Utah on the verge of being the first state to ban fluoride in public water

Utah is on the verge of becoming the first state to prohibit cities and towns from adding fluoride to their public water supply.

The Utah Senate on Friday voted 18-8 to give final approval to HB81, sponsored by state Rep. Stephanie Gricius (R). It now goes to Gov. Spencer Cox for his consideration.

If Cox signs the bill, fluoride would be banned by May 7. His office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The push to ban fluoride comes as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expressed skepticism and sometimes outright hostility about water fluoridation, which is considered one of the great public health achievements of the 20th century.

Prior to the election, Kennedy called fluoride an “industrial waste.”

In a social media post, Gricius celebrated the bill’s passage.

“Utah is leading the way in health freedom!” Gricius wrote. “I’m pleased to announce that HB81 has passed both the House and Senate and is headed to the Governor for his signature. I’m so grateful to everyone who helped push this policy.”

Gricius added a hashtag “MAHA,” short for Make America Healthy Again, the slogan used by Kennedy and his supporters.

Fluoride is a naturally occurring substance that helps to prevent tooth decay by strengthening and rebuilding weakened tooth enamel. Water fluoridation has occurred in the U.S. since 1945, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends community fluoridation as a cost-effective way to improve Americans’ oral health.

Scientific evidence shows that fluoridating water is beneficial to dental health and safe at the levels the U.S. currently maintains, but the anti-fluoridation movement has been gaining traction amid a growing distrust of public and civic officials since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Utah bill would not only ban fluoride, it would also explicitly prohibit municipalities and counties from passing their own ordinances requiring or permitting fluoridation.

However, it would add fluoride to the list of drugs that can be prescribed by a pharmacist. Gricius argued the bill increases personal freedom, and making fluoride easier to access from a pharmacy allows people to choose for themselves.

Few Utah communities currently add fluoride to water, and the state already allows the decision to be put to a local vote.

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