Page 1787 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 18 October 1989
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interference. Once again I quote from Your Health Rights, endorsed by Neal Blewett. The New South Wales Department of Health has developed the following list of patients' rights:
Before any treatment ... is carried out, the doctor ... should give you a clear explanation ... any risks associated ... should also be explained. This explanation should include an outline of any after-effects, side-effects or adverse outcomes.
You cannot put it more simply than that. Your consent is required before treatment begins. I repeat: before treatment begins. That was not done in Canberra. We have an opportunity to make sure the people of Canberra have that opportunity. And what will we do about it? We have the opportunity in this Assembly today, but we have a problem. We have a decay of integrity. Like the problems of dental decay in teeth, it starts slowly, and some who are not aware, who do not look, who do not have an expert understanding of the rights of people, do not detect early on the problems associated with this decay.
And so is it true with the decay we see to do with fluoride in this country. After a while, as the teeth go darker or the subject becomes more obvious and more people - more scientific, dental and medical researchers - speak out against it, the holes become apparent. At that time people need the integrity to stand up and make an honest decision, not a political decision.
Prior to the debate, when we were trying to get community debate on the subject, with little success, I forwarded information to all members. Judging from some members' statements today, it apparently has not been read. It certainly has not taken effect. I intend to put it in the record. The subject is "Fluoridation - Panacea or Poison". It was a paper that was printed in the Simply Living magazine, volume 3, No. 6.
Mr Berry: Who wrote that?
MR STEVENSON: I did. It reads:
The story of fluoridation compares with any of history's greatest medical controversies. Hailed as a tooth-saving wonder drug by promoters, and mass-medication with an ineffective and dangerous poison by opponents, both sides accuse the other of being emotional, unscientific and irresponsible.
With less than two per cent of the world population fluoridated and more than 70 per cent Australians fluoridated, all Australians should be aware of the facts.
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