Letter To the Editor,
Argus Newspapers, 8th April 2004.
Martina Watts, a nutritional therapist, gave sensible and valid reasons why we should not be adding fluoride to our water (The Argus, 6 April). She has voiced the opinion of a good many people in Brighton and Hove. Including mine. Martina hits the nail on the head when she says: “fluoride has never been classified safe for human consumption and is more toxic than lead.” I am no scientist, but she may well be right. And I am not prepared to take that risk.
Recent legislation gives health
authorities the ultimate responsibility for decisions to fluoridate water supplies,
following approval by consumers. The
science on fluoridation needs to be a lot clearer and researched more. The Bill
does not insist on proper clarification from Health Authorities on a
consultation process and that Health Authorities are not democratic. The
Government needs to provide clear science on fluoridation, rather than political
spin. Time and time again this
Labour Government are telling us what is good for us and how to live our lives.
On
the issue of water fluoridation, Martina has shown that they have got it
completely wrong. Tony Blair and
his colleague parade themselves as good Europeans.
Yet the rest of Europe has seen sense and banned fluoridation altogether.
Why should the people of Brighton and Hove be exposed to what in large
doses could be very dangerous, when the people of Barcelona are protected?
If the Labour Government really cared about oral health, they would have kept the promise Tony Blair made in his conference speech in 1999. The Prime Minister pledged that everyone would be able to see an NHS dentist within two years. Well four and a half years on Mr Blair is as near to achieving this as landing a man on Mars. If proposals being considered by the National Clinical Institute for Excellence on dental recall are accepted, they will make the six-month check up’s a thing of the past. Precisely the opposite to what should be happening. Over half of the adult population who aren't registered with a dentist will hope that it will become easier to see a dentist. Unfortunately, they will remain let down. Although dentists may treat more patients as they will not have to see patients unnecessarily.
Three things should now happen. Firstly, Tony Blair should apologise for letting millions of people down. Secondly he should take steps to ensure there are enough NHS dentists to cover the population. And thirdly, everyone who cares about having decent safe drinking water should take Martina Watts advise and tell Brighton and Hove’s three MP’s, David Lepper, Des Turner and Ivor Caplin what you think about water fluoridation. Alternatively email your opinion to me at brighton@tory.org and I will continue to take up this cause on behalf of the people in Brighton and Hove.
Mike Weatherley
Conservative Parliamentary
Candidate for Brighton Pavilion.