Daily Echo letters

SOAPBOX: Fluoride in the water supply
Such one-sided misinformation
JOHN Spottiswoode is right to raise concern about the British Dental Association's manifesto promoting water fluoridation issued to all parliamentary candidates (Letters, April 28).
The reply from Professor Walmsley of the BDA fails to mention that the York Review found water fluoridation had little impact on social inequalities, leads to an increase in fluorosis and that there is not enough good quality evidence with which to inform policy
His claim that "fluoridation helps to promote oral health equality for everyone, including adults" is not supported by the best evidence.
Indeed, recently Southampton PCT have been instructed by the Advertising Standards Authority not to repeat these claims as the evidence relating to fluoride and adult dental health is not robust and is not supported by the leading scientific experts called on by the ASA. The Republic of Ireland, to which Professor Walmsley alludes, has reduced the level of fluoride in water due to concern about fluorosis.
There are many academics who do not support water fluoridation and are concerned at the lack of good quality evidence with which to back up claims such as those in the BDA's literature.
The other issue brought up by John Spottiswoode is the ethics involved in putting a substance into drinking water for medicinal purposes (despite hexafluo-rosilicic acid having no medicinal licence) and given to the whole community who have little choice in the matter.
It is right that politicians speak up against this one-sided misinformation.
ANNA PECKHAM, Highfield, Southampton.


Lives in La La land methinks
WE know "Fluoridation has professionals' support" (Daily Echo, May 5).
They never give up in trying to force us to drink and bathe in fluoride. Professor Walmsley uses the , same old rhetoric as the Strategic Health Authority, no mention of fluorosis - no mention of the difference between the calcium fluoride and the polluted waste product they "top up" with. No mention of what the York Review really found - fluoridation is not proven safe nor effective.
I would like to remind the professor of his previous statement in October 2007 "The British Dental Association was one of a number of organisations that campaigned for the change to the 2003 Water Bill that has given communities the right to decide for themselves whether they wish their water supplies to be fluoridated."
We've heard all the arguments from professors from both sides and we've decided as a majority to say no but the BDA does not take no for an answer.
No doubt the professor lives in La La
land with Peter Ward, chief executive of the BDA, and Barry Cockcroft, chief dental officer. BILL EDMUNDS, Cadnam.

The people say
'no'
I HOPE Prof Damien Walmsley is paid well for his efforts of disinformation on fluoridation.
There is so much evidence against everything he says in his letter it is quite overwhelming. And he really should know that many many people are waking up to the fact that the World Health Organisation are rapidly gaining a reputation for being anything but a 'reputable organisation' along with many others along the same lines who are funded by governments or others with a vested interest in the 'guidance' they put out, no doubt including the British Dental Association.
We all know that research can be done to prove or disprove whatever one wishes according to their own agenda. We the people say NO and that should be enough. We don't need to hear anything more on this subject. Forget it, we don't want it, it's over! At least it should be!
TRUDI BARTLETT,
Shirley
Southampton