favour â€" for 12 of its 17 years, this agreement has cost Canada money. 2. Congressman Ottinger, a Democrat, is waging a tightly contested battle for his New York seat. It has become popular for he and other northâ€"eastern Congressional candidates to enter into a little Canadaâ€" bashing. The Trudeau Government has done little to head this off. 3. It is not widely known that the Reagan Administration has already opposed this bill during Congressional Committee hearâ€" ings â€" it was joined by US representatives of Ford and General Motors. Waterioo, Ontario J. Schroeder Guelph, Ont. Speaking out be held this November. 1 would appreciate Unfortunately the being informed of any average citizen is unable remedial action which to arrive at an intelligent might be promptly taken decision as to the benefits by your ministry through conferred by a fluoridatâ€" the various Departments ed water supply, mainly of Health, both provincial because public health edâ€" and regional, in providâ€" ucation in this field has ing the public with the been sadly neglected. true facts about the safeâ€" In view of the fact that ty and benefits of fluoriâ€" more and more governâ€" dation. Dr. Philip Voelker is the former Medical Officer of Health for the City of Waterloo for 27 years. _ _ _ _ _ Enclosed is a copy of a letter recently sent to the NHonorable Larry Grossâ€" man, Minister of Health of Ontario. The community at large might find this of in torest. Fluoridation of the comâ€" munal water supply, the single most important step in the prevention of dentai disease, and endorsed as it is by every major health organization the world over should be a topic of first ‘priority in public Only in this way will an informed public be able to deal with the hysterical and erroneous statements made by the opponents of fluoridation and which unâ€" fortunately are given prominent exposure in the Library of Medicine in thentic research data colâ€" lected world wide is availâ€" able through the University of Waterioo Library which has direct computer Dear Sir: A plebicite to deterâ€" mine the future of dental health in the City of Waterloo is scheduled to be held this November. Unfortunately the average citizen is unable to arrive at an intelligent decision as to the benefits conferred by a fluoridatâ€" ed water supply, mainly because public health edâ€" ucation in this field has been sadly neglected. via a computerized retrieâ€" vai service called Medâ€"Line fee involved. a May i urge all residents of Waterioo to be certain to our children will continue to be the beneficiaries of a fluoridation program which guarantees a healthâ€" ier disease resistant dentiâ€" tion. _ P. A. Voelker, M.D. Waterioo, Ont. 4. Unofficially, it has been suggested to me that if this legislation were ever approved by Congress, a Presidential veto would be «exercised. 5. The Canadian Government has offiâ€" cially asked the US. Administration to live up to its international obligations under both the AutoPact and the General Agreeâ€" ment on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) â€" such assurances have been forthcoming, alâ€" though no written commitment has been made public. â€" The point in all of this is that the Canadian Government has not been ‘up to scratch‘ in communicating the country‘s interest. We in Waterloo region need only think of the number of USâ€"based multiâ€"naâ€" tional companies operating in our area to know how important this fundamental communication is to our economy. The people of Canada might be prepared to take the Prime Minister‘s media appeals‘ more seriously if they felt his Government competent to advance Canada‘s trade interests in international markets. In the meantime, 1 make it a priority to build relations with US legislators. 1 am pressing for a parliamentary mechanism whereby Members of Parliament and Congressmen can discuss matters of vital mutual concern on a regular basis. This would put in place a counter weight to keep channels open when, as in recent months, Government relations sour. because of budgetary reâ€" straints, it would seem logical to emphasize the preventive aspect by asâ€" siduously promoting fluoridation of all comâ€" munal water supplies, a procedure conclusively shown to be compietely safe and effective. ments are cancelling A small but extremely vocal group opposed to fluoridation supplies disâ€" torted and misleading inâ€" formation to the media. Fanatics from California to Quebec called in speâ€" cifically for these camâ€" paigns succeed in having their grossly erroneous claims given prominent coverage. These wild statements if uncorrectâ€" ed have the very real potential of negating one of the major public health measures of this century. Having been able to closely observe the absoâ€" lutely phenomenal imâ€" provement in the dentiâ€" tion of the children of this city since the inauguraâ€" tion of fluoridation fifteen years ago, it would inâ€" deed be a major tragedy were this program to be discontinued. Current research in several university centers strongly suggests beneficial effects accrue also to the elderly in the form of prevention of osteoporosis, thereby rendering them less prone to bone fractures and painful back deforâ€" mities. â€"â€"â€" PAGE T7