As a mother of two children, Katie, aged five, and Daniel, six months, I don't make a habit of taking part in public demonstrations but when it affects the health and human rights of my children I get angry.

Recently I took part in a peaceful protest against the possible future addition of fluoride to our water supply. We were demonstrating outside the Brighton Centre where a Public Health Authorities conference was taking place.

The reason to "mass medicate" the population with fluoride is to help prevent tooth decay in our children. We have been led to believe for years that fluoride is good for our children's teeth but in areas of the country where fluoridation is taking place children are suffering from fluorosis (mottling and pitting of the teeth). This is the first sign of fluoride poisoning. Fluoride builds up in the body and causes damage throughout.

Unfortunately, it seems the people who are causing the tooth decay in our children are also the ones who would like to see fluoride in our water supply.

A fizzy drink full of glucose is owned by a large pharmaceutical company and one of the main toothpaste manufacturers has keen interests in the aluminum industry. I'm sure there are more examples of vested interest.

These vested interests seem to be further confirmed by the Government's decision to hand over responsibilities to strategic health authorities (which have not been elected by the public to make these decisions for us).

If it really was just a case of preventing tooth decay in our children's teeth, I'm sure it would cost a lot less to supply every child in the country with a toothbrush and toothpaste (fluoride-free, preferably) rather than set up expensive fluoridation works.

The plot thickens when you discover that the substance to be added to our water is hexofluorosilic acid, a by-product of the phosphate fertiliser industry that is highly toxic and can be contaminated with arsenic, lead, mercury, berylium and cadmium.

It is illegal to dispose of this waste at sea or landfills, or pollute the atmosphere with it but okay, apparently, to add it to our water supply.

-Helen Dear, Southwick