Ellijay, GA: A new position paper from the National Kidney Foundation concludes that individuals with chronic kidney disease should be notified of the potential risk from exposure to fluorides. The document acknowledges gaping holes in research concerning kidney impacts from fluorides, lending new ammunition to the growing numbers of cities, health professionals, water agencies, and citizens who question industry and government assertions that water fluoridation has been proven safe. The statement formally cancels NKF’s previous position paper on water fluoridation and recommends that kidney patients be notified of the risks via the organization’s web site. Opponents of fluoridation believe the statement is a step in the right direction, but say that the document still does not go far enough and is notreaching the millions of average kidney patients ­ perhaps due to an apparent conflict of interest the National Kidney Foundation has in receiving grant funding from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the federal government’s largest promoter of water fluoridation. NKF has issued no press release about the April 15th statement and has offered no direct link to the new information on its web site except when asearch for the term “fluoride” is entered. Daniel Stockin is a career public health professional now at The Lillie Center, Inc, a Georgia-based public health training firm that is working to end water fluoridation. He observes, “If you read the statement, it appears the Kidney Foundation wants to have its cake and eat it too. NKF apparently recognizes that it stands to be sued by thousands of its own kidney patients and doctors for negligent misrepresentation and failure to warn, but doesn’t have the stomach to oppose the CDC who has been a funder of NKF. So NKF has told some of the story of fluoride’s toxicity, but not all, and quietly putthe news on a difficult-to-find web page. Lawyers and fluoride opponents are going to have a field day with the inconsistent statements in the paper.” Opponents of fluoridation do appreciate that the new paper strikes a blow to organizations such as the American Dental Association that list NKF assupporting, endorsing, or recognizing the public health benefits of fluoridation. In bold-faced type the paper states, “The NKF has no positionon the optimal fluoridation of water.” This statement appears to require the American Dental Association to remove the National Kidney Foundation’s name from ADA’s list of organizations recognizing fluoridation’s benefits at http://www.ada.org/public/topics/fluoride/facts/compendium.asp.

Full Story: http://www.kidney.org/atoz/pdf/Fluoride_Intake_in_CKD.pdf