In the late 1960's Ms. L.H. Gebhardt (of Gebhardts Real Estate) gained a total of 6,936 signatures on a No-Fluoride petition out of an registered electorate of 10,000 residents of Mount Gambier. She being of spirit was successful in stopping the push for fluoride at that time.

I guess people back then remembered a time when fluoride was first put into toothpaste - the aluminium tubes use to corrode! They tried to solve this by adding a layer of gel between the tube and the paste itself. Thank God for plastic.

Ms. Gebhardt received a lot of correspondence from people all over the world, here is a sample of some as found in the historical archives at the Mount Gambier Public Library:-

• Photo of sodium fluoride operator from the USA - here
  (Compare above with "new" technological delivery of Fluorodose

• Sweeney product label circa 1950's - here

• How else can they get rid of their fluorides? circa 1960's - here

• Profit without Honour 1, London, circa 1960's - here

• Profit without Honour 2, London circa 1960's - here

In February 2007, the Border Watch alerted our Community that the State Government was going ahead in yet another push for water fluoridation for Mount Gambier. Ms. Gebhardt would be rolling in her grave. The immediate reaction as a result of that prominent article was for various members of the Community to call for a democratic referendum on the matter. Around this time some members of the Community formed Network Against Fluoride or NaF. The chemical symbol for sodium fluoride is NaF. See here for a NaF material safety data sheet. Also here.

SA Water has admitted to Choice Mount Gambier that the toxicity of sodium fluoride is well known. They went on to say however once suitably diluted in water, that the toxic potential is negligent. End of story. Choice Mount Gambier poses a further question to the reader, one of common sense, if only half of the diluted poison is excreted by the body, what are the long term effects say 20 to 30 years later of the build up of such a chemical in the body?

Choice Mount Gambier also enquired of SA Water as to the type of fluoride found naturally in the Blue Lake Water Supply. The response came back was calcium fluoride. When asked what type of fluoride will be added to our water supply the response that came back was sodium fluoride and the product most likely to be used is Fluorodose by Orica Water Care Australia (98% dry weight sodium fluoride).

Fluorodose Brochure (MS Word)
Fluorodose - Chemical Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).

Herein lies a major problem and a key to unraveling the deception that is water fluoridation. Calcium fluoride and sodium fluoride are two entirely different fluoride compounds. Calcium fluoride is naturally occurring and is insoluble whilst sodium fluoride is not naturally occurring and is a toxic water soluble salt being a by product of industrial waste. When placed in water, sodium fluoride will dissolve into its constituents sodium and fluoride F-.

Choice Mount Gambier Water Fluoridation Information Brochure (MS Publisher format)

In reporting fluoride F- as just fluoride the Australian Water Quality Centre where samples of our Blue Lake Water are sent for analysis, AWQC admit that a de-complexing solution is added to break down existing fluoride compounds in the lab samples into free F ions. The question remains is does the human body break down insoluble calcium fluoride?

I would prefer to uphold the decision of the Community rather than a State Government who doesn't listen to its electors anyway. Read our home page story about changing laws in Queensland. Even former MP Dean Brown (a proponent of water fluoridation) believed and stated in SA Parliament that and decision to fluoridate Mount Gambier community should be predicated by choice.

The question is has SA Health suitably taken steps to communicate and meet with the public on this matter? Sadly the answer is no. The structure of power is wrong in this instance and needs to change. The power should lay with the People. As can be ascertained from the "How Else Can They Get Rid of their Fluorides?" diagram, one can immediately understand the reason for this undemocratic push. Is it possible that so many smart people can be conned?

A total of 1,433 signatures were gained in the first half of 2007 requesting for a referendum to take place. A majority of the Councilors at the Mount Gambier City Council agreed and the motion was passed to write a letter to the Minister for Health, Mr John Hill requesting that community consultation take place.

Read Mr John Hill's response here.

By 22 June 2007, the Mount Gambier City Council felt powerless over the State Government's unrelenting push to go ahead and fluoridate our water. Minister Hill repeatedly claims that a public consultation had taken place in July 2005. This consultation was advertised (see here) in the Border Watch on 6 July 2005 with the consultation two days later on 8 July 2005.

The Mount Gambier City Council rightly states that the 6 July 2005 ad is misleading. Even though some of its members agree with the State Government push for water fluoridation, one particular pro-fluoride Councilor has been quite emotional in his actions towards other members of the Council and the community as featured in 22 June 2007 edition of the Border Watch.

Choice Mount Gambier does not condone this kind of behavior and wonders why mindsets such as these are allowed to serve the community. For their constitution is not a constituent of their conscience. Which goes to explain the emotional outbursts we have seen so far.

The ad made no mention of water fluoridation being one of the key issues up for discussion. Some members of the Grant District Council apparently went to this meeting and submitted a 3/4 page submission. Water fluoridation was not mentioned, but what Grant did mention was the need for better regional dental support and education. The Border Watch ran a small article on 13 July 2005 which covered the so called "public" consultation. See here

Should  the State Government be successful in fluoridating Mount Gambier's water supply by mid-2010 without due respect to the wills of its citizens and the calling for a vote on the matter, I could well envisaged the smug grins of those who would therefore win without conscience. Remember that conscience is made manifest through our wills and consent.

To date, the City Council feels stuck in a bind and disempowered. And we all know where empowerment comes from? Answer: The People.

On 27 November 2007, a citizen organized public town meeting was held at the St Martins School. Invited speakers for fluoridation were Minister John Hill of SA Health and two key figures from Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health, including Professor A John Spencer. 

These invitations were not accepted and their chairs remained empty on the night. Interestingly ARCPOH the SA institute where most of the fluoridation propaganda emanates from and to which our politicians treat as gospel, the "stakeholders" for ARCPOH include "government agencies, dental organizations, and private corporations." Therefore there is a propensity to serve these entities i.e. industry first before the SA Community. Choice Mount Gambier has it on good word that one of the major payers which funds School of Dentistry and ARCPOH is Colgate Palmolive Australia.

Invited speakers at the town meeting against fluoridation were:

1. Dr Andrew Harms. General Dentist and former SA President of Australian Dental Association (SA chapter) 1996. Dr Harms at the time was a proponent of water fluoridation and used to frequent rural SA to promote the practice. Since then however he has come to question water fluoridation and has in recent times travelled and spoken against water fluoridation.

2. Phillip Robertson. Naturopath at Carmoora Clinic in Geelong Victoria. Phillip gave a presentation outlining some of the effects of fluoride sensitivity in his patients and how when fluoride was removed from their diet his clients health improved.

3. David McRae. David has a BSc(Hons), Grad. Dip. Human Services. He works in health promotion & community development with Bellarine Community Health in Victoria

Even though officials invitations were sent to Minister Hill and members of ARCPOH, MP Rory MCEwen (Mr Hill's sidekick - see SA Hansard) stated that the town meeting was an ambush.

Due to the polarization of the issues surrounding water fluoridation, one side wants fluoride for oral health only (12 year olds are always targeted) and the other side doesn't want fluoride due to ill effects on the rest of the body over a period of time, which one do we believe?

Choice Mount Gambier would like to remind the reader, democratic issues aside, of the case of the potentially adulterated raw meat. Are we sure that it is fit for human consumption? We've all had to make decisions of such nature in the past. If in doubt, spit it, I mean throw it out. Toothpaste manufacturers issue warning labels on their product - DO NOT SWALLOW.

In early December 2009, fluoridation hit the headlines again covering the early stages of the building of the fluoridation plant adjacent to the Blue Lake. WinTV and the Adelaide Advertiser made attempts to contact Choice Mount Gambier and some coverage was provided to enable both sides of the story.

The Border Watch however now under editorial control of Michael Gorey failed to publish the story with both sides present at that time. As well as the main story, Editor Michael Gorey instead publishes his own version of the fluoridation issue succinctly merging persons who question the wisdom of such practice in the same camps as conspiracy theorists, new world order and Nazi's.

Interesting before the death of Allan Scott, former Editor of the Border Watch Frank Morello published nearly 100% of the information Choice Mount Gambier sent to the Border Watch so as to create at least a balanced perspective. Thank you Frank Morello for being a great Editor. You contribution to the South East Community as Editor of the Border Watch was tremendous and respected.

Michael Gorey as Editor has a long way to go to catch up with you as a man of journalistic integrity to realize that he is using his own position to posit his own views on the matter at the exclusion of persons and parties who question water fluoridation.

The saga continues... Come and make your voice heard. March with us on 16 January 2010. At the end of the rally Dr Andrew Harms (former ex president of the SA Dental Association) will be speaking.