For Immediate Release
January 25th, 2016
Protect Public Health, Keep Fluoride in Peel Drinking Water
Peel – The Mayors of Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon are calling on Region of Peel Council to protect the health and wellbeing of children, seniors and families, by not removing/eliminating fluoride in drinking water.
This united front follows a January 21, 2016 special Peel Regional Council education session held to study the water fluoridation issue. Each mayor believes Peel Region should host a series of public consultations to further engage and inform residents from the three area municipalities about the benefits of fluoride and the risks associated with eliminating it.
Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie said “Regardless of income, education or employment, residents of all backgrounds benefit from access to safe and effective fluoridation in their drinking water.”
“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,” Mayor Crombie added.
Brampton Mayor Linda Jeffrey said “I have read and agree with the recommendations and reports from the Chief Medical Officer of Health for the Region of Peel, Ontario’s Acting Chief Medical Officer of Health and Ontario’s Minister of Health that all support the fluoridation of our drinking water.”
Ontario Health Minister Dr. Eric Hoskins, and Dr. David Williams, Acting Chief Medical Officer of Health, co-signed a letter, dated January 7, 2016, calling on municipal leaders to support fluoridation in drinking water. Mayor Crombie added the letter to the January 14 Regional Council agenda.
Caledon Mayor Allan Thompson said “The decision to support this practice is based on solid medical evidence and the professional, expert recommendation of Peel’s Chief Medical Officer of Health and Provincial Health Officials.”
More than 90 national and international professional health organizations have endorsed the use of fluoride at recommended levels to prevent tooth decay, including:
- Health Canada;
- Canadian Public Health Association;
- Public Health Agency of Canada;
- Canadian Dental Association;
- Canadian Medical Association;
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC); and the,
- World Health Organization.
The letter from Minister Hoskins and Dr. 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.”
Mayors Crombie, Jeffrey and Thompson concluded “Politicians need to listen to healthcare professionals and proven medical evidence that stresses the importance and benefits of fluoridation in municipal drinking water systems.”
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