FLUORIDE… ‘MY CHOICE’

There was a time when good management alone, often associated with a little luck, resulted in success and that success was manifestly obvious to all. It brought universal benefit and consequently happiness, a word we hear a lot about lately though often through the processed concept of “quality of life”.

What is generally not obvious to us is that the “processed concept” is the result of the mind-bending, illusion creating art, or perhaps black art, of public relations.

Over the last few decades, just about every business entity, and particularly every Government, relies heavily on public relations. If you have a product or concept to market the days of throwing a few ads in the local papers are over.

You may still do that but now days it is part of an integrated product promotional process. Ultimately, in the business world, with a few exceptions, you have to have a product to sell and if you don’t have that then any promotional program can only be expected to produce short-term results.

This is because your product is assessable by the user and as the old saying goes, ‘… you can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all the time’.

Whereas business is mainly involved with the promoting of products, Governments on the other hand are mainly in the business of promoting “concepts” or “perceptions”. These things are far less assessable and far more nebulous than a straight out commercial product and so in the hands of a professional public relations firm almost anything undertaken is promotable.

And since there is no bottom profit line to be met with Government as there is in business, with Government, the sky’s the limit.  Probably because of this, and because there is some level of memory in the community that recalls some of the more outrageous stunts, public relations exercises in relation to Government have become universally known as “spin”. Those who do it have become “spin-doctors”.

Combined with the concept of “words without substance” [or meaning] a cynicism has developed within the community despite the fact that some of the promotions are really worthy causes.

What is almost certainly more dangerous than straight out spin is where the spin is designed to have a subliminal effect. The use of colours is probably one of the oldest forms of this technique and while wearing thin in the west is still a big issue in developing areas. In politics the use of subliminal techniques is to create an impression in the subconscious mind of the public that is invariably not the real substance of the message.

By way of example, there may be need for the creation of a perception of strength, or honesty, or integrity for a single leader or political party. None of these issues will be addressed head-on. Some other vehicle is either identified, or created for the purpose of developing and delivering the message, a sort of ‘Trojan Horse’ if you like.

Perhaps the most recent example of this relates to water fluoridation. The benefits of water fluoridation are at best illusive and an analysis of the actual chemicals used for the purpose of fluoridation is of enormous concern as most of them are classified as either toxic, carcinogenic or plain poisonous.

This notwithstanding, the Premier of Queensland, Anna Bligh, has elected to make the fluoridation of Queensland’s water supply compulsory, without meaningful discussion or via a duly constituted referendum that will ascertain the people’s view.

The question we all must ask, ‘… where is the published scientific evidence relied upon’ for this fluoridation nonsense, which includes the purported reduction in tooth decay in the younger members of the community? Or, is it simply a vehicle whereby Ms Bligh can be seen to be promoted as a strong and decisive leader doing the “right and ethical thing”?

Regrettably the weight of evidence tends towards the later conclusion namely that this is more a promotional exercise, for the benefit of a politician rather than a serious attempt at a health solution. However, let’s not depreciate the situation.

Tooth decay is one of a number of serious health issues within our community and one deserving of the attention of the Premier. Something must be done about dental health in Queensland and for that matter in Australia. In fact all aspects of health are badly in need of some professional management in Queensland but let’s not be distracted by the standard of the present health management. So is the approach taken by the Premier even remotely appropriate for the dental problem that is a reality and out there.

Unfortunately again the answer is a definite “NO”, but the disappointing aspect of the course of action is that it could actually be counterproductive.

Tooth decay is caused essentially by an unhealthy diet and inadequate dental hygiene. Dental hygiene consists basically of cleaning at least on a twice daily basis and really this is not difficult to achieve. The idea is to teach it to children from the day they can appreciate it and some of the problem is solved.

Undeniably, the major problem causing dental decay is diet and this is not only important in the younger years, as it is throughout life, but assumes an enhanced importance with age and particularly as the gums shrink, so exposing unprotected tooth roots. To optimise dental health it is necessary to eat the right foods and, coincidentally, these are the same foods that minimise things like obesity and diabetes, both in themselves serious health problems. In all health programs, exercise is a given but the powers are not working for good health.

TV and computers seem to have replaced the bicycle and the rounders bat, and fatty fast foods and very refined sugars, particularly artificial sweeteners, have replaced the vegies and stew, and soft drink, once a treat, has replaced a drink of fresh fruit juice. So those people who are rightly trying to promote a healthy lifestyle have their job in front of them. They simply don’t have the funding to match the commercial promotion of the fast foods and soft drinks and so a coordinated message from them is hardly possible.

For the general public the penny usually drops only when a doctor or dentist comes up with a disappointing diagnosis and at this point it’s too late. The health costs peak and the quality of life goes into a trough. Just another statistic!

The danger with promoting compulsory mass medication with fluoride is that the public is lulled into a false sense of security in that the tooth decay is over once the water is ‘treated’ and you drink it. From this point on you are absolved from further responsibility. Whether you’re a nutritionalist or just Tom or Mary down the road, you have to admit that junk foods and soft drink simply taste better than cauliflower and water. So if you are given the impression from a responsible source that sugars and fats are irrelevant for part of your potential health problems then you can of course have a bit more of them with safety!

Even if fluoridation was effective, and proof of this is extremely thin on the ground, the mass medication method is delivering the wrong message. It would be far better to promote a healthy diet and lifestyle, while retaining a fluoride option for those who considered they needed it, or advised by their health professional to use it. In this way those health professionals promoting healthy living to prevent obesity and diabetes would be given at least an even and much needed break.

So now we come back to the original question, ‘… Is the compulsory mass medication campaign (via fluoridation) the real message in this exercise or, is it simply to promote the authoritarian arrogance of an inept politician?’