Calgary councillors to push for city water fluoridation
The fluoride debate may be about to bare its teeth once again as council resumes regular meetings after the August summer break.
A notice of motion being brought forward by three councillors is asking the city to bring on the University of Calgary’s O’Brien Institute for Public Health to “conduct an objective assessment of the evidence” on public water fluoridation.
The study would explore four categories – effectiveness, safety, costs and ethical considerations.
Couns. Peter Demong, Diane Colley-Urquhart and Richard Pootmans are making the request.
Although the notice of motion only asks for a study, Pootmans believes enough evidence in favour of fluoridation could sway council into putting fluoride back in the city’s drinking water.
He was one of the councillors who voted against removing fluoride from the water in 2011.
A joint study led by Dr. Lindsay McLaren released in the spring of this year showed that Calgary had seen a measurable spike in child tooth decay since it stopped fluoridating its water.
“We’re gaining some momentum and we’ve spoken at length about what the next steps should be subsequent to Dr. McLaren’s research showing that we do have an issues with cavities in children – as was predicted when the fluoride was removed,” said Pootmans.
Colley-Urquhart said the O’Brien Institute has offered its services to the city free of charge.
In a memo to other council members on the motion, it was noted that the O’Brien Institute has worked on a national and international level with groups such as the World Health organization and the World Bank.
“The OIPH is a credible agency to undertake this work,” reads the memo.
posted by Bill at
9:18 AM
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