Oregon Town Rejects Fluoride in Drinking Water Calling It Forced Medication and Environmental Threat

LINN COUNTY, Ore. — Residents of Sweet Home, a city in Linn County, have won a long battle with the local council to remove fluoride from drinking water, a methodology they describe as ‘forced medication.’

The residents first approached the council in 2014 to remove fluoride from the water system, expressing concerns about health issues. Fluoride was introduced to the drinking water in the area 41 years ago, in 1964.

Fluoride is a Hazardous Chemical Waste Product

Fluoride is categorized as a hazardous chemical waste product. Sweet Home City’s Public Works Director, Greg Springman, has confirmed that the council pays $3,000 a year in hazardous waste fees to have the product on site.

City Manager Jason Ogden reports that adding fluoride to the water system costs about $20,000 annually.

A motion to repeal the 1964 fluoride ordinance was unanimously approved by the council, while a city council vote to abolish the fluoride program was finally approved 5 – 2.

The fluoridation of water in Oregon and its potential impact on humans, animals, and the environment have been a topic of concern for several years.

Concerns About the Toxic Impact of Fluoride

Key areas of concern include the toxic impact of fluoride on aquatic systems, affecting aquatic organisms, biodiversity, and the health of ecosystems; soil contamination from water treatment plant runoff can impact agriculture and plant life; bio-accumulation as fluoride enters the food chain, increasing fluoride concentrations in humans and animals; health impacts such as dental and skeletal fluorosis – conditions caused by excessive fluoride intake, affecting teeth and bones; waste disposal poses challenges, as fluoride waste from water treatment processes can leach into the environment.

Sweet Home has a population of 10,000 residents, and its pristine environment is known as the ‘Gateway to the Santiam Playground’ because of the city’s proximity to lakes, rivers, and the Cascade Mountains. Known for its timber industry, Sweet Home is surrounded by livestock, fruit, and vegetable farms.

It will now be joining cities like Portland, whose residents voted against fluoridation of its water in 2013.

However, other larger Oregon cities like Medford, Grants Pass, and Hermiston, all opted to introduce fluoride to local water systems.