General News
10 March, 2024
Coll pushes for fluoride
INDEPENDENT division 5 candidate James Coll is fervent about fluoride, issuing an urgent call for Cairns Regional Council to stop the rot, put its money where its mouth is and reinstate fluoride into the region’s drinking water supply.
In his first tilt at local government, Mr Coll said he was passionate about health and focused on safeguarding the community with better long-term health and well-being outcomes.
“It all starts with fluoride,” he said.
“A fact that cannot be ignored is the authority and responsibility for water fluoridation in Queensland rests firmly in the hands of our local government.
“The absence of fluoride in Cairns water is a glaring oversight that is diminishing the dental health of our residents and placing unnecessary strain on our healthcare system.
“Regions like Cairns, who do not have fluoride in their water, are recording double the rate of tooth decay to areas like Townsville, the Gold and Sunshine coasts and Brisbane, with a fluoridated supply,” Mr Coll said. “(The previous) Cairns City Council’s decision to cease fluoridation in the water supply was short-sighted and misinformed. It was a decision driven by the allure of immediate cost savings and the vocal minority’s unfounded fears.
“This decision has cost us far more than it has saved regarding health outcomes and financial burdens on our community.
“Reinstating fluoride is not about imposing unwelcome policies but making an informed, evidence-based decision that puts the health of Cairns first,” he said.
According to Mr Coll, the scientific research linking the lack of fluoridation in town water supplies to tooth decay was compelling.
“Fluoridated water has been scientifically proven to decrease dental decay by up to 44 per cent in children and 25 per cent in adults.
“With only 72 per cent of Queenslanders benefiting from fluoridated water – well below the national average of 90 per cent – the disparity in dental health access and outcomes is unjust and preventable.”
