Frances Roden, leader of Stroud District Council, in her reply to Rob Mehta, chair of the "Safe Water campaign for Gloucestershire", on questions about the dangerous effects of fluoridation, stated that if ever fluoridation of our water supplies in this area was proposed, the SDC would "consider their response very carefully".Legally, the public have to be consulted before a Strategic Health Authority can require a water company to fluoridate water supplies and Frances Roden agreed that this would appear to strengthen the power of the SHA. In the Southampton area fluoridation has been proposed and now approved despite the fact that 72% of the population expressed opinions against fluoridation in the consultation process.
Rob Mehta, chair of "Safe Water Campaign for Gloucestershire", said:"We welcome the commitment by Frances Roden for a future debate if Stroud is threatened by water fluoridation and are confident that the local population will reject it when they understand what it means".
Frances also confirmed that at present there is no intention by the local PCT to request fluoridation of our water supplies.
Rob Mehta. chair of "Safe Water Campaign for Gloucestershire", said "Fluoridation is a government measure intended to try to reduce decay in children's teeth. Its main basis was the "York Review" of 2000 which suggested an improvement after fluoridation of about 15% {shown by some studies to be merely a delay of decay by about a year} but also admitting to 12% dental fluorosis {a psychologically disturbing discolouration of the teeth} serious enough to require expensive cosmetic treatment. There is also much evidence to suggest that fluoridation can have dangerous effects, especially to babies via bottle feeding. We should also have the human right to decide what medication we take into our bodies".
Rob Mehta added "Water fluoridation amounts to mass medication without consent".
All fifty one members of the SDC were circulated by the "Safe Water Campaign" with a number of disturbing questions about fluoridation.
Of the twelve replies received , 6 were from the Green Party, 4 from the Conservative Party, 2 from the Liberal Democrats, 0 from the Labour Party and 0 from independent councillors.
Nine of the twelve responses were against fluoridation including all Green Party members, whilst the other three councillors would like further investigation and discussion.
Rob Mehta, Chair, Safe Water Campaign, 47 Bisley Old Road, Stroud, GL5 1LY
