Health Secretary Alan Johnson has called for fluoride to be added to England's water supplies.

Drinking any amount of fluoride is dangerous to our health and has never been proven to prevent tooth decay. It's actually the biggest scientific fraud ever to be promoted by national and international Governments. Fluoride has been linked to osteoporosis, cancer, auto-immune diseases, and even very small concentrations can disrupt DNA repair enzymes by 50%.

Yet the Health Secretary of England refuses to acknowledge the scientific validity of the dangers of fluoride. He wants strategic health authorities (SHAs), which are already able to compel water companies to add the chemical, to use those powers.

Mr Johnson said he wanted public debate at a local level before any such measures are carried out.

"I don't want this to be carried out in areas where there has been no consultation whatsoever," he stated.

"But every time the public hear the arguments they overwhelmingly go for fluoridisation - the problem is the debate has stopped."

Final say

At present, about 10% of England's water is fluoridated - mainly in the north-east and West Midlands.

While legislation was introduced in 2003 giving SHAs the final say on whether fluoride should be added to local supplies, so far none of them have made use of those powers.

The government has no power itself to compel SHAs to act.

The last time a fluoridation scheme was introduced was 1985.

Anti-fluoride campaigners say the truth is out there and the risks are clear.

Excess fluoride is also associated with discolouring of the teeth, a condition known as fluorosis.

But Mr Johnson said this only came about when children "ate toothpaste".

He added such schemes had been in operation since the 1940s in the US - where some 70% of water supplies are fluoridated - with no ill effect.

The National Pure Water Association argued that the rights of the majority were being overruled for the benefit of a small minority.

"Fluoridation is carried out by water companies in violation of their customers' human right to refuse consent to any medical intervention.

"Section 58 of the Water Act 2003 is therefore bad law as it conflicts with other UK and EU law."

But Dr Vivienne Nathanson, of the British Medical Association, described the fact that more funds would be set aside for local flouridation schemes as "good news".

"We believe that the fluoridation of water is an effective public health strategy for reducing tooth decay in the population."

Since fluoride has never been proven to prevent or reduce tooth decay, scientists who very well know the health risks are insisting to stop fluoridation worldwide.