Council to make decision on fluoride this spring
Okotoks: Scientists to debate issue
Okotoks town councillors will decide whether or not fluoride will continue to be added to the town’s drinking water in April.
Town administration presented council with a schedule for a public consultation process last week, which will include presentations from scientists and health officials and an online survey. A report will be drawn up and presented to town council before it decides how to proceed on April 9.
The issue of fluoridated water arose in January when Coun. Florence Christophers introduced a motion to council seeking to stop the practice.
Christophers said it’s a matter of choice. By adding fluoride to the Town’s drinking water, she said it takes away a person’s ability to choose whether they want to ingest fluoride. If people want fluoride, she said they can use mouthwashes, toothpaste or drops.
“At the end of the day, what persuades me most is the ethical argument,” she said. “The science is stacked on both sides, it’s really a very, very hotly contested scientific debate.”
Supporters of fluoride say adding fluoride to water helps prevent tooth decay and provides a source of fluoride for families who can’t afford dental care.
Opponents say a growing body of research is showing it has negative effects by hardening bones making them brittle as people age, increasing the risk of injuries like hip fractures.
Christophers also pointed to the World Health Organization which states the rate of tooth decay decreased in European countries that don’t add fluoride to their water.
She said there are inexpensive ways for people to be able to get fluoride, including toothpaste, rinses and drops. Christophers’ motion also includes a proposal to use the funds the Town spends on adding fluoride to water to purchase supplements for low-income families who want it.
As well, she said it’s expensive for people who don’t want fluoride in their drinking water to either buy special filters to remove it or to buy bottled water.
Starting this month, the Town will start an awareness campaign informing residents about the issue through a variety of media, including the Town website, social media and advertising on the radio and in the Western Wheel.
The Town will hold a public hearing on March 26, with speakers on both sides of the issue. Dr. James Back, author and University of Calgary professor, will speak in favour of removing fluoride from drinking water. Dr. Richard Musto, Alberta Health Services medical officer of Health for Calgary, will speak in support of fluoridation. A question and answer period will follow the presentations.
The Town will then conduct an online survey on the issue through the Town’s website to gather additional feedback from residents. People will be able to access the survey starting March 27, a day after the hearing.
On April 9 Town council may decide to remove fluoride from the water supply or continue its current practice. However, council could also decide to postpone a decision for another meeting or hold a referendum as has been done twice in the past.
The Town first added fluoride to its water in 1980 after the move was supported in a referendum.
While she said the consultation process is fair, Christophers would not support using a plebiscite to decide the matter because it would take away a person’s right to choose for themselves whether they want to use fluoride.
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