Sir, - The fallacy of authority is believing things to be true because of the authoritative standing of the source. Derry Kelleher (June 16th) writes that, as a result of the Supreme Court's decision in the 1960s which supported the State's mandatory fluoridation of the nation's public water supply, that matter was thereby resolved once and for all. He seems to be suggesting that the case is closed. This is somewhat analogous to saying that the 1968 encyclical Humanae Vitae was the final solution to the birth control issue.
The resolution of difficult issues is not always achieved simply by handling down decisions from on high. A practical test of the validity of an authoritative decision is to question the evidence. Health Minister Micheal Martin tells us that there has been a 70 per cent improvement in oral and dental health since fluoridation was introduced here. Mr Martin confuses consequence with sequence. He presumes that the improvement in oral and dental health in the past 35 years must be attributed solely to the fluoridation of our drinking water, while ignoring other relevant factors, such as better diet, improved dental care and the overall improvement in the health of our children.
In an interview on RTE's Primetime (February 22nd), Mr Martin admitted that there had never been a study in this country on the health effects of 35 years of fluoridation. But the 1960 Health (Fluoridation of Water Supplies) Act states that "it shall be the duty of the Minister to arrange from time to time for such surveys as appear to him to be desirable to be made as respects the health, or any particular aspects of the health, of persons living in fluoridation areas." The Act has been contravened by successive health ministers and Mr Martin apparently finds that policy acceptable. When asked why there were no studies regarding water fluoridation the Minister said that Ireland's population was "too small" to study.
Mr Kelleher accuses the Green Party of wasting its time on the issue of fluoridation. Is he more impressed with how the FF/PD coalition spends its time? Is there something more important for the politicians to spend their time on than the health of the nation? Ireland is the only country in Europe which has mandatory fluoridation of the public water supply. What we have here is enforced State medication of a highly toxic substance. The people are being denied their democratic rights by not having a choice in the matter. Significantly, the rest of Europe is not following the Irish model. As a matter of fact, 98 per cent of Europe's drinking water is fluoride free.
While the plain people of Ireland cannot avoid ingesting fluoridated water daily, Mr Kelleher apparently is of the opinion that we should accept the Supreme Court's decision, stop complaining and continue to take our toxic medicine like docile good citizens. But what is even more worrisome is that Mr Martin seems to be of the same opinion. When new evidence does not support their belief system, people often feel threatened and go into denial. And denial is not a river in Egypt. - Yours, etc.,
Myles Crowe, Old Brewery Lane, Clonakilty, West Cork.