Fluoride levels should be reduced
The report found that malfunctioning equipment in Roscommon caused excesses of this chemical in the water supply. Other excesses were noted in Cork city, west Cork and Co Louth.
The Irish Doctors Environmental Association participated in the forum which investigated the practice of fluoridation and which reported in September 2002.
One of its recommendations related to improving the standard of the monitoring systems, and another was that the level of fluoride should be reduced.
Amazingly, however, neither these nor the other five recommendations of the fluoridation forum have been implemented and, furthermore, questions put to the forum by Prof Paul Connett have yet to be addressed.
We remain deeply concerned about the fluoridation of drinking water and the level of dental caries in the population.
However, we believe that dental decay is not caused by a lack of fluoride but, as we know, by poor diet and inadequate dental hygiene. That remains our position, but until this practice of fluoridation is stopped, at least we should reduce the levels as agreed over two years ago.
The World Health Organisation, referring to environmental influences on children’s health, classified fluoride with lead, mercury, arsenic and persistent organic pollutants.
Dr Philip Michael
Irish Doctors Environmental Association
Millbrook Medical Centre
Bandon
Co Cork.
