Page 70 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 12 February 1991
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MS MAHER (8.47): Firstly, I would like to thank Dr Ann Scott for all the hard work that she has put into this inquiry; also Judith Henderson, who has done a marvellous job, considering that she joined us in the midst of the inquiry. Her efforts are appreciated. I would also like to thank David James and Kim Blackburn for their assistance.
As you can tell by the speakers before me, fluoridation is a controversial issue.
Mr Stevenson: Well said.
MS MAHER: You agreed to the recommendation, Dennis.
Mr Stevenson: I agreed with halving it; I agreed with taking it down to 0.1; but, obviously, it should be gotten rid of.
MR SPEAKER: Order!
MS MAHER: Some say that fluoridation of the water supply is mass-medication and infringes their civil liberties. Others agree with fluoridation and consider that if fluoride was taken out of the water that would infringe their civil liberties. The arguments are diverse and conflicting, as Mr Wood has already pointed out.
Today I am going to speak briefly to the committee's recommendations, and the major reasons for my supporting those recommendations. My colleagues have already raised many of the issues concerning fluoridation. After considering the vast amount of evidence, I would have no hesitation in recommending that fluoride remain in the ACT water supply, and I acknowledge the benefits of fluoride to the community. However, considering that the amount of fluoride we ingest overall has increased since its first introduction 25 years ago, the level of one part per million is no longer appropriate. The evidence the committee received showed that there has been an increase in the overall human consumption of fluoride. More products are available which contain fluoride, for example, toothpaste. Also, foods and drinks are being cooked and reconstituted with fluoridated water.
At the same time we must also take into consideration the topical application of fluoride, the quantity of fluoride ingested by bottle-fed babies and young children who swallow fluoride toothpaste. These are just a few of the examples of the increase in the ingestion of fluoride. The latter example, that is, young children swallowing fluoridated toothpaste, is one of the reasons why the committee made its recommendations referring to toothpaste manufacturers, which Mrs Nolan has read.
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