Lymington Advertiser

City council votes for fluoride referendum
COUNCILLORS have voted to demand a referendum to settle an NHS fluoride scheme affecting 8,000 Totton residents.
Southampton City Council agreed to call on the South Central Strategic Health Authority (SHA) to put the issue to a public ballot, after it approved the plans last year.
Fluoridation will affect 190,000 people in total and includes Totton because of the layout of the pipes. It was proposed by Southampton City Primary Care Trust but is being fought in the courts and opposed by New Forest MP Julian Lewis and New Forest and Hampshire councils.
But the chairman of campaign group Hampshire Against Fluoridation, Stephen Peckham, said although he welcomed the city council's vote as a strong message against fluoride, he opposed a referendum.He said: "The SHA has already carried out a consultation and the majority of respondents rejected the proposal. "Therefore, a referendum would be unnecessary, impossible to administer, and a waste of even more NHS money. "The SHA is now in a rather isolated position as none of the local councils or MPs support the decision so the only course of action would be to scrap this unpopular scheme."
A SHA spokesperson told the 'A&T': "There is no mechanism by which South Central Strategic Health Authority is able to hold a referendum." Fluoridation was agreed in February last year by the SHA to tackle child tooth decay and at the time Southampton City Council was the only local authority to support the decision.
During consultation 72% of responses were against fluoride, but a Mori poll showed a different picture with only 38% opposed against 32% in support. The SHA is also facing a pending judicial review and complaints to the health service ombudsman.