Cairns doctors revive local industry body to state case for fluoride
Jim Campbell, The Cairns Post
August 29, 2016 3:00am
CAIRNS medical professionals have revived a once-powerful representative body with the aim of convincing the city that fluoride should be added to the water supply.
The Cairns Local Medical Association, which was at its peak in the 1990s, met at the weekend and agreed to generate a petition to council signed by local doctors stating the case for the preventive health measure.
Dr Sarah Coll said there was an “overwhelming consensus” in the Cairns medical community that fluoride should be returned to the city’s water supply. Dr Coll said scientific evidence showed fluoride improved the dental health of everyone from breastfed babies through to adults.
“We’re actually quite horrified that fluoride was removed from our water,” she said. “I know that sounds like strong language but the medical community was mortified when that decision was made on behalf of our community.”
Cairns Regional Council made the decision to remove the fluoride from Cairns’ water supply in 2013, after it had been introduced for just two years.
Council has included the fluoride issue in its extensive community survey, Our Cairns, which will close on Wednesday.
Dr Coll said if council needed legal advice it would consult lawyers, so the same principle should apply when it needed medical advice.
Mayor Bob Manning has refused to be drawn on the issue, saying “the science” would be deciding factor.
Water and Waste Committee chair Councillor Richie Bates welcomed the contribution from Cairns Local Medical Association and implored fellow councillors to seek expert advice on the issue.
Cr Bates said he wrote to the mayor earlier this year requesting a presentation to councillors on fluoride by experts at James Cook University but he received no response.
“It is really our obligation as a council to seek out the best expert advice,” he said.
JCU head of dentistry Professor Neil Meredith penned an opinion piece for Saturday’s Weekend Post, in which he consulted 220 scientific papers and publications and concluded Cairns should join 80 per cent of Australia enjoying the benefits of water fluoridation.
August 29, 2016 3:00am
CAIRNS medical professionals have revived a once-powerful representative body with the aim of convincing the city that fluoride should be added to the water supply.
Dr Sarah Coll said there was an “overwhelming consensus” in the Cairns medical community that fluoride should be returned to the city’s water supply. Dr Coll said scientific evidence showed fluoride improved the dental health of everyone from breastfed babies through to adults.
“We’re actually quite horrified that fluoride was removed from our water,” she said. “I know that sounds like strong language but the medical community was mortified when that decision was made on behalf of our community.”
Cairns Regional Council made the decision to remove the fluoride from Cairns’ water supply in 2013, after it had been introduced for just two years.
Council has included the fluoride issue in its extensive community survey, Our Cairns, which will close on Wednesday.
Dr Coll said if council needed legal advice it would consult lawyers, so the same principle should apply when it needed medical advice.
Mayor Bob Manning has refused to be drawn on the issue, saying “the science” would be deciding factor.
Water and Waste Committee chair Councillor Richie Bates welcomed the contribution from Cairns Local Medical Association and implored fellow councillors to seek expert advice on the issue.
Cr Bates said he wrote to the mayor earlier this year requesting a presentation to councillors on fluoride by experts at James Cook University but he received no response.
“It is really our obligation as a council to seek out the best expert advice,” he said.
JCU head of dentistry Professor Neil Meredith penned an opinion piece for Saturday’s Weekend Post, in which he consulted 220 scientific papers and publications and concluded Cairns should join 80 per cent of Australia enjoying the benefits of water fluoridation.
posted by Bill at
9:19 AM
4 Comments:
So from reading the above it sounds like the survey was a complete waste of time. It doesnt look like the views of the community will be taken into account at all. Attached is a link for the ‘Environmental Impact and Legal Implications of Water Fluoridation’ study of Ireland, dated Feb 2012. Its quite a lengthy document (343 pages). Human health issues aside, I think the article ‘4.2-Fluoride and Fisheries’ page 28 is quite interesting. It goes into great detail about the impact hydrofluorosilicic acid has on marine life and how it can effect their cycles, behavior and numbers. Considering the majority of the fluoridated water will end up in the Coral Sea there is great concern for the marine life on the Great Barrier Reef should fluoridation proceed. Will this be another blunder by the Queensland government when it comes to the preservation of the reef?
http://www.enviro.ie/Human%20Toxicity,%20Environmental%20Impact%20and%20Legal%20Implications%20of%20Water%20Fluoridation_February%202012_EnviroManagement%20Services.pdf
By
Mr Concerned, at 30 August, 2016
If these people are so dammed worried about getting floride into people make it a free tablet people can get so than the people who dont want it dont have to have it. Wheres our choice? Just because certain people think its safe. What is it going to do to our reef, rivers, fish the list goes on an on. This world is getting very corrupt
By
Anonymous, at 30 August, 2016
I agree with anonymous above. It would far cheaper to hand out pills for those who want this poison in their water than to burden the general rate payers for the enormous cost of restoring the old system and then the ongoing cost in the future. There is only 3% of the water in our taps is used for drinking and the rest will to poison the environment
By
Jeff, at 30 August, 2016
Why are these doctors and dentists advocating poisoning us with such a harmful, cancer-causing chemical like fluoride!! Are they being paid by the government or pharmaceutical companies to perpetrate the misinformation that is not harmful to us and especially to infants and young children. Otherwise, it is totally inconceivable why supposedly intelligent, professional people would fall for such malarkey! Maybe they should get off their high horses and read research on the other side of the fluoridation issue instead of disregarding it out of hand.
By
Anonymous, at 28 October, 2016
Post a Comment
<< Home