SALT LAKE, UT – Utah officially became the first state in the country to ban adding fluoride to drinking water when Gov. Spencer Cox signed a legislative proposal into law Thursday night. The action comes amid a wave of skepticism toward public health measures exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fluoride often occurs naturally in water systems, but some local governments have added extra to help prevent cavities. While dentists have attributed dramatic improvements in oral health to the practice — especially in vulnerable communities — some question whether ingesting the substance is safe, even in the relatively low levels water systems use.
HB81, sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Gricius, R-Eagle Mountain, blurred party lines on its legislative path, but it ultimately passed the Legislature with comfortable margins. The bill’s approval also undoes a longtime practice of leaving it to municipalities in the state to allow their constituents to vote on whether to add fluoride to their water.
However, the discussion, Gricius said during bill presentations, was still about freedom of choice.
Utah Legislature approves ban on cities adding fluoride in public water
“I would just say it doesn’t get more local control than my own body,” she said about potentially overriding the decisions of local governments.
Many members of the public lined up during committee hearings, showing a definite divide on the issue; dentists expressed concern about the adverse public health consequences of removing fluoride from the state’s drinking water, and some local government representatives supported the bill, citing economic woes and worries about controlling dosages.
Similar anti-fluoridation efforts have emerged across the country, while public health experts warn that the skepticism has been fueled by problematic studies and misinformation.
The bill doesn’t prohibit Utahns from taking fluoride supplements if they choose, and opens the door for pharmacists to prescribe it.
However, dentists worry that may not be enough to fight tooth decay.
“Despite my efforts in education, in prescribing fluoride and working with parents, the voluntary application does not always work for those that may be most vulnerable,” Dr. Sarah Woolsey, a family physician who has practiced for decades in Utah underserved communities, said during a House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee hearing in January.
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