THE present proposals to add the industrial toxic waste fluoride to tap water in many areas of the UK ignores the mountains of medical and scientific evidence from international sources on the dangers of mass medication with fluoride.

The greatest danger from fluoride from any source, but particularly from tap water, is its ability to interact and increase the effects of other chemicals which are well documented to cause cancer and other serious illness.

Without the exposure to fluoride many chemicals would not have the effect they do if it was not for the fluoride increasing the effects.

In pharmacology it is well documented that the addition of fluoride can increase the potency of prescribed drugs as much as 50 times.

With pesticides the same applies and the most toxic chemicals, like the nerve gas sarin, contain fluoride.

In 1994 The World Health Authority said there should be no new schemes to fluoridate water supplies unless the population is first checked to see if they were already exposed to too much from other sources.

Fluoride accumulates in body tissues and has been found to be several times the permitted limit in populations drinking fluoridated water for a few years.

The French add fluoride to some brands of table salt so we have a choice. The packets containing fluoride carry a health warning on them not to consume fluoride at half of one part per million, half the level the UK Government say is safe.

For many years the restaurants at Westminster have been supplying politicians with bottled spring water.

E Priestley Gajoubert France