To fluoridate or not to fluoridate?<\/p>\n
That is once again the question being asked to the residents of Rifle.<\/p>\n
After 10 years, the issue is being brought up once again and was the subject of a workshop presentation before Rifle City Council members before the March 4 meeting.<\/p>\n
No action was taken, but the issue is being revisited, and council will likely look at it again in the near future.<\/p>\n
Fluoridating the water was a controversial issue in 2005. City Council members at the time decided not to fluoridate Rifle\u2019s tap water, but pediatricians and dentists are now saying that they are seeing increased cases of cavities in children and that fluoride should be added to the water to help prevent dental problems.<\/p>\n
Dr. Colby Quintenz, a pediatrician at Grand River Health in Rifle, gave a presentation and asked Rifle City Council members to add fluoride back into the city\u2019s water. The city currently does not fluoridate its water.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been a practicing physician for nine years in Glenwood Springs and moved to Rifle last summer,\u201d Quintenz said. \u201cI\u2019ve noticed how much worse people\u2019s teeth were than in Glenwood Springs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cavities, which may seem like a small annoyance, can actually become part of a larger problem in a person\u2019s health, such as heart disease.<\/p>\n
\u201cCavities are a sign of an infection,\u201d Quintenz said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s especially not good for kids.\u201d<\/p>\n
But not everyone is in favor of adding fluoride to the water.<\/p>\n
Former longtime mayor and current New Castle City Councilor, Frank Breslin, is not in favor of adding fluoride to municipal drinking water and, in fact, calls it a \u201cpoison.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFluoride may help some people who have a terrible diet, but it\u2019s not benefiting everyone,\u201d Breslin said. \u201cIt\u2019s a poison and danger to the people in the public works department who have to handle it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The city of Rifle went through a public debate in 2005 about whether or not they should add fluoride to their water.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t currently add fluoride to the water,\u201d said Rifle City Manager Matt Sturgeon. \u201cAnd we haven\u2019t taken any action on it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rifle Mayor Randy Winkler said the council will take the matter under consideration and determine a plan for the future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
To fluoridate or not to fluoridate? That is once again the question being asked to the residents of Rifle. After 10 years, the issue is being brought up once again and was the subject of a workshop presentation before Rifle City Council members before the March 4 meeting. No action was taken, but the issue … <\/p>\n