Fluoridation Qld: David Crisafulli, Tim Nicholls say it’s a matter for local councils

Tim Nicholls enthusiastically supported state-mandated water fluoridation in 2008, but now he’s health minister his position is different.

Premier David Crisafulli (right) with Health Minister Tim Nicholls

The Queensland government won’t commit to adding ­fluoride to town water supplies despite Health Minister Tim Nicholls once proclaiming it was possibly the last single ­remaining medical initiative in Queensland to ensure good health for all of us.

Neither Mr Nicholls nor Premier David Crisafulli responded directly to questions about whether they still support fluoridation as a vital public health measure, or if they would consider a mandate.

Instead their offices said: “Local governments are responsible for decisions about water fluoridation for their communities.”

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Speaking in support of then premier Anna Bligh’s 2008 ­decision to legislate that ­communities with more than 1000 people have access to ­fluoridated drinking water, a gushing Mr Nicholls said his support was about not only the health of Queenslanders today but also the health of many generations of ­Queenslanders in the future.

“When the premier ­announced it I actually wrote a letter to her saying how ­impressed I was that this government was able to put aside some of the fearmongering and the scaremongering that we have all been subject to and to take possibly the last single remaining medical initiative in Queensland to ensure good health for all of us,” Mr Nicholls told Parliament.

The government could no longer keep up with the rate of poor oral health.

“As a society we cannot keep up with this, and nor should we try to. We have a simple, straightforward solution to the problem and that is fluoride in our water”, he said.

Cairns Deputy Mayor Brett Olds

In 2012 the Newman government, of which Mr Nicholls was treasurer, amended the laws to make councils ­responsible for the decision.

About 90 per cent of ­Australians have access to fluoridated water, compared with only 72 per cent of Queenslanders.

The majority of councils with fluoride in the water are in the southeast.

Cairns remains the largest city in the country without fluoridated water after a motion to introduce it was defeated in December.

Leading up to the debate, Cairns Deputy Mayor Brett Olds likened fluoridation to “force medicating”.

“I’m not a doctor and I’m against mass medicating people against their will,” he said.

More than 50 councils do not have fluoridated water, including major regional centres such as Bundaberg, Rockhampton and Mackay.

Mr Nicholls was previously scathing of the anti-fluoride movement.

“It always amuses me when we get those emails in our offices that warn us about the increase in the rates of osteoporosis, bone cancer and so on,” he said.

“Anyone with a modicum of learning could not dispute the fact that there is no relationship between fluoride and those diseases … the concerns range from fluoride being a poison, a pesticide, a form of mass medication and even a form of chemical terrorism.”

In 2012 Mr Crisafulli said the Newman government supported fluoride in the water supply but defended repealing the laws, saying he believed councils needed to be able to respond on a case-by-case basis.

Originally published as Fluoridation Qld: David Crisafulli, Tim Nicholls say it’s a matter for local councils