The citizens of Portland, Oregon have voted to keep their public water supplies
free of fluoridation chemicals. A public vote on the issue was held earlier this week after Portland City Councillors voted to fluoridate the city's water supply last September.

Concerned citizens of the largest city in the US with non-fluoridated water, began campaigning for the referendum once the city council began to fluoridate the water supply last year. Having secured over 30,000 public signatures, a referendum was passed for May 21.

Despite the Oregon Health Authority's $100,000 PR campaign to promote fluoridation, the public, for a fifth time, voted overwhelmingly to keep their water supply free of fluoridation chemicals.

The work of Irish Environmental Scientist Declan Waugh is believed to have heavily influenced the outcome after he wrote to every city councillor as well as the mayor of Portland to provide them with a report on fluoridation chemicals. His blog on fluoridation is read in over 87 countries worldwide and the site received a significant increase in traffic coming from Portland, in run up to the referendum.

The issue of water fluoridation in Ireland is ongoing with political opposition to the fluoridation of the population's water supply, steadily increasing. In the current issue of Hot Press, Adrienne Murphy reports on the recent Environment and Engineering Strategic Policy Committee of Dublin City Council in which the issue was discussed by pro and anti-fluoridationist committees.

You can also read the Hot Press interview with Declan Waugh, here.

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