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 Columbia voted out fluoridation after over 20 years experience with the public health measure. This article details what brought about this unfortunate event, what transpired prior to the referendum, and discusses the outcome relative to how the campaign unfolded. The authors describe the opposition and their strategies, and how, in hindsight, the campaign might have been better managed. Not surprisingly, this loss is similar to many before it. Anti-fluoridationists are well funded and organized, and their campaign strategies create enormous challenges for public health officials.