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Leitrim joins anti-flouridation campaign printable version

19 Jan 2015: posted by the editor - Health, Ireland

Leitrim County Council has become the latest council to pass a motion calling on the Government to immediately cease public water fluoridation in Ireland.

A joint motion tabled by Cllrs Brendan Barry (SF) and Sean McDermott (FG) proposed that "... Leitrim County Council would be calling on the Government to amend the Health (Fluoridation of Water) Act 1960 and subsequent Statutory Instrument (42/2007 Fluoridation of Water Supplies Regulations 2007) and to ban the addition of fluoride to water supplies".

It received unanimous support from their Council colleagues across the chamber floor on Monday 12 January 2015. Though the motion makes no difference legally, the Irish Government continue to come under mounting national cross party political pressure to call time on public water fluoridation in the run up to the impending 2016 General Election.

Cllr Barry said: "The policy of adding fluoride to water needed to stop. The European Court of Justice has defined Fluoridation as a medication and therefore that public water fluoridation equated to involuntary and indiscriminate medication of the Irish people. The EU has issued directives that babies and toddlers should not be exposed to fluoridated water. Children between one and four are most at risk of developing fluorosis which damages teeth enamel. Studies have linked fluoridation to a wide range medical diseases including Kidney malfunctions, arthritis and bone cancers. Hydrofluoric acid is being used to add fluoride to our water at a cost of €4.8 million per annum. This is a neuro toxic industrial waste which can cause damage to the nervous system. Fluoridation is banned in 98% of European countries. The Irish government continues to impose fluoride on the Irish people and on top of that it is now forcing us to pay for it through water charges. The European Commission is on record as saying people do not need fluoride for normal growth and development. Fluoridation of water needs to stop immediately."

Cllr McDermott said he welcomed the support of the entire council for the joint motion calling on the Government to immediately cease fluoridating public water supplies around the country. "People are getting enough fluoride from other products regularly consumed including toothpaste, tea etc". He also said that there was widespread opposition to the practice of water fluoridation in Leitrim and that he was proud to have been associated with getting the motion through.

County Leitrim become the 7th major Council to pass a motion in the past year, the 2nd in 2015 and was one of two Council's in Ireland to pass a motion against the outdated and dangerous practice of public water fluoridation on the 12th of January last week.

Supporters of the national campaign to end flouridation include Cork County Council, Cork City Council, Kerry County Council, Laois County Council, Dublin City Council, Wexford County Council and Leitrim County Council, representing well over 1.5 million Irish Citizens who've all passed motions in 2014 calling on the Government to immediately scrap The Health (fluoridation of water supplies) Act 1960 and bring Ireland's position to this matter in line with EU precedent for which not one other European Government maintain a similar policy due to health, environmental, legal or ethical concerns as a result of ongoing scientific and medical objection.

Tags: water flouridation

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