Safety of fluoridation questionned by EU

Safety of Water Fluoridation Questioned by EU Scientific Committee on Health Risks. The latest issue of Hampshire Against Fluoridation's newsletter reports that:

Water fluoridation has been described as 'a crude and rather ineffective form of systemic fluoride treatment to prevent dental caries without a detectable threshold for dental and bone damage‘.

This is the opinion of the EU Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks (SCHER) contained in a recent report on the scientific evidence on water fluoridation. Their report also concludes that: 'There is no obvious advantage in favour of water fluoridation compared to topical application which is the most effective method for prevention of tooth decay’.

These and other aspects of water fluoridation‘s safety were discussed at a special hearing in Brussels on 17th September. Hampshire Against Fluoridation‘s chairman, Stephen Peckham (husband of Anna who came recently to Stroud to share their campaigning experiences), was one of a number of international scientists, health and environmental campaigners who presented detailed evidence of the adverse effects of adding fluoride to drinking water.

The Committee‘s findings directly challenge the SHA‘s claim that fluoridation is ―safe and effective. While the SHA continues to promote 1ppm as an ̳optimum level‘ of fluoride in water, the Scientific Committee concluded that in areas where water contains fluoride at concentrations over 0.8ppm, chil- dren under 12 years will exceed the upper limits for fluoride ingestion. Stephen Peckham said: 'As Hampshire Against Fluoridation has always argued, the SHA have not properly considered the evidence. This timely scientific review demonstrates that water fluoridation will expose children to excess levels of fluoride. It is shocking that the SHA are ignoring this evidence.'

Over-exposure to fluoride in the UK and Eire was a key concern. Despite the SHA and PCT brushing-off such concerns, the EU Scientific Committee took very seri- ously the problem of excess ingestion, argu- ing that there is an urgent need for further research. They were particularly worried about bone cancer in young boys – a concern dismissed by the SHA in their consultation document. At the hearing, Professor, Stephen Peckham and John Graham.

Vyvyan Howard, a leading international researcher in molecular bioscience at the University of Ulster, argued that if regulatory approval for fluoridation chemicals was being sought today based on the data presented to the hearing by SCHER, the chances of obtaining it were extremely remote.

US based Ellen and Paul Connett from the Fluoride Action Network and Dr Ziegelbecker from Austria joined representatives from the National Pure Water Association, HAF, VOICE of Concern for the Irish Environment, Dr Jennifer Luke and Professor Vyvyan Howard. Also in attendance were a leading supplier of fluoride toothpastes in Europe and the Spanish company producing and supplying fluorosili- cates to Ireland. The only UK pro-fluoridation attendees were the chairman of the British Fluoridation Society and a representative of UK dental associations. No Department of Health or NHS representative attended despite their strong support for water fluoridation!

You can download a copy of the Scientific Committee‘s Preliminary Opinion on water fluoridation here.