Letter

Letter to the Editor:

Congratulations to the good people of Bedfordshire for standing up for truth. Anna Bragg's outstanding documentary, "Toxic Tap Water: Water Fluoridation in the Town of Bedford" is a real eye-opener. Little wonder that Elaine Hollingworth, Director of Hippocrates Health Centre of Australia, writes, "There are only three reasons possible for your representatives to permit your water to be poisoned with fluoride: Ignorance, Stupidity and Corruption."

To see film footage of members of Bedfordshire's council sniggering, sneering and jostling in their seats, like naughty, disruptive schoolboys, while someone who opposes fluoridation was attempting to be heard, was absolutely shocking.

More shocking was the spectacle of a young female dentist, a so-called 'expert', representative of Public Health for England, as she read from her script. Lifting her head high, as though unashamed, she had the audacity to state that fluoride caused no health problems. None whatsoever!

Did she really not know that the world's leading medical body of experts, the World Health Organisation, added fluoride to its list of top seven chemicals of major health concern, in March last year? Was she unaware that EU members, also last year, passed regulations to ban the very toxin that P.H.E. is urging councils across England to put into our drinking water, from food?

I am no expert, but as a member of Thyroid UK, I don't take lightly the advice it gives to people with thyroid problems to avoid fluoride in water and toothpaste. I now understand that fluoride is an iodine antagonist; it depletes the thyroid gland of its natural reserves of iodine that are essential for good health.

The fact is that while P.H.E. presents this toxic agent as a "Must have" item, it is a danger to everyone's health. Worldwide scientific evidence shows that it is harmful to body and mind. The majority of countries oppose fluoridation schemes. Those countries that were formerly gullible enough to believe it was worthwhile, now ban it. Israel's Health Minister banned fluoridation of her country's drinking water iast year. 98% of European countries have already said "Mo," to fluoride. They do not want it.

In the words of the Russian author and Nobel prize-winner, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, imprisoned for telling the truth, "The simple step of a courageous individual is not to take part in the lie. One word of truth outweighs the world." For this reason, I wish to say a sincere "Thank you," to those brave, energetic and determined people of Bedfordshire who are not afraid to bring the truth to light.

Joyce Alderson

86 Victoria Road,

Whitehaven,

CA28 6JD