Australia - Report justifies fluoride decision: Robertson

Report justifies fluoride decision: Robertson
December 17, 2007 - 1:31PM
A report ranking Queenslanders' teeth as the worst in the country justified a decision to fluoridate the state's water supplies, Health Minister Stephen Robertson says.
Premier Anna Bligh earlier this month announced plans to fluoridate water supplies across Queensland, provoking anger in some communities that the chemical could cause long-term health problems.
However, Mr Robertson said The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report released today showing Queensland children have the highest levels of decay in the country proved action needed to be taken.
Queensland is the only state in Australia which does not fluoridate its water, which the report identified as one reason for the state's poor dental health.
"Children from areas where drinking water contained negligible fluoride had poorer dental health than did children from areas with either naturally or artificially fluoridated water," the report stated.
"The poorer dental health in children from areas with negligible levels of fluoride in the water persisted across differing areas of residential location and levels of socioeconomic disadvantage."
Mr Robertson said Townsville, in the state's north, was the only major centre to fluoridate its water and residents there had the best dental health in Australia.
"The US centres for Disease Control and Prevention has called it one of the most effective public health measures of the last century and surveys have consistently found the overwhelming majority of Queenslanders in support of fluoride," he said.
More than 90 per cent of Queensland residents are expected to be drinking fluoridated water by 2012 under the government's $35 million program.