Blackpool Council approves fluoridated school milk plan

Fluoridated milk will be handed out to 8,000 schoolchildren in Blackpool to help tackle “poor dental health”.

The move is part of the Lancashire seaside town’s free school breakfast scheme – but parents will be able to opt out of allowing their children to be given the drink.

Blackpool councillor Tony Williams, who has concerns over the plan, said “mass medication” should not be allowed.

Councillors approved the scheme and a group will be set up to implement it.

The group combining Blackpool Council, Public Health England, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and oral health charity the Borrow Foundation will oversee the scheme.

‘Conflicting evidence’

Councillor Graham Cain said: “Unfortunately the state of Blackpool’s dental health is very poor.

“Some parts of the country can benefit from fluoride naturally appearing in their daily drinking water – in Blackpool we cannot.

“The free breakfast programme allows us to reach all primary school children as they are growing up and make the fluoride milk available to them there.”