Belgium seeks EU ban on fluoride toothpaste

Belgium is to ban the sale of fluoride tablets and drops used as a food supplement and will ask the EU to ban fluoride from toothpaste.

Public Health Minister Magda Aalvoet said scientific research has shown fluoride can cause osteoporosis, or brittle bones disease, and said its merits in the fight against tooth decay were increasingly being questioned.

The ban on tablets and drops _ used as a food supplement for children _ will take effect at the end of the month making Belgium the first country to prohibit their sale.