Today the Daily Echo launches the great Southampton fluoride debate.
It comes after the first steps towards adding fluoride to the city’s drinking water were agreed by health bosses.
They have decided to launch a £178,000 public consultation on whether to go ahead with the hugely-controversial proposal.
Those who support the plan claim it would be the solution to the city’s poor dental health.
However, critics say that large areas will be indiscriminately medicated, with people unable to opt out of receiving treatment.
Fluoridation already takes place in several places across Britain – notably Birmingham and the West Midlands, Newcastle and parts of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire – affecting 5.5 million people.
The final decision on whether to follow their example in Southampton will be made by the strategic health authority next January.
Join the fluoride debate. Do you want flouride added to Southampton’s drinking water?
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