For Immediate Release
January 15th, 2016
Protect Public Health, Keep Fluoride in Drinking Water: Mayor Crombie
Mississauga – Peel Council has a responsibility to protect the health and wellbeing of children, seniors and families, and this means keeping fluoride in drinking water, Mayor Bonnie Crombie said today.
Mayor Crombie’s comments were made in response to a January 7, 2016 letter signed by Ontario Health Minister Dr. Eric Hoskins, and Dr. David Williams, Acting Chief Medical Officer of Health, calling on municipal leaders to support fluoridation in drinking water. Crombie added the letter to Thursday’s Regional Council agenda.
“Regardless of income, education or employment, residents of all backgrounds benefit from access to safe and effective fluoridation in their drinking water,” Mayor Crombie said. “Removing fluoridation will widen the gap between the rich and poor. It is unacceptable and irresponsible to make life harder for our most vulnerable residents.
“The very families unable to afford ongoing dental care treatment will have their oral health at risk without fluoridation.”
On January 21, 2016, a special Peel Regional Council education session will be held to further study the fluoride issue. Mayor Crombie added “Politicians need to listen to healthcare professionals and proven medical research that stresses the importance and benefits of fluoridation in municipal drinking water systems.”
More than 90 national and international professional health organizations have endorsed the use of fluoride at recommended levels to prevent tooth decay, Crombie said, including:
- Health Canada;
- Canadian Public Health Association;
- Public Health Agency of Canada;
- Canadian Dental Association;
- Canadian Medical Association;
- S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC); and the,
- World Health Organization.
The letter from Minister Hoskins and Chief Williams sites that tooth decay is the single most common chronic disease among Canadian children, and the CDC estimates “that for every $1 invested in community water fluoridation, $38 is saved in dental care.”
Crombie concluded “The medical evidence I have seen from reputable sources indicates that fluoride in the drinking water is fundamental to good oral health, and that it is in the best interest of Mississauga residents.”
-30-