House of Commons, 24 October 2000 6pm

The Symposium was organised by the National Alliance for Equity in Dental Health, and chaired by Lord Tomlinson, President of the British Fluoridation Society. Held in the House of Commons, the meeting was well attended by health professionals and policy makers - including MPs and members of the House of Lords.

Dr Ray Lowry, Consultant in Public Health Medicine at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, outlined the continued inequalities in children's dental health, and described the difficulties experienced by over 50 health authorities in trying to implement their fluoridation proposals. He described the extensive publicity and consultations carried out by health authorities - many going well beyond the requirements of the Act - which had demonstrated overwhelming public and local authority support. Dr Lowry explained that, despite this clearly demonstrated public support, every health authority had had its request for fluoridation refused by water companies. Dr Lowry finally summarised the outcome of the judicial review of Northumbrian Water's refusal to extend fluoridation the North East. The judgement confirmed that existing legislation does indeed give water companies the right to turn down a reasonable request, and they do not have to give a reason. This, concluded Dr Lowry, amounted to private companies determining public health policy, and was totally unacceptable.
Dr Caswell Evans, Executive Editor and Project Director of the US Surgeon General's recent report Oral Health in America outlined the situation in the US where over half of the population drink fluoridated water. As Director of Public Health for Los Angeles, Dr Evans last year introduced fluoridation for the 3 ½ million residents of that city.

Dr Evans stressed the inextricable link between oral health and general health. He said that in the US increasing longevity and high expectations of maintaining good health and good looks mean that oral health is very important to Americans. They realise that eating, speaking and most social activities are dependent on good oral health.

This has led to renewed interest in and almost universal support for fluoridation. Previously non-fluoridated cities such as Los Angeles and Sacramento are rapidly becoming fluoridated. Concluding, Dr Evans stressed that the active support of organisations representing the interests of consumers and, in particular, children and the elderly, had contributed to the recent successful implementation of these large fluoridation schemes.

British Fluoridation Society Chairman, Professor Michael Lennon, reiterated the high level of public support in the UK for fluoridation, and Ministers' acknowledgement that existing legislation is "a mess".

Launching the new British Fluoridation Society briefing 'Water fluoridation: benefits and safety' which summarises the findings of the York review, Professor Lennon said that the Government had welcomed the York report and its finding that fluoridation is safe and effective. He went on to say that the Alliance for Equity in Dental Health will now be pressing the Government to act on its White Paper promise to "introduce a legal obligation on water companies to fluoridate where there is strong local support for doing so".

Following an interesting question and answer session, Lord Tomlinson, British Fluoridation Society President, echoing Professor Lennon's sentiments said that the Government must now face up to the force of the 'quiet' majority. He said that, in light of the York review, there could be no possible excuse for allowing the objections of the minority who refuse to accept its findings to deprive the majority of the benefits of fluoridation. He said that there was a substantial impetus in both the House of Commons and House of Lords to maintain pressure on the Government to move the issue forward with new legislation.

Copies of the new BFS briefing can be obtained from: Sheila Jones, Information and Research Officer, British Fluoridation Society, Room 414, 4th Floor, University of Liverpool School of Dentistry, Liverpool L69 3GN. Tel: 0151 706 5216; Fax: 0151 706 5845; E-mail: bfs@liv.ac.uk; URL www.derweb.co.uk/bfs/index.html

The British Fluoridation Society urges all interested individuals and organisations to write to their MPs (House of Commons, LONDON SW1A 0AA) and to the Secretary of State for Health, The Rt. Hon. Alan Milburn MP (Department of Health, Richmond House, 79 Whitehall, LONDON SW1A 2NL) requesting new legislation.

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