Utah to Become First State to Ban Fluoride in Drinking Water

Introduction to the Ban

Utah will become the first state to ban fluoride in public drinking water, despite widespread opposition from dentists and national health organizations. Republican Gov. Spencer Cox said he would sign legislation that bars cities and communities from deciding whether to add the mineral to their water systems.

Opposition from Health Organizations

Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The addition of low levels of fluoride to drinking water has long been considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century. Government researchers have found that community water fluoridation prevents about 25% of tooth decay.

Benefits of Fluoride

“We’ve got tried and true evidence of the safety and efficacy of this public health initiative,” said American Dental Association President Brad Kessler, of Denver. Cavities could start emerging in children within months or years of Utah stopping fluoridation, Kessler said. The ban comes weeks after federal health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has expressed skepticism about water fluoridation, was sworn into office.

Cost and Individual Choice

Utah lawmakers who pushed for a ban said putting fluoride in water was too expensive. Its Republican sponsor, Rep. Stephanie Gricius, acknowledged fluoride has benefits, but said it was an issue of “individual choice” to not have it in the water. Cox said that like many people in Utah, he grew up and raised his own children in a community that doesn’t have fluoridated water — or what he called a “natural experiment.”

Potential Consequences

“You would think you would see drastically different outcomes with half the state not getting it. We haven’t seen that,” Cox said in a weekend interview with ABC4 in Salt Lake City. “So it’s got to be a really high bar for me if we’re going to require people to be medicated by their government.” Already, some cities across the country have gotten rid of fluoride from their water, and other municipalities are considering doing the same.

Previous Incidents and Risks

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. A Utah teenager who urged lawmakers to pass the bill described suffering a medical emergency when the fluoride pump in Sandy, Utah, malfunctioned in 2019, releasing an excessive amount of the mineral into the drinking water. The fluoride sickened hundreds of residents and led many in Utah to push for its removal.

Response from Health Experts

It’s rare to find high levels of fluoridation in water, according to the National Institutes of Health. The agency said it’s “virtually impossible” to get a toxic dose of fluoride from water with standard levels of the mineral. Kessler said the amounts of fluoride added to drinking water have been reduced over time and are below levels considered problematic. “The science proves that it is effective at reducing cavities with little to no risk of other problems,” he said.

Disproportionate Effects on Low-Income Residents

Opponents warned it would disproportionately affect low-income residents who may rely on public drinking water having fluoride as their only source of preventative dental care. Low-income families may not be able to afford regular dentist visits or the fluoride tablets some people buy as a supplement in cities without fluoridation. 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.

Current State of Fluoridation in Utah

Utah in 2022 ranked 44th in the nation for the percentage of residents that receive fluoridated water, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About two in five Utah residents served by community water systems received fluoridated water. In February, the city council in Riverton, a Salt Lake City suburb, unanimously passed a resolution to remove fluoride from the city’s public water systems.

Local Experiences

Voters in Brigham City, 59 miles (95 kilometers) north of the capital city, struck down by a large margin a measure in 2023 that would have removed the mineral from its public water supply. Out of the 484 Utah water systems that reported data to the CDC in 2024, only 66 fluoridated their water, an Associated Press analysis showed. The largest was the state’s biggest city, Salt Lake City. Rodney Thornell, president of the Utah Dental Association, began practicing dentistry in a Salt Lake City suburb before the city added fluoride to its water.

Conclusion

Utah’s decision to ban fluoride in drinking water marks a significant shift in public health policy, despite the widely recognized benefits of fluoride in preventing tooth decay. As the first state to implement such a ban, Utah’s move may have implications for other states and municipalities considering similar actions. The ban highlights the ongoing debate about the role of government in public health initiatives and the importance of individual choice versus collective benefits.

FAQs

• Q: Why is Utah banning fluoride in drinking water?
  A: Utah is banning fluoride due to concerns about cost and individual choice, despite opposition from health organizations.
• Q: What are the benefits of fluoride in drinking water?
  A: Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities, with community water fluoridation preventing about 25% of tooth decay.
• Q: Could the ban affect low-income residents disproportionately?
  A: Yes, low-income families who rely on public drinking water for preventative dental care may be disproportionately affected, as they may not be able to afford alternative dental care or fluoride supplements.
• Q: What do health experts say about the safety and efficacy of fluoride?
  A: Health experts, including the American Dental Association and the National Institutes of Health, affirm that fluoride is safe and effective at reducing cavities with little to no risk of other problems when added to drinking water at standard levels.