Sir, – Your unscientific article on fluoride (Opinion, September 9th) failed to answer the basic questions on fluoridation that were raised in Northern Ireland when our councils heard this issue.
Northern Ireland had a three-month consultation period in 1996, with the result that 25 out of 26 councils and the four area health and social services councils all voted against water fluoridation after hearing both sides of the argument. Our councils voted against for the following reasons: 1. It is a breech of your freedom to choose what drug you do or do not take. 2. 98 per cent of Europe had banned or rejected fluoridation. 3. No government representative could explain how it affected teeth only, when it had access to every cell of your body. 4. 99.9 per cent would be lost in underground leaks, waste water and flushing toilets, thereby wasting millions of pounds. 5. The dose could not be controlled as it would be in all food and drink manufactured using the water, as well as dental products, pesticides, etc.
I was elected the PR & information officer for the Councils of Northern Ireland who voted against. Northern Ireland remains fluoride-free, like the 98 per cent of Europe. The author never tackles the reason why most of Europe has banned in law or rejected mass-medication of its populations. Instead he has attacked the people who dare to challenge this failed government policy. He incorrectly states, “Claims that fluoride causes everything from cancer to diabetes are supported by no peer-reviewed evidence whatsoever”. In fact, there is a large and growing number of published peer-reviewed studies linking fluoride consumption to various illnesses. These studies can be viewed online at: www.fluoridealert.org.
I was present at a meeting on October 26th, 1998 with Tessa Jowel the British health minister in London. Also present was Dr AK Susheela, a professor of chemistry, from India, who had 100 published peer-reviewed studies in her own name proving harm to humans from fluoride at similar levels as those used in the Republic’s water supply. Britain has remained only 10 per cent fluoridated. Why didn’t Britain discontinue after so much evidence of harm? For the same reason as your government: it dares not admit it was wrong. Careers depend on that and litigation is sure to follow from those harmed by this mandatory drugging of the water. – Yours, etc,
WALTER GRAHAM,
PR & Information Officer,
Northern Ireland
Councils Against
Fluoridation,
Tobercorran Road,
Downpatrick,
Co Down.