Hampshire Against Fluoridation Newsletter
March 2009

This is the first newsletter since the Strategic Health Authority ignored all our protests and decided to impose fluoridation on Southampton, Totton and Eastleigh. The twelve people who made up the SHA Board were seemingly kept from seeing all of the evidence presented to them. Their ignorance was demonstrated by one member asking if fluorosis was permanent, after 3 months consultation she did not know that!

Public Meeting
Hampshire Against Fluoridation have organised an open public meeting where there will be an opportunity to sign the petition, find out more about what we are doing since the decision and how you can help. This will take place on Saturday 4th April at:
Central Baptist Church
Devonshire Road
Southampton
Come along at any time between 12 – 6pm.
Legal Fighting Fund
We have launched a Fighting Fund and are seeking donations to help fight the SHA decision. We are currently taking legal advice to challenge this decision. All contributions gratefully accepted!

Donations to the fighting fund: Hampshire Against Fluoridation
Ann Richards
4 South Road, Hayling Island, Hampshire PO11 9AE
Tel: 023 9246 3761

MPs act on fluoridation
Hampshire Against Fluoridation and the MP for New Forest East Dr Julian Lewis have started the process of appealing to the NHS Ombudsman. We have also officially complained about one City councillor an employee of the City Primary Care Trust for not withdrawing at the critical City Council meeting where Councillors passed a vote for fluoridation. Every other Council, Totton, New Forest District, Eastleigh, Test Valley. Hampshire County, all opposed fluoridation.

Hampshire MP Chris Huhne is calling for the Environment Agency to study the potential effect of fluoridating Southampton's tap water. He hopes the authority will look at the risks involved in the scheme to rivers and water courses.
On Wednesday, 18 March, Stephen Peckham met Lord Edward Baldwin and attended the All Party Parliamentary Group Against Fluoridation meeting. Julian Lewis (MP for new Forest) and Sandra Gidley (MP for Romsey and Bassett) were there too along with Chris Huhne's (MP for Eastleigh) researcher. Stephen gave a brief summary of what had happened in Southampton and then what we are currently doing about the petition, complaints etc. There was a lively discussion - there were three other MPs and three Lords present. Clearly Julian Lewis and Sandra Gidley are very angry and want to take as much action as possible. Current suggestions for Parliamentary action are an Early Day Motion in the next few weeks and possibly an adjournment debate when there is a health topic. They will also table questions. There was also discussion about tabling an amendment to the Health Bill passing through Parliament at the moment.
Note: it was an early day motion that began the latest legislation for fluoridation in 2003

Downing Street Petition
We are distributing petition forms to demonstrate that there is an overwhelming rejection of fluoridation in Southampton. We aim to get at least 10,000 signatures and take our petition to Gordon Brown who said on a recent visit to Southampton " It was vital local people made the choice themselves".
The forms are attached and if you too can pass them on to sympathetic sources it will help to raise at least 10,000 signatures. Please print the petition and collect signatures and either return them to us or contact us and we will collect them. We have been collecting signatures in the city centre and have also put forms in shops around the city (see list below). Various students from colleges and university have also taken copies to get signed. In the main I would say 95% of people asked signed. The petition launch was filmed by Meridian TV.
Locations where people can sign petitions:
Tesco, Trebourba Way (ask at customer service desk)
Highfield News, Highfield Lane.
October Books, Portswood.
Naturally Yours, Bedford Place.
Yoma Cafe, Bedford Place.
The Art House, 178 Above Bar (from beginning of April)
Chris Stewart Chiropodist, 10 Portsmouth Rd, Woolston.
Newsagents in St. James Road, Shirley.
Holland and Barrett, Shirley High Street.
Afro-Caribean shop in Shirley High Street.
GNC, East Street, Southampton
Peter Rhodes Books & Cafe, Portswood Road

The petition form is also on the web:
Click here for petition
To print click on "more" and the menu drops down to the print menu or you can download as a document file.

Other things you can do.
Write to your MP to complain about the consultation and the way the SHA ignored the evidence and wishes of the local people. You can write to them at the:
House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA
Sandra Gidley MP (Romsey/Chilworth)
Alan Whitehead MP (Southampton Test)
John Denham MP (Southampton Itchen)
Chris Huhne MP (Eastleigh)
Julian Lewis MP (New Forest)
Write to your local councillor. Lists of councillors are available on the Council websites:
Southampton City (http://www.southampton.gov.uk/thecouncil/thecouncil/organisation/city-councillors/list.asp#0)
Eastleigh (http://www.eastleigh.gov.uk/meetings/mgMemberIndex.asp?fn=ward)
New Forest (http://www.newforest.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=606&articleaction=wardlist&CFID=19087375&CFTOKEN=46479337)
Test Valley (http://www.testvalley.gov.uk/Default.aspx?page=194&vs=bGV2ZWwxPUVB&qslbid=lbBoroughCouncillor&qslbcn=level2&qslbca=EA%3bBOROUGH+COUNCILLOR)
Hampshire County Council (http://www3.hants.gov.uk/yourcountycouncillors/findyourcouncillor/findyourcouncillorbydivision.htm)

Other Places to write and complain to:
Southern Water
Southern House, Yeoman Road, Worthing BN13 3NX
www.southernwater.co.uk
The UKCAF web page http://alturl.com/w76 has suggestions that you can follow in the way of writing letters to the Water Company and advice on how to go about legally in claiming money back to cover cost of bottled water or equipment to filter it out.

Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London SW1P 4QP
www.ombudsman.org.uk