By Philip Booth, Secretary of the Safe Water campaign for Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.
Whilst health authorities in Hampshire/IoW continue their moves towards adding fluoride to our water, scientists worldwide have been demonstrating how dangerous this is.The US National Research Council (NRC) in March 2006 published an extremely damaging report on fluoride in water. Dr Hardy Limeback, who was on the NRC Panel said, "In my opinion, the evidence that fluoridation is more harmful than beneficial is now overwhelming and policy makers who avoid thoroughly reviewing recent data before introducing new fluoridation schemes do so at risk of future litigation." And Dr Paul Connett says: “The crucial message of this report is that the highest scientific authority in the US has determined that low levels of fluoride in drinking water may have serious adverse health effects."In April 2006 a Harvard Study linking fluoridation with a 5-fold increased risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer) in boys was published in the peer-reviewed journal Cancer, Causes & Control. This, together with studies with similar findings, means the link is now clear between fluoride and cancer.In November 2006, the American Dental Association (ADA) issued an alert advising that fluoridated water should NOT be used to prepare infant formulas for the first year of a child's life. This has already resulted in several water districts stopping fluoridation and will probably lead to many more areas discontinuing the practice. Those who still fluoridate are now expected to face multi-million dollar lawsuits in the USA for causing illness, disability and even deaths. See item below to stop Walmart selling Fluoride "Nursery Water" to Infants.In December The Lancet in a review of Developmental Neurotoxity of Industrial Chemicals calls for further in-depth studies.Countries worldwide, including Europe, have banned fluoridation on medical and scientific grounds. When will our local health and water authorities wake up to the dangers of fluoride in water and stop this ridiculous move to pollute our water with this dangerous toxin?