Gympie council’s vote against water fluoridation proves divisive

A Qld council’s decision to end the fluoridation of its water has proven divisive, with some corners cheering it as a win for ‘people power’ while others are offering a swift rebuke. JOIN THE CONVERSATION

A Qld council’s decision to end the fluoridation of its water has proven divisive, with some corners cheering it as a win for ‘people power’ while others - including a branch of Australia’s peak medical body - offering a swift rebuke.

Gympie Regional Council’s vote against the ongoing fluoridation of its water supply has been met with a swift rebuke from medical professionals, and mixed of cheers for “people power” and outright derision from the public.

On Wednesday councillors voted six-to-three against continuing to fluoridate the region’s water supply following a 650 signature petition lodged with the council.

The petition, accusing the council of failings its “duty of care”, called the fluoridation of the region’s water supply to be scrapped.

The fluoridation program had been running since 2010.

The petition itself also came under fire at the meeting, with council staff refuting its claims “industrial waste fluoride” was being used.

Dissenting councillors Dolly Jensen and Mick Curran also questioned how much of the region’s 57,000 population it accurately represented, and the international addresses of some of the signatories.

Full cancellation of the program was held up by a technicality as councillors only voted against continuing it but did not actually endorse its removal, which would come at a $100,000 cost to ratepayers.

The decision itself drew a swift rebuke on social media from the Queensland branch of the Australian Medical Association the following day.

“One in 10 Queenslanders don’t have enough teeth to chew food,” the body posted on X (formerly Twitter).

“Fluoride is the safest, most cost-effective way to protect oral health.

“This is disappointing.”

The Queensland branch of the Australian Medical Association (President Dr Dr Nick Yim pictured) offered a swift rebuke of the Gympie council’s decision saying it was “disappointing”. (Image/Josh Woning)

Similar support for water fluoridation was found in an online poll run among The Gympie Times and Courier Mail readers.

Of almost 400 votes returned in the first 24 hours of the poll running, 70 per cent of readers said they supported the fluoridation of Queensland water supplies.

Reader comments left with the article largely reflected the poll.

One readers named James called it “simply outrageous”.

“The GRC need to look at the scientific evidence and make a judgement call rather than cater for the whims of 650 signatures,” James said.

Anne called it a “travesty” and questioned whether any long term thought had gone into the process.

Gympie deputy mayor Dolly Jensen was one of three councillors to vote to continue fluoridating the region’s water, saying such a decision should after with more consultation rather than on the back of a petition representing 1 per cent of the region’s population of about 57,000.

“Has anyone thought for one second about those who believe fluoride is good for their kids dental health, and now council has decided to take it out of the water and tablets have been discontinued, how the hell you are going to be able to protect and grow your kid’s teeth?”.

Sean called it a case of “the tail is wagging the dog”, while reader Joanne took a more blunt view: “Keep our yokels toothless!”.

The tone was decidedly different on social media.

Shaz Mac celebrated it saying “people power is shining”.

Darren Rice dropped several laughing emojis next to his comment of “there’s people who still believe that fluoride in the water is good for their teeth”.

“Safe to assume, the same people are a few (vaccine emoji) deep by now.

“They likely also believe the flu took a three year holiday.”

Online readers and social media users were divided over the Gympie council’s decision, with some calling it a win for “people power” and other saying it was evidence of the “tail wagging the dog”.

Former councillor Jan Watt viewed it as “some common sense”, and one-time One Nation sate candidate and council candidate Chelle Dobson was “sure that many locals would have signed (the petition) if it had been known”.

Another former councillor, Bruce Devereaux asked if anyone had started a rival petition, after which Karen French pointed it should only need 700 signatures to force the council into a U-turn.

At the heart of much of the debate was questions and claims about the safety of fluoride.

The Gympie region has previously had its own warning of alleged health risks related to fluoride.

In 2009, before water fluoridation started, Kathy Grinter spoke up about her efforts to have her son Jason Burton’s death in the early 1970s recognised as being from fluoride poisoning.

A death certificate for the one-and-a-half year old states fluoride poisoning as the cause.

However there was no inquest and the Dental Association and government departments have disputed the legitimacy of the documents.

Questions about the safety of fluoride were at the heart of many comments made by readers and on social media. The Queensland branch of the Australian Dental Association says in its online FAQ says many everyday items like chlorine and salt are toxic at high concentrations, and the level of fluoridation used in water was “very safe”.

Reports on the death state the toddler had found a bottle of fluoride tablets and ingested an unidentified quantity.

Four tablets were reportedly found in his stomach in a post-mortem.

In an online FAQ on fluoride, the Australian Dental Association directly addresses the potential toxicity by noting everyday are toxic when taken at highly concentrated doses well above that of fluoridated water.

“Everything is a toxin at high enough concentrations – water, oxygen, salt, calcium, iron, fat-soluble vitamins A and D,” the ADA’s page says.

“Common table salt, for example, is composed of sodium and chlorine, both highly dangerous at high concentrations.

“But at 1 ppm fluoridated water is very safe, just as chlorinated water is very safe and moderate amounts of table salt are also very safe.”

It further states fluoridated toothpaste – one of a limited number of fluoride options with tablets no longer on the market – “is at least a thousand times more concentrated”.

There seemed to be little concern about other more popular and toxic substances, too.

“Unlike fluoride, alcohol is both a proven neurotoxin and carcinogen, but we’ll happily have a beer containing 50,000 ppm alcohol or a wine containing more than 100,000 ppm alcohol because we know that within normal limits the risk of harm is extremely low,” the FAQ says.

“ Is drinking water containing less than 1 ppm fluoride likely to cause us harm? Of course not.”