Book Description
'I cannot pretend to be an expert on fluoridation; but from what I've read it seems to be better, rather than worse, for people's health.' Tony Blair, Question Time, House of Commons, 6 May 1998. Fluoridation of water has been used for the prevention of tooth decay for over fifty years. The chemicals used are classified as toxic industrial waste, and no study has ever been conducted into their safety for human consumption. At the same time, research has uncovered serious side effects including deaths, cancer, skeletal fluorosis, osteoporosis, dementia, lowered IQ, kidney damage and even increased dental decay. Fluoride has been abandoned - and banned - throughout most of Europe, yet more than 60% of water in Ireland is fluoridated and 12% of that in the UK. There are strong pressures on both governments not only to retain but to actually increase the levels of fluoridation. In Ireland, local councils' votes to abandon fluoridation have been overruled by central government. In the UK, scientific evidence unfavourable to fluoride was disregarded by a government commission of enquiry. The dental establishment lobbies for everyone to ingest fluoride, whether they want it or not, and regardless of possible harm. Barry Groves has assembled evidence to refute every single argument made by the dental establishment in favour of fluoridation. His book is particularly timely as the issue of fluoridation enters the political area once again in both Britain and Ireland. The debate will be vigorous and this book will be at its centre.
