Apologies to all for such a long interval since the last newsletter. Both Mary and I have had close family deaths in the past 6 months so the fluoride campaign has been somewhat neglected of late. However there have been many developments on the national and international front.

Firstly there is now a Fluoride Information Network being managed by Brian Jackson of Pendle Friends of the Earth. If you are strongly motivated to receive information and want to campaign on this issue then do contact me and I will pass on Brian's e mail details. However be warned its a very active site with many international and national emails coming through each day.

One recent piece of good news is that after 5 years of uncertainty the Isle of Man government has finally rejected proposals to fluoridate. However, following the legislation of 2004 which gave the Dept of Health and the fluoridation lobby a green light to introduce new fluoridation schemes throughout England several areas of the country are currently under threat of the introduction of fluoride into their water. This has awoken many communities to the possibilty of receiving this unresearched chemical into their water and groups have formed opposing this action in Hampshire and the Greater Manchester area.

Unlike West Cumbria all the communities under review will have a right to information and consultation. Unfortunately the quality of the information is as ever biased and the consultation is a token affair but still at least the national debate is being awakened and that can only help our situation in West Cumbria.

Other areas can benefit from our experience of fluoridation and we can help resist its introduction into new areas by writing as individuals to local papers. Mary and I have discussed how best we can manage to communicate information at this time and we concluded that rather than send out occasional newsletters we would devise a monthly action and post details up on the Cumbrians against Fluoridation website.

For those people who do not use email then Mary will continue to send out information through the post but we would request that if you which to recieve them that you send a book of 6 first class stamps to cover postage. So action for August is on the home front (see below) but actions from September onwards will appear on the web site under the Action heading.

As Greater Manchester is a target for fluoridation David Crausby MP for Bolton has polled his local constituents and of those who responded (over 700) 95.8% objected to water fluoridation. He said " don't argue against the health benefits, I argue simply on the right for individuals to decide what medication they have." He will now be actively resisting its use in Bolton and sending the vote result and comments to Alan Johnson who , in February, committed £42 million of NHS funds to promote fluoridation in new areas.

Workington MP Tony Cunningham maintained in the past that he believed in the right of the community to choose over the use of fluoride in water. Like most other MP's in 2004 he thought he was voting in a genuine right to consultation for the whole country. Cunning use of regulations following the Commons vote deprived fluoridated areas of any right of consultation and only a token process for new schemes.

Mr Crausby is prepared to act on his constituents behalf. We would like Mr Cunningham and Mr Reid to work as vigorously to represent the local opposition to this issue. Please write outlining your objections to fluoridation to and request that they undertake a similar poll to Mr Crausby.

To contact Tony Cunningham: Moss Bay Managed Workspace, Moss Bay House, 40 Peart Road, Derwent Howe, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 3YT. Telephone: 01900 65815. Email: smithjmt@parliament.uk.