Fluoride review coming to an end

A review of fluoride use in water is to be called into discussion and completed by the end of the year, the Irish Examiner has revealed.

Agriculture minister Simon Coveney announced on 11 March that a government appointed international group of consultants will examine the use of fluoride in public water supply.

A spokesperson at the Department of Health said the review will ‘synthesise the international and national evidence on the impact of water fluoridation [at its current level] on the health of the population and on the environment’.

‘The review will examine the evidence [positive and negative] of the impact of water fluoridation at its current level [0.6 to 0.8 parts per million] on the health of the population and on the environment, and also summarise gaps in the evidence base reported in the literature.’

Bantry in West Cork was the most recent town to call for a ban on fluoride in the water supply.

Declan Waugh, at the forefront of the campaign to remove fluoride from water supply, said this motion was ‘a milestone in local democracy’.

Fianna Fail councillor Christopher O’Sullivan said there is now ‘public outcry’ surrounding the debate on fluoride.

However, Sean Malone, president of the Irish Dental Association, backs the use of fluoride, saying it is a ‘safe and effective way to reducing decay in the population’ and ‘the less money you have, the more you benefit from it’.

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