The Press TUESDAY, JULY 17, 1973. Unnecessary delay on fluoridation

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33279, 17 July 1973, Page 14

The Press TUESDAY, JULY 17, 1973. Unnecessary delay on fluoridation

The Christchurch City Council should not need to ask the Royal Society to report on the advantages and disadvantages of fluoridation for the city’s water supply. As more communities throughout New Zealand drink fluoridated water, evidence of its benefits in reducing tooth decay accumulates. The cost, while not inconsiderable, should not daunt a council which has been ready to spend much larger sums for less certain benefits. Fluoridation is not likely to become cheaper: the vociferous opponents will not be silenced by delay; nor are they likely to be disarmed by the report of a learned and independent society. The Christchurch City Council is the only large water supply authority in the country which does not offer fluoridation to its consumers. The political effects of the scheme seem to be the only reason for uncertainty now. Because the opponents speak loudly, and because most of those in favour are more restrained, many councillors appear to believe that fluoridation could cost them their seats. Christchurch citizens and ratepayers will have more prominent issues next year on which to judge this council's performance. The only benefit that might come from waiting for a report from the Royal Society would be that its findings are likely to favour fluoridation so strongly that the cost of holding a referendum would seem unnecessary-. This is an issue on which medical and statistical evidence must be paramount Statistics demonstrate that minute amounts of fluoride in a water system can reduce dental decay, especially in children, by up to half: there is no medical evidence of undesirable side effects. In its most recent report, the Health Department says that although the school dental service treated 6250 more children last year than in the previous year, only 1250 extra fillings were required. The department attributes this result to the increasing effects of fluoridation. In an earlier report, the department estimated that one school dental nurse could care for 700 children in areas with a fluoridated water supply; in areas without fluoridated water, including Christchurch, one nurse can care for about 450 children. Much more detailed evidence is, no doubt, available to the city. Instead of procrastinating further, the council should take courage and decide now to fluoridate the city’s water so that Christchurch children are no longer denied a benefit available to the majority of youngsters in other parts of the country. The failure of Christchurch to act is being paid for by the rest of the community.