County Council comes down against water fluoridation

Hampshire County Council has weighed up the evidence and decided unanimously it does not support proposals to add fluoride to drinking water supplies in Southampton and South West Hampshire.

Councillors concluded that more research and reassurances are required before Southampton City Primary Care Trust takes any further steps with its proposals.

The Water Fluoridation panel found a lack of robust and reliable scientific evidence to support the proposals. It also reported that scientists and health professionals have recognised that there are still ‘unknowns’ in relation to the effect of fluoride, not just on teeth, but the body as a whole.

A panel was set up by the Council’s Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee to investigate the benefits and risks associated with artificial fluoridation. The panel was asked to provide the Council with a view on whether water fluoridation should be supported as a public health intervention after hearing evidence from witnesses over two evidence gathering days.

The County Council will now send its views to the South Central Strategic Health Authority, which launched the consultation