(Host) Residents of Bellows Falls will decide at their annual village meeting tonight whether to stop adding fluoride to the local water supply.
The village has been fluoridating its drinking water at state-recommended levels since 1968. The treatment is believed to reduce cavities.
But a village trustee who is also a nutritionist has raised concerns about possible health consequences of long-term fluoride exposure.
Bellows Falls Municipal Manager Shane O’Keefe says a series of forums has brought out strong arguments on both sides.
(O’Keefe) “We’ve been hearing from dental professionals that the addition on fluoride has been critical and crucial over the years to reduction in dental caries. But at the same time we’ve had some dental professionals saying just the opposite, or going in the direction, that there are some harmful effects that we should be more careful about. So we look forward to a healthy debate at the village meeting tonight and hopefully we’ll get some direction from the voters as to whether to continue adding fluoride to our water.”
(Host) The annual Bellows Falls Trustees Meeting begins tonight at 7:30 at the town hall.