Page 2731 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 13 August 1991
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
I remind you again that there are, to some extent, disagreements within the NHMRC itself. They have had a majority and the majority has given a report. But you only have to read those final pages - I refer to them again; roughly from page 107 onwards - where you see some concern for looking at the figure of 0.5. To be sure, they do say, as Mr Berry has rightly said, that they do not see any conclusive evidence of damage from one part per million and therefore they are continuing with one part per million, but the clues are there. The warnings are there in those final pages, and they were re-emphasised to me again today. Therefore, I want to turn to our own Assembly report, pages 98 to 101, and especially to 10.127 on page 101. It says:
Some researchers believe that the level of deterioration in dental health would be insignificant if the fluoride level was reduced to 0.5 ppm.
(Extension of time granted) I ask you all to look at that whole paragraph. It says further:
However until research is conducted on this issue, Australians like the rest of the world can only speculate on the effects of such a measure.
I carry on from Mrs Nolan. That is why I want to draw your particular attention to page 110 of the final draft of the NHMRC report on that matter, and to the need for research. There is, to my mind, every good sense in going to a more careful level of 0.5 parts per million of fluoride, and it is essential then to monitor it and conduct research.
I would like to finish by quoting Mr Bill Wood's comments, and I pay tribute to Mr Wood for his chairing of this committee - a long, fascinating, and sometimes very difficult task. Mr Wood said, on page iii of our long report:
Those who quote this report, or seek to use it as evidence one way or another, should note that the recommendation for a level of 0.5 ppm is based predominantly on the ground that with fluoride provided to ACT residents from more sources than in 1964, it simply may not be necessary to retain the former level to achieve the desired beneficial result on children's teeth.
I noticed the careful way Mr Wood said that he could live with anything in the range of 0.5 to one part per million; I respect the difficulties he is in there. He and I and the other three members of the committee know very well why we have arrived at that 0.5 parts per million, and I confidently recommend it to the Assembly.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .