Armfield Jason M
Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health, School of Dentistry, University of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Aust New Zealand Health Policy. 2007 Dec 9;4:25. doi: 10.1186/1743-8462-4-25.
The addition of the chemical fluorine to the water supply, called water fluoridation, reduces dental caries by making teeth more resistant to demineralisation and more likely to remineralise when initially decayed. This process has been implemented in more than 30 countries around the world, is cost-effective and has been shown to be efficacious in preventing decay across a person's lifespan. However, attempts to expand this major public health achievement in line with Australia's National Oral Health Plan 2004-2013 are almost universally met with considerable resistance from opponents of water fluoridation, who engage in coordinated campaigns to portray water fluoridation as ineffective and highly dangerous.
Water fluoridation opponents employ multiple techniques to try and undermine the scientifically established effectiveness of water fluoridation. The materials they use are often based on Internet resources or published books that present a highly misleading picture of water fluoridation. These materials are used to sway public and political opinion to the detriment of public health. Despite an extensive body of literature, both studies and results within studies are often selectively reported, giving a biased portrayal of water fluoridation effectiveness. Positive findings are downplayed or trivialised and the population implications of these findings misinterpreted. Ecological comparisons are sometimes used to support spurious conclusions. Opponents of water fluoridation frequently repeat that water fluoridation is associated with adverse health effects and studies are selectively picked from the extensive literature to convey only claimed adverse findings related to water fluoridation. Techniques such as "the big lie" and innuendo are used to associate water fluoridation with health and environmental disasters, without factual support. Half-truths are presented, fallacious statements reiterated, and attempts are made to bamboozle the public with a large list of claims and quotes often with little scientific basis. Ultimately, attempts are made to discredit and slander scientists and various health organisations that support water fluoridation.
Water fluoridation is an important public health initiative that has been found to be safe and effective. Nonetheless, the implementation of water fluoridation is still regularly interrupted by a relatively small group of individuals who use misinformation and rhetoric to induce doubts in the minds of the public and government officials. It is important that public health officials are aware of these tactics so that they can better counter their negative effect.
在供水系统中添加化学物质氟，即水氟化，可使牙齿更能抵抗脱矿作用，并在最初发生龋齿时更易再矿化，从而减少龋齿。这一过程已在全球30多个国家实施，具有成本效益，且已证明在预防一个人一生的龋齿方面是有效的。然而，根据澳大利亚2004 - 2013年国家口腔健康计划扩大这一重大公共卫生成就的尝试，几乎普遍遭到水氟化反对者的强烈抵制，他们开展协同行动，将水氟化描绘成无效且极其危险的。
水氟化的反对者采用多种手段试图破坏水氟化已被科学证实的有效性。他们使用的材料往往基于互联网资源或已出版的书籍，这些材料对水氟化呈现出极具误导性的描述。这些材料被用来左右公众和政治观点，损害公众健康。尽管有大量文献，但研究及研究中的结果往往被有选择地报道，对水氟化有效性进行了有偏见的描述。积极的发现被淡化或轻视，这些发现对人群的影响也被误解。有时会进行生态比较以支持虚假结论。水氟化的反对者经常反复称水氟化与不良健康影响有关，并从大量文献中选择性地挑选研究，仅传达与水氟化相关的所谓不良发现。诸如“大谎言”和含沙射影等手段被用来将水氟化与健康和环境灾难联系起来，而无事实依据。只呈现部分真相，反复提及错误陈述，并试图用大量往往几乎没有科学依据的主张和引用来迷惑公众。最终，他们试图诋毁和诽谤支持水氟化的科学家和各种健康组织。
水氟化是一项已被证明安全有效的重要公共卫生举措。尽管如此，水氟化的实施仍经常被一小部分人打断，他们利用错误信息和言辞在公众和政府官员心中引发疑虑。公共卫生官员了解这些策略很重要，这样他们就能更好地应对其负面影响。
