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Survey Reveals A Big NO to Fluoride

Initial results of a survey commissioned by the Gippsland Safe Water Alliance (GSWA) reveals that two thirds of respondents are opposed to the proposed artificial fluoridation of Gippsland water supplies.

By Gippsland Safe Water Alliance - 23rd September 2005 - Back to News

A GSWA spokesperson said the initial results were encouraging.

"We felt that residents would generally be against the forced introduction of artificial fluoridation but we underestimated the opposition within the community. It’s much higher than we expected."

Local Labor members, Brendan Jenkins and Ian Maxfield had recently reported at a meeting with concerned residents that their offices had received mostly positive feedback to the fluoridation proposal. They failed to provide figures to back up their claims.

‘Well what would you expect," the GSWA spokesperson said. "They’re here to sell the government line. We’ve actually gone out and surveyed people in the street. I suggest that Ian and Brendan need to do the same. Then they can argue the numbers".

Less than 20% of people surveyed so far said they supported fluoridation and 27% said they wanted more information.

‘The survey results seem to indicate that people want more information about the potential adverse effects of artificial fluoridation before it’s forced on them by government decree," the GSWA spokesperson said. "As more data is processed it will be interesting to see how the figures stack up between cities and how much variation there is".

The survey, constructed and overseen by experienced researchers, is being carried out in the four main Latrobe Valley cities and Warragul. The sample size of the completed project will be much higher than that used in most social research projects. The street surveys employ a convenience sampling technique used routinely to gather lifestyle and attitudinal data about issues of public importance.

"By employing the convenience sampling method we can’t ensure total representativeness", the GSWA spokesperson said, "but what we can measure with confidence is the general public’s attitude to and understanding of this important public health issue."

The survey is being undertaken to determine resident’s attitudes to the Department of Human Services proposal to artificially fluoridate water supplies in the Gippsland region.

A public meeting to discuss the issue of artificial fluoridation will be held on the 19^th October at the Moe City Hall starting at 7:00 pm. Visiting Professor Noel Campbell from the Hope Research Institute will address the meeting along with invited representatives of the peak medical and dental bodies and the Department of Human Services.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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