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There is a mechanism in the body which keeps the fluoride in the
blood plasma at a level of between 0.14 and 0.19 p.p.m. and this
occurs whether the water contains virtually no fluoride or as much
as 2.5 p.p.m.
Fluoridation can be a money saver. Ten years of fluoridation at
Hastings, New Zealand, have reduced expenditure of public funds
on dental treatment to less than half and statistics in respect of
authorities in England and Wales where the average fluoride
content of domestic water supplies is at or above the recommended
concentration show that the cost per head for dental treatment is
substantially less than where the converse is true.
By the end of the year, over two million people in England and
Wales were receiving fluoridated water and several other schemes
are due to commence during 1969. Some 113 local health authorities
representing a population of approximately 30 million (60%
of the total) had agreed to the principle of fluoridation.
In order to encourage fluoridation and to demonstrate his faith in
its beneficial effects, the former Minister of Health in his Circular
24/68 decided to remove altogether the time limit (3rd August,
1970) during which he was prepared to indemnify local health
authorities and water undertakings against proceedings on the
grounds of injury to health.
This Council is one of 26 local health authorities served by the
Metropolitan Water Board who support the fluoridation of water
supplies as a dental caries preventative measure. Unfortunately, a
minority of 6 authorities have consistently opposed such action and
the Metropolitan Water Board is persisting in its policy of not
introducing fluoridation until there is unanimity among the authorities
supplied.
The possibility of placing the duty of fluoridation of London's
water supplies on the Metropolitan Water Board by a General
Powers Bill has been explored by the London Borough's Association,
but the Clerk to the Board has indicated the impracticability
of such a suggestion if only for the fact that the respective
areas do not coincide. Legislation, to be effective, would need to
be made obligatory throughout the country and the Minister is
not prepared, at this juncture, to support this solution.