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Fluoride, a by-product of the American phosphate fertilizer industry, was first added to drinking water systems in the 1950s--before the advent of fluoridated toothpaste--because fluoride was thought to prevent tooth decay.
Today about 60 percent of the water supply in the United States and 40 percent in Canada is fluoridated. However, fluoridation is a practice largely abandoned by Europe and the rest of the world because of suspected health risks. Now, Europe makes several announcements of further measures to reduce these risks.
As of the end of July 2002, Belgium has banned fluoride supplements--chewable tablets containing the compound--because research there concludes that excessive use of fluoride increases the risk of osteoporosis, could damage the nervous system and is ineffective when taken orally. Ironically, some people previously considered fluoride to be a treatment for osteoporosis, which it actually could cause.
The Belgian government plans to present the review to the European Commission in a bid to get the rest of Europe to ...