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known. Evidence to this effect is now longstanding and
incontrovertible. In areas of the country where fluoride
occurs naturally in the water supply, dental cavities of children
are only half of those living in non-fluoride regions.
Moreover, some researchers are beginning to believe that
fluoride is not only preventive but that it also helps to combat
tooth decay after its inception. Some research is being conducted
into vaccination to reduce decay and in monkeys
some success has been achieved. Its application to humans
has yet to be attempted.
This Council continues to support action for the fluoridation of
all domestic water supplies but substantial benefits to the nation,
both financial and healthwise, by the use of a cheap and valuable
additive are being circumvented by obscurantist agitation.
Drug Addiction
Although, currently, drug addiction has lost its "topicality",
nevertheless, its threat to society continues. Of the community, two
sections namely, adolescents between 13 and 17 years and middleaged
women between 34 and 50 years, are considered to be most
vulnerable. Adolescents because even non-users tend to believe
that drug takers are more "with it" and therefore more socially
acceptable; middle-aged women because a significant proportion
become dependent upon drugs regularly prescribed for depression,
anxiety and sleeplessness. (Some 40% of these patients have
repeat prescriptions—many extending over 16 years and 50% for
more than 4 years.)
It will be remembered that during 1967 there was sufficient
support in this country to enable advertisements to appear in the
national press in favour of legalising the use of cannabis. This
stimulated the establishment of a special government committee
to enquire into the problems but the recommendations contained
in the Wootton Report (mainly the reduction of penalties) were not
acted upon.
It has been estimated that, in 1960, there were 24,000 cannabis
users and that the present figure is in excess of 2 millions. Researches
in colleges and universities suggest that 34% of students in
these establishments are casual users of cannabis.
From a survey carried out by a Home Office psychiatrist at
a remand centre from 1968 to 1970, it was revealed that 3 out of
5 persons who smoked cannabis went on to other drugs and 1 in
5 experimented with more dangerous substances—only 1 in 5
persons "stayed" with "pot". It was his opinion that smoking
cannabis contributed substantially to the general development of
drug use.