HEALTH bosses in Cumbria are to vote this week on whether to support the controversial addition of fluoride to more of the county’s water supplies.
Already around 130,000 people in West Cumbria receive fluoridated water, but this could be extended to other areas if NHS Northwest approves the move.
The board of Cumbria Primary Care Trust is meeting on Thursday to decide whether it wants NHS Northwest to come up with in-depth proposals on fluoridation.
A PCT report says the addition of fluoride could prevent widespread tooth decay, pointing out that 47 per cent of the children in the county suffer dental problems by the age of five.
However, anti-fluoride campaigners claim studies show the chemical can have a detrimental effect on the body and is not effective against fighting decay.
Should fluoride be added to Cumbria’s water?
How to cast your Fluoride poll vote… You have two choices – phone vote or text vote.
To phone vote YES dial 0901 221 0323. To phone vote NO dial 0901 221 0324.
To text vote, send your text to 80360 starting with FLUORIDE, leave a space, and then the word YES, or NO.
Calls cost 25p Per Call from BT landlines. Calls from mobiles and some other networks may cost more. Text’s cost 25p plus your normal operator text charge.
Telephone and text voting lines close at midnight on 02/10/2008 at 23:59:59PM. Service provided by Newsquest Media Group.