Adjudication No. 1385  (adjudicated March 2008)

The Press Council has dismissed a complaint by Peter Davidson over a 6 December 2007 article in The Courier-Mail, headed Move to stop the rot, on the Queensland Government's decision to fluoridate water supplies.

The basis of Mr Davidson's complaint was that The Courier-Mail had knowingly deceived its readers in its reporting of statistical studies of fluoride and dental health in Queensland, and had utilised a study from 1991-1992, which he described as 'outdated', rather than using statistics from a more recent study.

The newspaper stated that it had relied on the information provided by the Premier, Anna Bligh, dated 5 December 2007. In her statement headed Fluoridation to deliver better oral health for Queenslanders, Ms Bligh said that the Government "cannot ignore the extensive scientific evidence that shows fluoridation is the missing link in Queensland's oral health system".

The Press Council is in no position to determine the statistical accuracy of surveys, or to question the facts on which the Government made its decision. But the newspaper is entitled to report the information provided by the Premier in support of a Government decision.

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