COUNCILS from throughout East Lancashire are to help draw up new battle plans against the compulsory fluoridation of water.

The Government has resurrected the idea and is being backed by health and dental experts nationwide who believe it is the most effective way of reducing dental decay in the whole population - particularly among children.

Opponents argue that even if fluoride does everything that is claimed, adding it to drinking water would be forced mass medication that has not been proved safe in the long term.

They say there are effective ways of administering fluoride to anyone who wants it.

Tomorrow, North West Councils Against Fluoridation will elect a new chairman to lead the group into a new campaign.

Councillors and officials from Blackburn, Hyndburn, the Ribble Valley, Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale are all expected to attend the meeting at Bolton Town Hall. Missing will be representatives from West Cumbria and Crewe - the only two areas to have added fluoride in their water because they voted for it.

The group's fears were roused by the Green Paper "Our Healthier Nation" which supports fluoridation.

Bolton has been chosen to host the meeting because it was the only town in Britain to hold a referendum on fluoridation in 1968. The poll showed 73 per cent of people against in a turn-out of 82 per cent.

Liz Vaughan, Information Officer for the anti-fluoridation group, said: "We formed in 1988 to stop a move to allow water companies to fluoridate water supplies on request. The campaign was successful and, in 1992, North West Water as it was then, bowed to the enormous pressure of North West councils."

The group's new fight supports the National Pure Water Association's call for a full and independent Public Inquiry into water fluoridation.

Members are now awaiting a Government White Paper, which was due to be published last month but was delayed because of the controversy.

Representatives will put together a strategy and report on a recent meeting at which the concerns of thousands of people in the North West were put to Health Minister Tessa Jowell.

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