Victoria’s chief health officer is confident the Warrnambool community will accept a decision to add fluoride to the city’s drinking water.

Fluoride will be added to the water supply today.

There has been strong opposition to the move from some community groups, which say water fluoridation is akin to forced medication.

The chief health officer, Dr John Carnie, expects opposition to the move will eventually subside.

“In areas in which the water has been fluoridated people begin to realise that nothing terrible has happened,” he said.

“The people of Melbourne, for example, have been enjoying the benefits of fluoride for the past 30 years.”

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