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AUGUST 30, 2024
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Fluoride fight
Petitions launched for and against chemical in water supply l CAIRNS REGION | Nick Dalton THE battlelines have been drawn over the contentious fluoride debate in Cairns. The previous regional council refused to add fluoride to the region’s drinking water supply. But the new council’s Our Survey specifically asks the community about the chemical: Do you support or oppose the addition of fluoride to the city’s water supply? Mayor Amy Eden would not commit to fluoride either way in her election campaign but promised to survey the community about the issue in the first 100 days of office. Earlier this month, medical specialist Dr Sarah Coll launched an online petition: https://bit.ly/3AEb2pH About the same time one opposing fluoridation was started by Zane Cosgrove: https://bit.ly/3T68rLJ Dr Coll said Cairns was experiencing a health crisis. “Our community suffers from a high rate of tooth decay, pneumonia, and other related conditions that continue to strain our hospitals
and dental clinics,” she said. “Our health problems, specifically dental, can be significantly reduced by a seemingly minor yet incredibly impactful measure – the reintroduction of fluoride in our water supply. “Studies have consistently shown that water fluoridation is an effective, safe way to improve dental health (source: Australian Health Policy Collaboration). “Its beneficial effects include improved tooth strength, protection from decay, reduced dental caries, and overall improved oral health. These positive outcomes are not just for children, but for people of all ages, making it an essential public health measure. “In many parts of Australia, water fluoridation has been successfully implemented for over 60 years, helping to reduce dental cavities by up to 40 per cent (source: National Health and Medical Research Council). “We believe that Cairns should also reap these benefits. Our dental health crisis is tangible, and it’s taking its toll on our community.”
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Dr Sarah Coll is leading a campaign for fluoridation to be put back in the Cairns Regional Council‘s drinking water supply via an online petition. Picture: Supplied
Early childhood education for children aged from 6 weeks to Kindergarten.
Healthy dugong numbers l FAR NORTH A NEW report from James Cook University’s TropWATER reveals a thriving dugong population in Far North Queensland – stretching from Cape York to Mission Beach – in stark contrast to concerning dugong numbers in southern Queensland. The survey results show the Far North is home to about 7000 dugongs, almost double the number reported in central and southern Queensland. Lead dugong researcher TropWATER’s Dr Chris Cleguer said it was encouraging to see dugong numbers and their calves stable in the Far North. He said over 17 years the dugong population in the Far North had grown by about 2 per cent per year, indicating that the dugongs in this region were in good condition. “Our results show dugong populations in the Far North are thriving overall. This is great news, and we hope this trend will continue in future monitoring surveys,” Dr Cleguer said. “This trend is notably different from what we observed in our last surveys in central Queensland and the southern section of the Great Barrier Reef – especially the concerning numbers from the Whitsundays to Bundaberg.” Dr Cleguer said healthy seagrass meadows were essential for dugong survival.
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