ENDORSEMENT: Most dentists support fluoride in drinking water, even though they stand to lose money if fewer people sustain teeth problems and need dental work.
HEALTH Minister Lawrence Springborg is in favour of water fluoridation, but says any decision to reintroduce the teeth-strengthening chemical to Cairns’ water supply should be made by locals.
Speaking in the city yesterday, Mr Springborg said the position of Queensland Health was that fluoridation provided “demonstrable benefits” to oral health, particularly for children.
“There is little doubt about the evidence of that,” he said. “But we understand that there is a lot of sensitivity about this in the community and that’s why we have responded to calls by local communities and local governments to be given the right to decide these things locally.”
A Cairns dental worker reignited the fluoride debate last week when she told The Cairns Post she had never seen local children’s teeth in such a bad state.
Fluoride had only been added to local water supply from Copperlode Dam for two years, before the council decided in early 2013 to remove the chemical following advice from the Local Government Association of Queensland that “involuntary medication” must not be introduced without community consent.
Mr Springborg said it was up to Cairns Regional Council to choose what it wanted for the community.
“In some areas in Queensland, councils have voted to leave it in their water, while in other areas councils have voted to take it out – it’s purely a matter for them,” he said.
“If you ask us what our view is the health evidence is quite clear that there are benefits to fluoridation, but we understand if people don’t accept that in some cases and they want the right to have a say.”
He also said it was in council’s hands to decide how it best wanted to address any community divide over the topic, but stopped short of offering support for a local referendum, saying “if they want to poll their ratepayers … or if they want to make the decision as a council acting on the advice of their community as they see fit, they can”.
Barron River MP Michael Trout said water fluoridation was the responsibility of local government, and it was up to Cairns’ residents to speak to their council if they wanted the chemical back.
“If individuals have issues with that, they can vote accordingly at their next election,’’ he said, adding he personally did not have an opinion on fluoride.
“I’m not a scientist, I’m not a dentist and I was brought up in the bush,’’ he said.
“I’ve got all my teeth and very few fillings, and I’ve never had fluoride until I hit the city in my middle-age.”
Cairns MP Gavin King said he too believed the decision should be made by the council.
Water fluoridation has been endorsed by bodies such as the World Health Organisation, Australian Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics and the Australian Dental Association.