FLUORIDATION OF WATER Riccarton Action Praised

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28541, 21 March 1958, Page 17

FLUORIDATION OF WATER Riccarton Action Praised

The decision made by the Riccarton Borough Council to investigate the possibility of fluoridating the borough’s high-pres-sure system was the action of a “progressive local authority,” the Medical Officer of Health (Dr. A. Douglas) said in Christchurch. “It is gratifying to see that a progressive local authority like the Riccarton Borough Council is planning to make this investigation. This should give encouragement to other local bodies to explore the possibilities,” said Dr. Douglas. A recent article issued by the World Health Organisation said that fluoridation was safe, practicable and effective, said Dr. Douglas. Studies of adult*populations living in areas where fluorides were found naturally in drinking water had shown that dental decay was only about one-third of that in areas where water did not contain sufficient fluorides, according to the World Health Organisation. Where fluorides had been added to drinking water the rate of decay had decreased about 60 per cent., and children had wellformed teeth more resistant to decay than other children. This had been proved, said Dr. Douglas, by hundreds of fluoridation programmes studied by W.H.O. experts.