This week I was informed of the Government's plans to decide whether local water companies must put fluoride into our drinking water.

This may happen as soon as June. The Government is going about this in an underhand way, without any real disclosure of intent, or information available to the public.

The facts about flouride are scary and the threat to health is very real.

The German Association of Gas and Water Employees was asked to put flouride into water supplies, so prepared a detailed report considering all available evidence.

This evidence rejected water fluoridation on eight counts:

1, water fluoridation is foreign to nature

2, unnecessary

3, unsatisfactory

4, illegal according to two basic German laws

5, irresponsible

6, harmful to the environment

7, uncontrollable perhaps because fluorine, the basic element in flouride, is the most reactive element)

8, inefficient

This was in the 1970s. Since then technological advances have allowed detailed studies and have reached more sinister conclusions.

In a nutshell the old story was that fluoride intake was a good thing as it strengthened bones and teeth.

Now it is clear that, although bones appear thicker and more dense, they are actually much more brittle.

Teeth are more likely to develop cavities, especially when children are exposed to regular amounts toothpaste as well as natural and artificially fluoridated water.

Other areas of the body which can be affected are:

l Musculo-skeletal causing arthritis

l Gastro-intestinal causing gastric pain,nausea,vomiting,diarrhoea, bloating,constipation and inflammation of the mouth

l Neurological causing migraine- like headaches,blurred vision with moving spots, convulsions, muscular fibrillation);

l Skin causing dermatitis and inflammation.

Other symptoms include excess mucous, mouth ulcers,bleeding gums,vertigo, difficulty sleeping, excessive thirst, fatigue, memory loss, joint pains, oedema ,loss of concentration.

Wessex Water have consistently avoided fluoridating our water for decades. If they are forced by new, unchallenged laws to begin to do so, we will be forced to buy bottled water

Reaction to these plans is needed now, before the changes in legislation occur. Contact your MP, and the health minister. Contact Wessex Water and urge them to resist any changes. Write to everyone you know, including newspapers, expressing your views and have a say for once about what goes in your food.

G Byrne

Calne