" For our own good " !

The phrase " For our own good " is usually tendered as the reason for passing legislation that compels us to obey a law with which not everyone agrees.  We fasten our seat belt when we travel in a car, or suffer a heavy fine and loss of demerit points if the police discover us doing otherwise.  We do so not by choice - but by government decree.

There are always some people whose hackles bristle the moment a new law compels obedience.   The " safety laws " compel those who ride bicycles to wear safety helmets, but judging by the number of kids riding bikes without helmets, the law is roundly disregarded.    Enforcing this law is also sporadic.   Fining kids is too difficult - while catching motorists driving with seat belts unfastened is like shooting fish in a barrel.

We are fighting a battle to get a high proportion of parents to have their children vaccinated against childhood diseases.   A rising proportion of unvaccented kids can result in Measles and Whooping cough reappearing, and the parliament is considering making immunization compulsory for entry into pre-schools and for the payment of child benefits.

Now a new battle has erupted.   Decades ago science discovered that adding fluoride to the water supply caused a huge improvement in dental health.  The decision to fluoride was a local council matter and it drew a mixed result.   In communities which decided to add fluoride, there were some residents who refused to use the fluorided water and went to the trouble of collecting drinking and cooking water from an unfluorided source.

Unfortunately, we are seeing a sharp deterioration in oral health and this is happening in areas where even the town water has fluoride added.   There has been a trend to use bottled water - and this is fluoride free.   At the same time, a growing number of "health fanatics " are claiming that fluoride is unsafe and demanding that it's addition in their council area cease.

This is countered by health authorities who have discovered a link between oral health - and our biggest killer - heart disease.   There is pressure on the New South Wales state government to legislate to remove the fluoride decision from local councils and have fluoride added to the state water supply on a health basis.

This will obviously have the " civil liberties " people thumping the war drums.   The vast majority of people seemed to approve of law changes to reduce the number of people smoking cigarettes, and we expect safety laws to be in place to ensure that the food supply is safe for human consumption - but when it comes to individual liberties - that seems to be an entirely different matter !

If the government gives universal fluoride protection the nod, the final decision is likely to be years away - and decided in the High court !