Why doesn't the CMO for England believe in our right to say no?

FACE TO FACE WITH SCOTLAND'S CMO
Interestingly, though, the public has flexed its empowerment muscles on the subject of fluoride, forcing the Scottish Executive to reverse its proposal for the mass fluoridation of Scottish water in order to improve the woeful condition of the nation's teeth. Instead, it has now promised to increase and enhance NHS dental services. "There is a lot of public misunderstanding about fluoride. I am in no doubt that increasing the level in water would be a good thing for public health, not just for teeth but in relation to gum disease and its relation to heart conditions.
"Having said that, I got stick from some of my colleagues because I was not prepared to stand up and say we will fluoridate the water at all costs. But it's a basic aspect of medical ethics that you don't treat patients without their permission. No-one is going to force antibiotics down people's throats, no-one is going to force statins down people's throats. And by the same token it's very difficult to force fluoride down people's throats if public opinion is against it."
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