ALBION, N.Y. (WKBW) — A public hearing in Albion on Wednesday night sparked heated debate over the potential removal of fluoride from the village's water supply.
7 News learned about the possible removal of fluoride from the village's water earlier Wednesday, and we spoke to Dr. Rachel Nozzi, the sole dentist at Oak Orchard Dental Health Clinic in Albion, who expressed her concerns.
On Wednesday night, residents attended the public hearing and voiced strong opinions, with some expressing concerns about fluoride’s impact on health, particularly for children.
Mark Brown strongly opposes fluoride, saying it is a harmful substance.
“We do not want the poison being put in our drinking water,” Brown said. "The infants and the small children can't speak for themselves; they might need a voice so we are a number of two, but we are two voices that were not heard before and maybe it will get spread around."
Jim Gardner shared his personal experience with fluoride and said it contributed to his tooth decay for using it while growing up.
"My experience is from brushing with fluoride toothpaste my whole life, and believing when the dentist scraped fluoride across my teeth after cleaning that it would protect me, well it hasn't," he said smiling.
But, health experts defended the benefits of fluoride.
Doctor Lalit Jain, a pediatrician at Oak Orchard Health, argued that fluoride is crucial for children in rural communities with limited access to dental care.
“We have only one dentist for about 4,000 people,” he said, highlighting that fluoride helps prevent cavities.
Albion Mayor Angel Javier Jr. said this discussion comes after several residents reached out asking why the village initially introduced fluoride into the water system.
"We have enough information to make educated decisions that affect public health," Javier said. "There has been a number of health organizations and doctors that have reached out in support of having fluoride in our water system, so it is important to look at that."
Javier said there will be further discussions planned to gather more community input before any decision is made.
