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Ms Fitzgibbon claims the addition of fluoride damaged her own health and is making other people ill. She picked Chemifloc last week due to its role in fluoridation.
Speaking about her own situation, Ms Fitzgibbon said she believes fluoride caused her significant health problems, which took some time to diagnose. “I had thyroid dysfunction for a number of years and it wasn’t until I started to filter my water with reverse osmosis that I knew. I was told to do it by my healthcare practitioner, who is a nutritional therapist and I had to take supplements of iodine and magnesium and only then did my energy return and low mood shift. After that, I started to look into it and I was shocked that there are a number of side effects found.”
Ms Fitzgibbon claims there are a number of problems that can arise due to fluoride. “Fluoride is known to be a neuro-toxin and the Government have ignored it up to now. Thyroid function would be one of the main concerns of scientists and health professionals, it reduces thyroid functioning, which can lead to things like fatigue and depression and hormonal imbalances. It can affect people with kidney disease, they can’t excrete it so it ends up building up in their system and can cause skeletal abnormalities.”
She claims it is unethical to add it to drinking water without people’s considered consent, while she also claims the vast majority of European water supplies don’t have fluoride added.
Obviously, it’s not up to Chemifloc whether or not fluoride will be added to Irish water supplies, so why bring her protest to their door? “I know they don’t make the rules but it was for public awareness. They have the contract to provide fluoridation chemicals around the country. It’s important to highlight where it is coming from.”
She said Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley is bringing proposed legislation before the Dáil, which would ban fluoridation. “We’re hoping that party politics is put aside and that there will be serious action taken.”
Ms Fitzgibbon said the actual health benefits of fluoridation are in doubt anyway.
“Dental researchers have concluded in recent years that that the effect of fluoride is topical, meaning that you can get the same effect from toothpaste, which you can spit out. What they thought was a good idea in the ’60s has been shown not to be a good idea.”
In a short statement released after the protest, Chemifloc said it has no role in framing policy on fluoridation and that it is committed to complying with all relevant regulations. “Chemifloc manufactures and supplies water treatment products. In 2007, the HSE awarded Chemifloc the national contract for the supply of Fluosilicic Acid to all water treatment plants in Ireland, in accordance with the national fluoridation programme under Irish law. Chemifloc does not influence Government policy on drinking water.
“Chemifloc takes its role in the treatment of water very seriously and complies with all Irish and European standards for chemicals used in the production of drinking water.”
Chemifloc is an Irish company and has been in existence since 1981. It hit the headlines late last year after a chemical spillage in Shannon, which saw eight people hospitalised.
