Bantry achieves fluoride free status

The initiative comes as part of the burgeoning West Cork Fluoride Free campaign. which is part of the wider drive to have Ireland’s mandatory water fluoridation policy reversed.

The 'Fluoride Free' status has been achieved through six local businesses installing reverse osmosis water filtration systems, thus providing their customers with an assurance that all food and beverages made on their premises are fluoride free. The process removes any health risks posed to customers' health through the ingestion of fluoride.

The local initiative has been supported by businesses, including the Organico Café, Organico Shop, Trawl and Trend, The Fish Kitchen, The Mariner and Wokabout.

It's hoped that the 'Fluoride Free Towns' initiative will be picked up on by communities spanning the country and that Irish people can collectively work towards achieving the objective of a Fluoride Free Ireland in 2014.

In the coming weeks other teams in West Cork towns – including Clonakilty, Macroom and Skibbereen – will be working towards having their towns acquire Fluoride Free status. Further initiatives are planned in Kinsale, Castletownbere and Bandon.

"If enough towns start to acquire fluoride free status,” a spokesperson commented, "in conjunction with the efforts of other campaigns going on around the country, the Irish Government can potentially be forced into reversing the mandatory water fluoridation policy. If Israel can end water fluoridation completely in 2014, we in Ireland can too!