ALLIANCE OPPOSING FLUORIDATION.

Buswell's Hotel, 12/2/2002 at 12pm.

PRESS RELEASE 11/2/2002

Groups and individuals opposed to the current practice of mandatory water fluoridation will meet in Buswell's Hotel, 12th February, at 12pm to compile a list of growing concerns and unanswered questions surrounding the practice. The list to be forwarded to every County Manager in the country will also request details of each Council's public health indemnification.

Citizens and environmental groups, Fluoride Free Water (http://www.fluoridefree.com) and VOICE, have invited doctors, dentists, T.D.s, M.E.P.s, Senators, Councillors and consumer interests in Ireland to discuss fluoridation, a practice abandoned by 98% of Europe.(1)

Invited politicians who have declared their opposition to water fluoridation include Senators Avril Doyle MEP (F.G.) and John Dardis (P.D.s), Emmet Stagg TD (Labour), John Gormley TD (Greens) and several councillors from across the country. Other opponents include Kildare G.P. Dr Andrew Rynne and Irish Dentists Opposing Fluoridation.

New international research is linking fluoridation to bone cancer (2) and a recent analysis of Irish figures showed a 40% elevated rate in Republic of Ireland (fluoridated) compared to Northern Ireland (unfluoridated).(3) These growing health concerns and a need for consumer choice on the issue have led to the Green Party's Private Members Bill calling for repeal of the Act which permits the dosing of our tap water with chemical fluoride.(4)

And, with Fluoride Free Water planning candidates for Cork South-Central and Dublin South in the coming election, the fluoridation issue is raising great public interest.(5)

There is a growing tide of concern among parents regarding the use of tap water for bottle-feeding. Recent research calculated that bottle-feeding infants will swallow 3-6 times the safe limit for fluoride if their formula feed is made up with fluoridated Irish tap water.(6)

For further information contact: Dr. Don Mac Auley 046 21203