Sir, – It is to be welcomed that the misguided practice of treating our drinking water with fluoride is getting an airing in your pages (Declan Waugh, June 20th). This practice is the exception rather than the rule among our EU partner states.
This policy continues on grounds of an alleged benefit for dental health. Comparisons with jurisdictions where water fluoridation is not practised (such as Northern Ireland) provide little comfort, in dental health terms, for supporters of the policy.
Meanwhile, evidence builds up of the toxicity of fluoridated water. A 2003 research report, conducted in China and published in the journal Fluoride (Effect of Fluoride in Drinking Water on Children’s Intelligence – Xiang) found that the greater the level of fluoride in the drinking water of children the less well they performed on standard IQ tests. – Yours, etc,