Fluoride Free Austin is an alliance of concerned citizens from all walks of life united behind the goal of eliminating the dangerous and costly practice of community water fluoridation. Fluoride Free Austin is not a card-carrying, dues-paying organization. It is a fire in the minds of men and women–a fire that will not die until Austin’s drinking water is free of the artificially-introduced, health-damaging hazardous waste toxin fluoride. If you agree with our objectives, then, wherever you may live, you can be a part of Fluoride Free Austin. Welcome on board.
You can actively help our campaign by downloading and distributing our handouts, sending us interesting news items to post and–if you live in the Austin area–emailing, calling or writing to City Council members and signing up to speak before the City Council. You can also take advantage of our new Reading Room page, with its outstanding collection of links, to educate yourself and others. Please explore our website and make use of the resources you find there.
PROGRESS REPORT:
Our first year and a half—celebrated this month—has brought a number of landmark successes. Last August, through our efforts, the Austin Environmental Board issued a recommendation that City Council convene an independent task force to study the issue of water fluoridation as has been done in other cities such as. Juneau, Alaska. When the City Manager’s office attempted to subvert the Board’s intent by hastily issuing its own rubber-stamp endorsement of fluoridation, we were present in force to speak out against the whitewash report at the EB meeting where it was presented. The Environmental Board then voted to resubmit its original request to Council for a genuinely independent study panel. There the matter rests, to date. In November, Fluoride Free Austin received its first major media coverage, a well-balanced feature in the Austin Chronicle which was picked up by Yahoo News and followed by two shorter pieces. The University of Texas student newspaper, the Daily Texan also produced a feature piece, and news of our activities traveled worldwide through the Fluoride Action Network Bulletin and other fluoride news tracking services. Through our website, we have heard from supporters all over the country, and the world.
It was during this same period that the Austin City Council put in place a rule to limit access to the Citizens Communication platform by prohibiting an individual from speaking more often than every third meeting. The justification was to encourage “new voices,” though that could better be achieved by providing more speaker slots. While we cannot prove this measure was directed specifically at us, we believe it was, at least in part. We take it as recognition of our effectiveness in communicating a message unpopular with politicians but resonant with the general public.
An amendment to the rule allows the “regulars” to sign up on standby status to speak in the event that the 10-slot roster fails to fill up with “new voices.” This is the case more often than not, and so we have had continued opportunities to ensure that our voice is never absent from chambers for long.
In the past six months, we have set up several meetings between individual City Council members and a select group of professionals that includes scientists, a dentist and a medical doctor. We’ve been featured on several TV and radio programs. And we’ve begun spreading our message at events like this year’s Earth Day Festival on April 21, which earned us coverage in the Daily Texan as well as a fine opportunity to engage the environmentally conscious public. All these efforts will continue, along with an expanded community outreach push through leafleting and public presentations of our slide show.
Fluoride Free Austin has successfully created a buzz, and that’s no small thing. Now we must build on it.
NEW FEATURE: THE FLUORIDE FREE AUSTIN READING ROOM
We are proud to introduce the FFA Reading Room, an extensive collection of links and articles designed to further public education on the subject of water fluoridation in the U.S.A. The linked-to information ranges from early archival material to up-to-the minute reports on scientific research and political developments. There’s also a space for local news and announcements. We will be constantly updating and adding to the Reading Room. We hope you will visit there often.
April 2010