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Australia is one of many countries that have water fluoridation programs currently operating (see Fluoridation by country). As of March 2012, artificially fluoridated drinking water is provided for 70% or more of the population in all states and territories. The acceptance of the benefits of water fluoridation occurred in Australia in December 1953, roughly two years after acceptance in the United States.〔(Water Fluoridation: The Engineers' Contribution )〕 Many of Australia's drinking water supplies subsequently began fluoridation in the 1960s and 1970s. By 1984 almost 66% of the Australian population had access to fluoridated drinking water, represented by 850 towns and cities.〔(Inquiry into Water Fluoridation in the ACT - Report by the Standing Committee on Social Policy, 1991 )〕〔Commonwealth Department of Health, Fluoridation of Water: A Collection. 9; Commonwealth Department of Health, Fluoridation of Water in Australia 1984 (Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service, 1985), 13.〕 Some areas within Australia have natural fluoride levels in the groundwater, which was estimated in 1991 to provide drinking water to approximately 0.9% of the population.〔 A key difference between the implementation of drinking water fluoridation in the United States and Australia was the impact of temperature and climate on water consumption. Temperatures are a key factor in the establishment of legislative requirements, such as the Water Fluoridation Regulation 2008〔(Water Fluoridation Regulation 2008 )〕 in Queensland, that prescribe concentrations of fluoride to be added to the water. Consequently, areas with higher average temperatures require less fluoride to be added to the drinking water to achieve the same oral health benefits. The tropical conditions found in parts of Australia, such as Queensland, also make it difficult to maintain fluoridation equipment due to higher levels of corrosion caused by the wet climate. The addition of fluoride to a drinking water supply is generally governed by the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. The Guidelines recommend a health-related guideline value (maximum concentration) of 1.5 mg/L for fluoride, which mirrors the World Health Organisation Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality 2006. Guidance on the concentration of fluoride has been present in the Guidelines since 1983. Like other countries with water fluoridation programs, Australia has organised anti-fluoride groups that contest the health benefits of fluoride. In addition to claiming that fluoride offers no health benefits whatsoever, they claim that moderate fluoride exposure can lead to reduced IQ, damaged bones, brain, kidneys and thyroid, dental fluorosis, and many more severe effects.〔Bryson, C. (2004). ''The Fluoride Deception''. New York: Seven Stories Press.〕 == Tasmania == The first town to fluoridate the water supply in Australia was Beaconsfield, Tasmania in 1953.〔; 〕 Although all public water supplies in Tasmania are fluoridated, approximately 15% of the residents do not have access to public water supplies.〔(Section 7 Oral Health Plan, Tasmanian Department of Health and Human Services )〕 The fluoridation of drinking water supplies in Tasmania is regulated by the Fluoridation Act 1968.〔(Fluoridation Act 1968 )〕 Under the Act, the need to add fluoride to a water supply is assessed by a fluoridation committee, which then provides a recommendation to the Health Minister. The Health Minister may then choose to direct the water authority to add fluoride to the water. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Water fluoridation in Australia」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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