Thank you for contacting me about water fluoridation.
While I note your concerns about fluoride in your water supply, fluoridation programmes are common practice and have been in place for nearly 60 years. Around 6 million people in England already consume fluoridated water. I would like to reassure you that there have been no cases of water fluoridation causing any ill effects.
The Government is also required to monitor the effects of water fluoridation and produce reports on this every four-years, which I hope you find reassuring. The latest report was published in March 2022, and you can read the full report at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/water-fluoridation-health-mo…
I understand that a recent report from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and the UK Health Security Agency on water fluoridation found that this process significantly reduces tooth decay. It found that children and young people in areas with high fluoride concentrations in the water supply were 63 per cent less likely to be admitted to hospital for tooth extractions from decay than those in areas with low fluoride levels. In the most deprived areas, the risk of tooth decay was 25 per cent lower in areas with a fluoridation scheme than in those without one.
Since 2013 local authorities have had the responsibility, through the Water Industry Act 1991, to propose and consult on new fluoridation schemes and variations to or termination of existing schemes. I understand that some local authorities have reported difficulties with the current process particularly because local authority boundaries do not have the same boundaries as water flows. The new Health and Care Act gives the Secretary of State the power to directly introduce, vary or terminate water fluoridation schemes. This will allow central government to directly take responsibility for fluoridation schemes.
Some people are concerned by previous suggestions of adverse effects from fluoridated drinking water, such as a rare form of bone cancer (osteosarcoma), Down’s syndrome or effects on the kidney. I am, however, reassured that evidence does not support this and that various authoritative expert evaluations from different international organisations all agree that there is no convincing evidence that fluoride in drinking water at levels used in fluoridation schemes or at concentrations below the regulatory drinking water limit is harmful to general health.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Craig Whittaker MP
August 2022