Page 14-Thursday, May 18, 1978-The Michigan Daily
Drink the water
Researchers say flouridation not harmful
BOSTON (AP) - A federal study of Erickson compared the cause of cities without. . Erickson wrote that his study "shows
46 cities has concluded that fluoridating death of 922,000 people over three years "We don't know of any adverse health that the marked differences in crude
water to prevent tooth decay has no ad- in 46 American cities - 24 of them with effects at the one part per million level" mortality experience in the cities with
verse effect on people's health, fluoridated water and 22 without. - the concentration of fluoride fluoridated and non-fluoridated water
The study by the Center for Disease typically put in water to prevent supplies were not caused by
Control in Atlanta was undertaken to AFTER TAKING into account dif- cavities, Erickson said. fluoridation."
investigate claims that fluoridation is ferences in race, age, sex, education His study compared death rates bet-
linked to higher cancer rates. and population density between the two OTHER STUDIES have shown that ween 1969 and 1971.
groups of cities, he found that there was children who drink fluoridated water
"THERE IS NO evidence to suggest virtually no difference in the death haveabout 65 per cent fewer cavities. CITIES STUDIED with fluoridated
that fluoridation does any harm," Dr. rates. There were 1,124 deaths per water were San Francisco; Denver;
J. David Erickson, who conducted the 100,000 person years in the fluoridated Two critics of fluoridation, John Washington; Jacksonville, Fla.;
study, said in an interview. cities and 1,137 in the non-fluoridated Yiamouyiannis and Dean Burk, com- Miami; Chicago; Indianapolis;
A report on the federal findings was cities. pared death rates in 20 cities last year. Louisville, Ky.; Baltimore; Min-
published in today's issue of the New The death rate from cancer was 195 in They concluded that the chance of neapolis; St. Paul, Minn.; St. Louis;
England Journal of Medicine. the cities with fluoride and 197 in the dying of cancer was "significantly Buffalo, N.Y.; Rochester, N.Y.;
higher" in fluoridated cities. Cleveland; Toledo, Ohio; Oklahoma
Yiamouyiannis and Burk released City; Tulsa, Okla.; Philadelphia; Pit-
their study linking fluoridation and tsburgh; El Paso, Tex.; Norfolk, Va.;
cancer at a congressional hearing. Richmond, Va.; and Milwaukee.
Yiamouyiannis is science director of Cities studied without fluoridated
the California-based National Health water were Birmingham, Ala.;
Federation. Burk is a former resear- Phoenix; Tucson, Ariz.; Long Beach,
cher for the National Cancer Institute. Calif.; Los Angeles; Oakland, Calif.;
Sacramento, Calif.; San Diego; San
ERICKSON SAID, however, the two Jose, Calif.; Tampa, Fla.; Honolulu;
researchers failed to take into con- Wichita, Kan.; New Orleans; Boston;
sideration a variety of other factors, Kansas City, Mo.; Jersey City, N.J.;
such as differences in age of people who Newark, N.J.; Cincinnati; Columbus,
live in the two groups of cities, that Ohio; Portland, Ore.; Austin, Texas
could account for the differences. and San Antonio, Texas.
It's a toss-up: Who
should adorn dollar coin?
WASHINGTON (AP) - Before mittee:
Congress has had much time to think "In our view, expanding the field of
about a new, more convenient dollar design selection beyond historical ab-
coin, it finds itself refereeing a warm- stracts and U.S. Presidents would set
up debate with women's rights over- an unwise course in coin design, and in-
tones. vite a controversial debate which
The question on Capitol Hill is this: would tend to damage the overall suc-
If the new coin is authorized, should it cess of the proposal."
bear the image of a mythological Miss But the caucus of women House
Liberty or the profile of a real person, members already has endorsed an An-
women's suffrage pioneer Susan B. An- thony design. Rep. William Proxmire
thony? (DWis.), chairman of the Senate
THIS WAS a paramount question as Banking Committee, has introduced
the House banking subcommittee on legislation providing for the Anthony
historic preservation and coinage design, and a companion bill has been
opened hearings yesterday on the introduced in the House by Rep. Mary
proposed coin. It would replace the Rose Oakar (D-Ohio), a member of the
silver dollar and would be halfway in House Banking Committee.
SPOKESPERSONS FOR coin collec-
1 *B"The question of Capitol tors and the coin collecting industry
B ooreei snsuggested the differences might be
Hill is this: If the new coin resolved by resuming the former prac-
tice of minting special commemorative
too ite 's authorized, should it coins from time to time.
* * *'*'bear the image of a mvtho- Commemorative coins were dropped
after a flood of special issues in the
logical Miss Liberty or the 1930s.
profile of a real person, The Treasury proposal for the new
dollar includes a provision for con-
Order your women's suffrage pioneer tinuing to mint a part-silver version of
the big coin with the profile of the late
summer subscription Susan B. Anthony? President Dwight Eisenhower. But it
NOWI would be minted only as a piece for
size between a quarter and half-dollar. collectors, and would not be for general
Call764-0558Initial testimony was over- circulation.
whelmingly in favor of the notion of Meanwhile, the subcommittee heard
issuing a new dollar coin to expand the general endorsement of a dollar coin
merchandising potential of vending smaller and lighter than the
machines and, if accepted by the Eisenhower dollar, which has prac-
public, to cut the government's curren- tically no circulation. The panel was
cy costs cautioned, however, that the public
But the Liberty-Anthony rivalry would have to be educated to use the
Spring and Summer $6.50 stayedclose to the fore. new dollar coin in worthwhile quan-
THETREASURY came to the tities
by Mail $7.00 hearing touting its design proposal: Philip Coldwell, a member of the
Spring or Summer $3.50Liberty on one side, an eagle on the Federal Reserve's board of governors,
by Mail $4.00 other. Noting that there are many said his agency, which is responsible
distinguished Americans of bth sexes for retiring and replacing worn paper
who could be considered candidates for currency, could save more .than $30
commie mration, Stella Hackel, direc- million -a year if a dollar coin were
w Aftdeh subcom us - us . I0-,