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Bottled water fluoride debate highlights Queensland inadequacy
27 February 2007
As other Australian states lobby to provide the option of fluoride in water for the generation of bottled-water consumers, Queensland is dithering around the edges of this debate with only five percent of residents having any access to fluoridated water.
The Australian Dental Association Queensland Branch President Dr Martin Webb said if bottled water were to become available, it would only benefit those who could afford to buy it on a daily basis.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand is being lobbied to add fluoride to bottled water following surveys by the Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health showing accelerated tooth decay rates in teenagers.
Queensland, meanwhile, has an epidemic of tooth decay with 1.5 million residents eligible for public dental treatment and excessively long waiting lists in lower-socioeconomic communities.
Dr Webb said the Queensland Government remains stalled in its approach to fluoridated water, as treatment demand balloons out to having about 100,000 Queenslanders waiting up to seven years for treatment.
At Beenleigh for example, there are 5800 people waiting an average of 82 months for dental treatment. At Logan there are 8200 people waiting an average of 66 months. At Southport there are 1900 people waiting an average of 64 months.
In lobbying for the widespread introduction of fluoridated water, Dr Webb said ADAQ is simply seeking to enable Queenslanders to have access to a public health policy that was re-endorsed by all Australian Health Ministers three years ago.
Dr Webb said the national oral health plan, Healthy Mouths, Healthy Lives, Australia’s National Oral Health Plan 2004-13 recommended: “Extend fluoridation of public water supplies to communities across Australia with populations of 1000 or more.”
But nothing has changed in Queensland, with the State Government stalled in its current strategy of having local governments progress the issue with an offer of paying them the capital costs of fluoridation infrastructure – an offer which not one council has taken up.
Dr Webb said the Queensland Government needs to get its act together and take the necessary steps to provide this public health measure to the majority of its citizens at the earliest opportunity.
“The Queensland Health Minister Stephen Robertson continues to deflect responsibility for providing fluoridated water on to local governments when he should be pushing for the government to amend the legislation to allow for the chief health officer or an expert panel to take up the responsibility for such decision making,” Dr Webb said.
“This is a social justice issue that must be addressed.
Queensland cannot afford the cost and consequences of not having fluoridated water on tap.”
Water fluoridation is supported by the Queensland Oral Health Alliance – which is made up of health professionals belonging to the Queensland branches of the Australian Medical Association, the Australian Dental Association, the Pharmaceutical Society and the Public Health Association Australia.
For comment, contact Martin Webb on 07 5494 2424 or Robert McCray on 0412 145 771.
Statement prepared by ADAQ media consultant Jane Milburn 0408 787 964.
All of the information included on this web site is accurate to the best of knowledge of the Australian Dental Association (Queensland Branch). To make the text more readable for non-scientists, ADAQ has deliberately minimised attributions and links to supporting files or scientific attachments. However these sources are readily available if required and many can be found via www.health.qld.gov.au/fluoride. |
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Give Queenslanders something to smile about