IT is 4.30 in the morning, but I cannot sleep. Why? Because I feel that I have to write this letter and hope that other like-minded people will also wake up to what is going on about people's rights.

The real issue is: "Does the Government have the right to mass medicate or treat you and I without our consent."

We say the answer is: "No it does not."

Only two per cent of Western Europe is artificially fluoridated; almost all of the fluoridation is in UK and the Republic of Ireland. People should have the right to make their own individual decisions, based on the full information. Also, on religious grounds, many of us do not wish to use drugs or toxic waste products.

And now another matter of great concern is the Government's apparent intention to prevent herbal and mineral supplements being available to give hope to people who suffer from poor health.

It may be of interest to learn that fluoridation breaks Article 5 of the Council of Europe's 1997 Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine, which states: 'an intervention in the health field may only be carried out after the person concerned has given free and informed consent.'

Barbara Craig

Studley