Waimairi To Delay Fluoride Proposal

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30288, 14 November 1963, Page 16

Waimairi To Delay Fluoride Proposal

No further action will be taken on the proposal to fluoridate the Waiinairi County Council’s water supply until the council receives written assurances from the Medical Officer of Health in Christchurch (Dr. L. !■’. Jepson) that the recently-reported laboratory tests of two medical research workers in Oxford are not relevant to the fluoridation of the supply.

Although there was no discussion on the matter at the monthly meeting of the council last evening, a report from the works and reserves committee said the county chairman (Mr J. I. CpUigan) had suggested that no further action be taken on fluoridation until it had been proved beyond reasonable doubt that no risk to health would be involved. At the committee meeting. Cr W. T. Rice referred to the recent news report from London about alleged toxic effects of fluoride on body cells. He said if the report meant anything at all, the population would be dead by now. Cr. Rice said that according to the report, two medical workers at Oxford had found laboratory evidence that human cells were killed by sodium fluoride at one twentieth the strength of fluoridated drinking water, but that their findings did not necessarily mean that the

fluoridation of water was unsafe. Cr. Rice said that, as a layman, he was in no position to give public assurance on the matter, but he had spoken to the Medical Officer of Health, w-ho would fully investigate the matter and report back. The council received a quotation from J. J. Niven and Company, Ltd., for the necessary equipment for fluoridating the water supply. The total price was £10.564, which included installation costs.

It was estimated that there would be a delay of up to five months from the date an order was placed until the equipment arrived. Cr. Rice said he was of the opinion that a firm order should be placed for the equipment fairly quickly, and suggested that this should be done as soon as Dr. Jepson's assurances were received. Mr Colligan said it was now reasonable to say that a doubt had arisen on the question whether fluoridation of water was safe dr not and he agreed that the council should delay placing an order until the reply was obtained. He asked who were the-ex-perts on the matter. On one hand numerous medical experts had assured the public that only benefit could be derived from fluoridation, while on the other, the report from Oxford might Be considered as justifiably casting a doubt upon such claims.

• The council did receive last evening a reply from Dr. Jepson regarding the possibility of an overdose of fluoride if a person took fluoride tablets after the county water supply had been fluoridated. The council could be assured that there was no risk to health if that did happen, he said. “In many parts of the world people are taking fluoride in naturally fluoridated water supplies up to three or four parts of a million. There is a possibility of mottling the enamel of the teeth but even at the level of two parts per million, this would be very slight,” he said. The Health Department would certainly inform the Plunket Society of the exact geographical area in which the water supply would be fluoridated, said Dr. Jepson Chemists in areas in which the water had been fluoridated would also be informed. “I am quite certain no difficulties could arise on (his score,’’ he said.