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Calgary city council commissions study to decide if fluoride should be reintroduced to water

Click to play video: 'Calgary city council votes in favour of examining recent fluoride research'
Calgary city council votes in favour of examining recent fluoride research
WATCH: Nearly a decade ago, fluoride was removed from Calgary's drinking water supply. Now, city council is bringing the debate over fluoride back to the forefront, agreeing to study the most up-to-date research. Blake Lough reports – Feb 26, 2019

The debate over reintroducing fluoride into Calgary’s water supply will continue for the next few months.

On Monday, city council voted 13-2 in favour of having research done before making a decision on fluoride’s future.

The University of Calgary’s O’Brien Institute for Public Health will conduct the study, looking at jurisdictions where tooth decay is decreasing and seeing if fluoride is a factor. It will also complete a cost-benefit analysis of water fluoridation versus more direct dental interventions, and a comparison of Calgary and Edmonton practices.

The findings will be presented to council in June.

Coun. Diane Colley-Urquhart was shocked that the fluoride debate will be revisited after it was rejected by council in 2016. Global News

Coun. Diane Colley-Urquhart was shocked that the debate will be revisited after it was rejected two-and-a-half years ago.

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“Today we did much better than we did in 2016,” she said, referencing when city council said no to reassessing fluoride in tap water.

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Plebiscites don’t always give the best results when it comes to public health policy, especially with close results in past votes, Colley-Urquhart said. The chemical additive is an issue that gets people riled up, she added.

“This isn’t about adding [fluoride]. It’s not about keeping it out. It’s about doing some good work to make sure we are informed and make the best decision possible for Calgarians.”

Fluoride facts from the faucet

The optimal level of fluoride in water is 0.7 milligrams per litre, according to Health Canada.

In Calgary, fluoride naturally occurs in the Bow and Elbow rivers between 0.1 to 0.4 mg/L.

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Calgarians voted against adding fluoride to drinking water in 1957, 1961 and 1971, according to the City of Calgary.

In a 1989 plebiscite, fluoridation was approved and was added to drinking water by 1991.

After a 1998 review recommended that the city reduce the fluoride level in water to 0.7 mg/L from 1.0 mg/L, the change was made official in 1999, following another plebiscite.

The city stopped adding fluoride to the water in May 2011, which reportedly saved $750,000 per year.

In 2016, city council rejected a motion to revisit the debate.

LISTEN: Juliet Guicon of Calgarians for Kids’ Health joins Rob Breakenridge to discuss why flouride should be added to Calgary’s water system

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