THE CHALLENGE OF A FLUORIDATION REFERENDUM - THE RESULTS OF A REFERENDUM IN BRITISH-COLUMBIA

On February 15, 1992 the voters in Comox and Courtenay, British Columb ia voted out fluoridation after over 20 years experience with the publ ic health measure. This article details what brought about this unfort unate event, what transpired prior to the referendum, and discusses th e outcome relative to how the campaign unfolded. The authors describe the opposition and their strategies, and how, in hindsight, the campai gn might have been better managed. Not surprisingly, this loss is simi lar to many before it. Anti-fluoridationists are well funded and organ ized, and their campaign strategies create enormous challenges for pub lic health officials.