Utah appears to be the first state ready to put a full ban on fluoride in public water systems under a bill that doesn’t allow cities or communities to decide whether to add the cavity-preventing mineral. A bill sponsor and an organization opposed to fluoridating water said Utah’s proposal would set a precedent in the U.S. — and it would come as new federal health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expressed skepticism about water fluoridation, which is considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century.
Utah’s bill cleared its final hurdle in the legislature last week, and heads to Gov. Spencer Cox for his approval. A spokesperson for Cox didn’t immediately respond to a question about whether he’d sign it.
Already, some cities across the country have tossed fluoride from their water, and other municipalities are considering doing the same. A few months ago, a federal judge ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to regulate fluoride in drinking water because high levels could pose a risk to kids’ intellectual development.
Utah ranked 44th in the nation for the percentage of residents that receive fluoridated water, according to data published in 2022 by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About two in five Utah residents served by community water systems received fluoridated water.
Lawmakers who backed the bill, which was sponsored by state Republican Rep. Stephanie Gricius and state Sen. Kirk Cullimore, said putting fluoride in the water is too expensive. “I don’t dispute that there can be positive benefits from fluoride, which is why the bill also includes a deregulation of the prescription,” Gricius said, referencing a fluoride pill. “This isn’t anti-fluoride legislation, it is pro-informed consent and individual choice.”
Fluoridation is the most cost-effective way to prevent tooth decay on a large scale, said Lorna Koci, who chairs the Utah Oral Health Coalition. She added that fluoridated public water is often the only form of preventive dental care for some people, and the impacts may be most visible in low-income Utah residents.
Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly two-thirds of the U.S. population drinks fluoridated water.
Out of 484 Utah water systems, only 66 fluoridated their water. Val Radmall, the executive director of the Utah Dental Association, expressed concern about the potential impact on dental health, particularly in communities that have historically lacked fluoride.
