Your readers should be aware that they are being prescribed in their water what is essentially a prophylactic drug for the purpose of preventing tooth decay. This "drug" is hydrofluorosilicic acid (HFSA). Ironically in this day of concern for the environment we are adding to our drinking water a highly corrosive toxic waste product that has never been tested for safety or effectiveness. HFSA is taken from the scrubbers of the phosphate fertilizer plants. It is contaminated with arsenic, lead and other heavy metals.

You can confirm this by asking your water plant for a copy of a certificate of analysis of any HFSA shipment. There are a growing number of scientists and medical professionals who are concerned about the negative impact of artificial water fluoridation on our general health. Over 1600 have recently signed a professional statement to end water fluoridation worldwide. The Jan. 2008 edition of "Scientific American" had an article "Second Thoughts on Fluoride" that is well worth a read.

Large trucks drive thousands of miles from Florida full of HFSA to be dripped into our water.

Approximately 1% of this water is actually drunk. The remaining 99% is spread into our environment. Even if one buys the propaganda about this "drug", is this not an extremely high environmental price to pay to administer it? Truckloads of oranges come from Florida too. If we only ate 1% of them and threw out the remaining 99% can you imagine the outcry about the waste?

Fluoride is not easily removed from the water by a simple filter. One needs to use distillation which uses a lot of energy, or reverse osmosis which wastes approximately four litres for every litre of drinking water it produces. Both methods are wasteful.

Most of Europe is unfluoridated and their teeth are just as good or better than ours. As of April 1st Quebec City will be turning off the fluoride tap. The Niagara Region voted in January not to reinstate fluoridation. It is time for Halton to remove this mandatory drug from our water as well.