Moncton city council nixes fluoride in water

Moncton is joining a growing list of Canadian cities that are getting rid of fluoride in their drinking water which is added to reduce tooth decay.

City councillors voted 7 to 4 Monday night to stop the practice of adding fluoride to the city’s tap water.

Coun. Paul Pellerin said that as dental care improves, there are better ways of providing fluoride to people than putting it in the drinking water supply.

"There are many municipalities that have no fluoride in their water and, to my knowledge, there are no major issues," Pellerin said.

Coun. Steven Boyce agreed.

"If they want fluoride that badly, they can run to the pharmacy and buy a toothpaste that has fluoride in it," he said.

Coun. Brian Hicks, who also voted to eliminate the chemical, said there are already too many chemicals in our food and the environment.

"How many times do we see recalls of medicines that once were considered safe, and as research testing developed became known as harmful to our bodies and do we really know how all the chemicals and medications we digest interact with one another," he said.

But those councillors in favour of keeping fluoride said that every health and dental association in North America recommends adding fluoride to the drinking water because it is safe and effective.

Coun. Merrill Henderson said public health officials will be appalled at Moncton's decision.

"I was approached by a retired medical doctor who asked me if Moncton city council were thinking about joining The Flat Earth Society," he said.

The city will begin phasing out fluoride immediately.