Australia - Letters to editor: Fluoride should be a matter of your choice

AH, so Kempsey Council is considering adding fluoride to the water of the shire.

While the dental health benefits seem to have been established over time the real facts are that to the human body as a whole fluoride is toxic, it is dangerous, it is not natural to our body. So if we consider fluoride as a ‘dental medicine’ this will be the only medicine that is added to a public water supply, what about all the other ailments that we humans suffer?

It is interesting that this ‘fluoridation of public water supplies’ seems to be an American ‘thing’ but go elsewhere, like Europe, and public water is not fluoridated.

So while it is admirable that Kempsey Council is showing leadership in dental health and hygiene this can be well achieved with an education, toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste campaign.

I don’t want to wash myself in fluoride, drink 'fluoride infused' tea and coffee, cook my food in fluoride, wash my clothes in fluoride, water my garden with fluoride, swim in fluoride at the local pool, not to mention even wash the dog in fluoride.

So this adding fluoride to community water supplies goes far beyond dental health, it ends up that the community as a whole becomes saturated in fluoride.

Before this is implemented by council, please make yourself aware of the benefits of fluoride as well as its dangerous and toxic properties, then express your views to your local representatives, the ones that are elected to look after our interest.

Merv Cunningham, Frederickton