12/13/07 A World Without Water Bottles

A world without water bottles, could we survive? As indispensable as the cell phone, the question really is not about whether you could give it up but could your kids? New studies have brought to light something dentists have feared all along, that children reared on relying on bottled water lack fluoride needed for strong and healthy teeth. That might not be the only health risk. Canada's largest outdoor store, Mountain Equipment has joined the ranks of Patagonia and others to ban the sale of bottled water over fears that the chemical bisphenol- A (BPA) could be linked to cancer and reproductive problems in animals. While the USDA has tested the chemical and determined it is not a risk, Japan stopped using polycarbonate plastic five years ago and it is reported that Norway will follow suite. This news should shake up suburban soccer moms, not to mention youth sports in general. How will parents cope should their precious child partake of a community drinking fountain or even worse, the dreaded garden hose.